Perimenopause or Anxiety or ???

Hi everyone, like others have mentioned what a relief it is to hear people mentioning the same symptoms as i'm having (not that i'm wishing ill health on anyone of course) i'm 47 and have been having fewer and fewer periods for the past few years, seem to have settled into a low flow one every 4-6 months now. I always felt that the dizziness and fatigue was down to blood loss but oh boy do i feel tired now. I'm just at the end of a very light period and my legs won't stop feeling wobbly and i feel disoriented and "out of it". when i mention feeling tired people look at me like i've gone out! I gave up work a few years back because i was constantly bleeding and felt so unwell and i hoped that once that finished i could get back to work but the symptoms just change now and then. My symptoms now like someone else has mentioned include feeling like i can't breathe right and lots of headaches and migraines. I do worry all the time and suffer very badly with white coat syndrome so i rarely go to see my dr. i feel so useless and almost like a fraud because no one i know seems to suffer these things. On top of the intense tiredness how wrong that then you can't sleep! drives me nuts. Thanks for sharing your stories and i hope everyone is feeling better soon x

I just found this and thought it may be interesting to some:

'A lady emailed me a few weeks ago and said that her doctor told her that she was in the mentalpause and I though what a fabulous description. Because that’s exactly what the menopause is – a journey through both physical and emotional extremes with most of us not having a clue as to what is happening!

Falling hormones affect us in many ways. At the present moment there are at least 34 recognised main symptoms, with many women having unique symptoms that don’t always get recognised as menopausal. Oestrogen, especially, is a mood enhancer and when the levels start to dip that can have a huge impact on our emotional state. Low mood, anxiety, mood swings, anger, frustration, impatience, absentmindedness and even depression can hit us really quickly, catching us unawares.

Suddenly, our ‘usual self’ disappears and it often feels like we have been taken over by some stranger who acts completely differently. This can be a real shock for our friends and loved ones as the person they knew suddenly starts to snap and snarl and work colleagues start to give you a wide berth! Some women decide to completely change their lives, even walking out of their relationship and leaving everyone stunned.

But can we blame it all on our hormones? The hormonal changes in the menopause can stress the body itself tremendously. We are, in effect, coming off hormones that our body has been used to for many years and this decrease causes withdrawal symptoms just as if we were stopping smoking or coming off drugs of any kind. So, of course, our emotional self is going to be affected in some way as we go through this process.

We also have to realise that as women today we are forever busy, on the go and our minds are constantly whirring about what we need to do and – like an overworked computer – sometimes it just crashes. I was out for a family day recently and was chatting to one of my daughters and eldest grandson and was telling them that a little while ago I tried to put the box of washing powder and fabric conditioner in the fridge – you just know that moment when you suddenly ‘come to’ and go ‘oopps’. My daughter, who’s 35, said that recently she had poured orange juice onto her breakfast cereal instead of milk; and my grandson, who’s 19, said that he had gone to wash his dinner plate and found himself in the bathroom. Phew, so I am not going senile!  Many of these so-called menopause moments are nothing to do with age or hormones but just the fact that our poor brains never get a moment’s peace!

So is there anything you can do for this mentalpause? Yes, believe it or not the stronger your body is the more easily it can adapt to these changes. Looking after yourself well, having a good varied diet which will give your body all the nutrients it needs at this time, plenty of rest and relaxation to allow the body time to rebalance, and sensible exercise to keep everything in working order can make a huge difference to the number and intensity of the symptoms you will get; and hopefully this will give you a more emotionally balanced and physically easier journey '

xx

It's a really helpful website that it came from. Loads of menopause info. It's the avogel site. Hope it doesn't block that out. The lady who writes the menopause blog is really helpful. Xx

Oh my god,

I am sooo pleased i am not alone!!

Back in 2009 i suddenly started getting cluster migraines about 6/7 over a two week period then a gap and it would start again. I have always had migraines but maybe one a year! I went to the doctor to ask could it be the start but as i was only 41 he said far too early ( despite both my mother and grandmother going through it at that age) and would i like a brain scan????? I did ring up to book one but the autoamted reply said too busy and to make another appoitment in 6 months lol!! 

I now get around 5/6 months of the year without migrianes ( usually the summer) but feel i lack energy all the time, feel sick and bloated and dizzy and fuzzy headed ( i thoought i was going mad!! went to the docotrs again last month but all my bloods are ok however my period didnt arrive last month an i feel even more sick now)

I have also found certain smells make me urge as do certain foods!!

As the doctor is trying to figure out more tests to do i KNOW its the start however dont know what is best to take. Dont want HRT as i have read it can make migraines worse??? Please could you lovely ladies help as i feel sometimes i cant even get up in the morning!!!

Thank you in advance.

Big hugs to all you lovely ladies as well xx