Perimenopause or Anxiety or ???

Ratler,

I am having hormones, thyroid, liver function, amaemia, b12 folate ferritin, bone profile, and a number of other things which are abbreviated that I have no knowledge of. The spotting/heavy bleeding is what I am suffering with and I have also been suffering from lower back pain this week, just before starting my period again. Also the feeling of nausea, which has been very bad today, got to the stage where I couldn't talk as I was worried about maybe being ill I think if it's causing you concern, it doesn't matter how the symptoms are, it's still making a difference to you xxx

This all started with me at 48, periods became erratic, then when came were very heavy for 6 weeks. Before this i had noticed short term memory loss, brain fog, after about a year of this the hot feelings started but not generally at night, during the heat of last summer at times i felt i was going to boil dry quite scary. Doctors do the hormone test but specialists say its not very reliable as it can be up and down. The anxiety started, ive never been an anxious person but i think coinciding with some life events it took a toll. But i kept strong and fought against it, could quite easily have shut myself away, still could. So now im nearly two years on and the bleeding is the worst thing, so have started hrt to see if it regulates it and hopefully the levelling of the hormones will take away the tiredness,and other symptoms. Im hoping....

Hi everyone , hope you are all having a nice weekend , thank you campervanqueen it's good to know others are the same as me I keep reading about peri menopause on here and thinking I don't have a lot of them symptoms and I'm trying to be positive I'm sure it will be something n nothing medically but for us it affects our lives . Women always have an inner strength and get through tough times and it's just as well as these forums proves a heck of a lot of ladies are suffering with symptoms that some people just wouldn't understand unless there were going through it too , take care x x

Found this today i can relate to most of the symptoms im sure a lot of the ladies on here will to :

The first signs of perimenopause may go unnoticed. They may be subtle and far between. The time span of the perimenopause stage of life can lasts up to 10 years. As the time of menopause approaches the symptoms may become more evident. Perimenopause starts for most women, in their late 30's or 40's. The signs and symptoms vary from woman to woman. Most women experience some symptoms along the way, however there are the lucky women who's only sign of perimenopause will be when their period stops. As a woman nears menopause estrogen and progesterone levels drop. Fluctuating hormone levels in the body are what cause Perimenopausal symptoms.

1.We have all heard of the dreaded hot flashes, these are akin to night sweats, flushes and cold flashes. They usually come on fast and leave you feeling hot and clammy or chilled.

2. Heart palpitations are another common symptom often described as a rushing heartbeat, or skipping heartbeat. This is a normal response to hormonal fluctuations and is quite common among those going through the perimenopause stage of life.

3. Irritability, anger and rage are very common during perimenopause.

4. Another frequent sign of perimenopause is mood swings and sudden tears. You may be happy one moment then sad and blue the next. Because of the extreme highs and lows these symptoms are sometimes misdiagnosed by members of the medical profession as being bipolar disorder.

5. Insomnia or trouble sleeping are very familiar to many perimenopausal women.

6. A woman's period will become irregular and may be heavier, lighter, longer or shorter. She may experience heavy prolonged bleeding. Phantom periods are also a symptom of menopause; a woman may get all the signs and symptoms of a period without the bleeding.

7. Loss of libido, many women does not lose their sex drive completely but may experience a temporary loss. Often this is attributed to not feeling well in general because of experiencing other perimenopause symptoms.

8. Loss of natural lubrication from falling hormones results in a dry vagina.

9. Fatigue is a common complaint among women who are in perimenopause.

10. One of the biggest complaints during perimenopause is anxiety. It can hit out of the blue without reason or cause.

11. Dark thoughts, apprehension, feelings of dread and doom these are also a signs or symptoms of perimenopause and may be connected with the depression that some women go through during this time.

12. Many women have difficulty concentrating, feel disoriented, and experience mental confusion. The ability to connect thoughts is hampered when hormone levels drop.

13. Disturbing memory lapses occur during perimenopause. Often women worry this is a sign of a much worse condition such as Alzheimer's.

14. Incontinence is another symptom some women experience during perimenopause.

15. Some women get itchy crawly skin, with the sensation of ants crawling on them. The proper medical term for this condition is formication.

16. Most women, experience aching, sore joints, tendons and muscles. Otseoarthritis will sometimes develop during the perimenopausal years. Women who have arthritis or rheumatoid pain may find that the pain is worse during perimenpause.

17. Increased muscle tension is often a complaint that women in perimenopause have.

18. Breast may become tender with swelling and pain caused by the rise and fall of hormone levels.

19. Migraine Headaches are a part of perimenopause for some women.

20. Many women are plagued with indigestion, gas, nausea, flatulence, and gastrointestinal distress. Some develop a condition known as Gerd or Acid reflux.

21. Bloating and water retention that comes on suddenly is a problem for many women.

22. Depression, a sense of loss of control and lack of ability to cope can be brought on by falling hormone levels.

23. Exacerbation of pre-existing medical conditions. The symptoms of any medical condition that a woman has before entering perimenopause may become worse.

24. A women in the perimenopause stage of life may develop allergies for the first time. Women who already suffer from allergies before the onset of perimenopause may notice that their allergies become worse.

25. Weight gain commonly is noticed in the waist and thigh areas.

26. Hair loss, thinning hair and pubic hair loss due to dropping hormone levels in the body. Many women experience the growth of facial hair.

27. It is a very common symptom of perimenopause to experience dizziness, light-headedness or a loss of balance.

28. A less common sign of perimenopause that some women notice is a change in body odor.

29. The feeling of being shocked in the head or just under the skin.

30. Extremities may develop tingling sensations.

31. Some women complain of a sensation that feels as if their tongue is burning.

32. A woman's gums might feel tender and sore; she may notice some bleeding around the teeth.

33. Fingernails may become brittle and break easily.

34. After some years in the perimenopause stage many women develop a condition known as Osteoperosis. This is a thinning of the bones and a weakening of bone strength.

The perimenopause stage is not over until a woman goes a full 12 months without a period. When this has happened a woman moves on to the next stage called menopause.

Although these signs and symptoms may seem overwhelming it is a natural part of life. Many women turn to hormone therapy; some seek a more natural way of resolving symptoms. The best advice on dealing with the symptoms of perimenopause that I have been given and can give is: "Take it one day at a time" and "Remember, this too shall pass."

The biggest problem is anxiety and off balance dizziness I can't cope I lie in bed and don't know what to do

It's the anxiety that I'm struggling with x

WOW... Even reading that you can see things you've experienced and think Oh Yeah! That's a good piece of information, thanks Countrylass

You wanna know something ladies, we are just remarkable... I think to myself how crap this makes me feel, and I'm only just starting out but I look back and think, I'm experiencing this because I'm a woman and I've been lucky to have three children who are my world. It sort of makes it worthwhile, though it's obvious that God chose us to take this because he knew men wouldn't cope haha!!!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and I will say this, without this forum, and without all your support, I'd be very lost and scared xxx you are all wonderful xxx

I'll second that campervanqueen, i dont know what state i'd of got myself into only for you lovely supportive ladies. lots of love to all xx

Hello Ladies. I found this forum by chance the other night and already you have all helped me understand some of the things I am experiencing.

After 4 years, I finally convinced my Doctor to send me for tests as my periods were so heavy, I was tired all the time and when the Nurse tried to do a smear test, they just could not do it as it was so painful.I went to Maternity (the first for me as at 51 I do not have children!) and had a scan and also an internal camera. The results came back after 4 - yes 4 - weeks (they had misplaced them) and my Doctor told me that I had a very slightly enlarged overy but that would not cause any problems and she asked if I really wanted to see a Specialist. I insisted that I did, after waiting 4 years to get this far, I wasn't going to give up just like that.

Within 3 weeks I was seeing a Specialist who performed the camera exam again. He found a very large polyp on one side and a cyst on my left overy. Two weeks later I was in hospital having my very first operation. He did keyhole surgery but had to open me up larger to get the polyp out as it was so large. He could not remove the cyst on its own, so took my overy and tube. He also found the whole area covery in Endro. He was shocked when I told him about my Doctor.

The operation left me feeling the best I had felt in years.....however in December the hot flushes and night sweats started and then the dreaded anxiety hit.

I have had one period since the op. in October and the Doctor won't prescribe HRT (she doesn't believe in it). I have been taking Menocare for the last few months and they seem to help.

It is the anxiety and the feeling of doom that gets me. I spend most of the time alone as my husband has more or less abandoned me and when I get in at night after a day at work, that is when the panic sets in. I just dont seem to be able to cope with being on my own anymore even though I have been in the same situation for the last 4 years and it didn't bother me at all in the past. I have gone from being happy to be on my own to being scared of spending time alone. I am working myself to a frazzle because if I stop, I think and if I think I get scared and break down.

Just finding out that these feelings are normal for peri and menopausal ladies is a great help. I heard a saying the other day that I keep saying to myself - "don't let the thoughts of bad things that might happen spoil the good things that are happening"

Thank you all so much for reading this long post.

Hi Julie , it made me feel so sad for you reading this post , please don't feel alone , all the ladies on these forums are a great support iv found myself looking on here and chatting for past couple of months after my doctor recommended it to me . You have probably tried to talk to your husband already but if not don't assume he realises what you are feeling and going through , even the most supportive of husbands sometimes need things pointing out to them . Try to keep smiling and stay strong , take care x x😀😀😀

Hi, Rattler7, thank you for taking the time to reply. Yes, I have spoken to my husband. He is just no good at anything emotional (burys his head in the sand). I have a good bunch of friends who are always on the end of the phone and internet and now I have this forum.

Hi Julie , I'm glad you have supportive friends , I'm the opposite it's my husband who's supportive and friends not so much lol, keep reading on here iv learnt a lot and felt lots of support x x

Hi Julie

bless you hun, dont feel alone, theres some wonderful ladies on here, and we all share our feelings and it so helps... I am in almost year 9 of peri aged 49, and I can say its the anxiety and feelings of dread that are the worst for me... my partner works away, i see him every second weekend ... so know how you feel, I dont tell him alot as I feel men dont understand us really, some lucky ladies have more understanding men, mine doesnt understand, so I tend to bottle it up, its the anxiety side he notices... and thinks I am crazy and says what is wrong with you, you never use to be like this ... 😢 ... I tend to feel lesa anxious if someone is with me when I go out and things like that... ( i put that down to actually having 3 faints in early peri, one in a big store too, I was alone each time) it just made me worse after that really... always come on here if you feel the blues, I think just knowing your not alone helps alot too .. take care .... Jay xx

Hi ladies

Thank god I found this forum. I'm 46 and believe I'm going through peri menopause, but blood test said everything was fine. I feel so low and blue most of the time and when i have a good day it's amazing. I get tired very easily, have hot flushes, and go from being tearful to angry . My poor husband can't keep up and doesn't really understand. My anxiety has also got a bit out if hand and I worry about everything and I'm not enjoying doing things I normally do and I have trouble concentrating in anything. I'm quite self aware so I know something isn't right, but don't know where to turn

Hi Erica... yep, sounds like Peri .... remember though, as I have mentioned before, in early Peri the FSH hormone blood test can often come back normal, when infact you are Peri... mine did, and my Doc said I was in Peri and the blood test unfortunately was taken when the hormone levels were at a normal pre peri meno stage, he said the hormone states are erratic and fluctuate all the time and can be difficult in early stages because of this to get a peri result.. thats when I purchased some home meno tests to keep check on them myself at different stages of the month . hope that helps Jay xx