Peri menopause moans

[Marshallmum1982]

After seeing so many comments on various posts here about peri, I thought it might be useful to have a thread for us to have a moan and exchange advice!
I'll start!
Current moans -
-aching hips
- round belly and constant bloat
- headaches
- irritability with everyone
- anxiety popping its head up every few days

Hopefully this can help some of us just let off a bit of steam or get some advice from others going through the same!

 

[PrettyGreeneyes76]

Thankfully I’m on HRT it was a fight to get it but feel so much better for it.

My problems are still
Headaches worse near to periods
Bloating and period pains 2 weeks before I’m due on.
Anxiety some days

 

[Baby Giraffe]

HRT has really helped me too, thankfully my GP was really clued up and followed NICE guidelines, discussing it all with me and not fobbing me off with ADs. Been a pain sourcing it recently though as there’s been a real gel shortage. Glad that awareness of peri is improving just wish there wasn’t so much misinformation being quoted as fact though. It took a good while to get some of the less physical symptoms under control though but confidence and anxiety levels much improved now and sleeping better (until the heat wave!)

 

[emmyg]

Think I’m just at the start of peri. Periods all over the place - had one cycle of 82 days, currently on day 37 and still waiting!! We go on holiday today, so can guarantee it’ll come now. Probably in the night and I’ll end up flooding all over the sheets! They are really heavy first few days, changing tampons nearly hourly. After a lifetime of being skinny I am now having trouble shifting the weight around my tummy despite increasing my exercise. Next step will be something horribly dramatic like cutting out sugar!!
Can you take HRT when you are peri? I assumed it was just for when you were actually menopausal.

 

[ILoveUnicorns]

This is a great thread to start, I’m still very regular but I am wary that as I’m 40 this year I may start seeing some changes in the near future and it’s good to know what to look out for

 

[PrettyGreeneyes76]

Think I’m just at the start of peri. Periods all over the place - had one cycle of 82 days, currently on day 37 and still waiting!! We go on holiday today, so can guarantee it’ll come now. Probably in the night and I’ll end up flooding all over the sheets! They are really heavy first few days, changing tampons nearly hourly. After a lifetime of being skinny I am now having trouble shifting the weight around my tummy despite increasing my exercise. Next step will be something horribly dramatic like cutting out sugar!!
Can you take HRT when you are peri? I assumed it was just for when you were actually menopausal.

I’m peri and have hrt patches

 

[posty post]

Happy to see this thread! I feel like I’m going to need all the advice in the near future

 

[Baby Giraffe]

Think I’m just at the start of peri. Periods all over the place - had one cycle of 82 days, currently on day 37 and still waiting!! We go on holiday today, so can guarantee it’ll come now. Probably in the night and I’ll end up flooding all over the sheets! They are really heavy first few days, changing tampons nearly hourly. After a lifetime of being skinny I am now having trouble shifting the weight around my tummy despite increasing my exercise. Next step will be something horribly dramatic like cutting out sugar!!
Can you take HRT when you are peri? I assumed it was just for when you were actually menopausal.

I’m peri too, I only take the progesterone bit for half the month to mimic a cycle but there’s massive benefits in taking it at this stage and there is no reason why modern HRT can’t be taken long term

 

[emmyg]

I’m peri too, I only take the progesterone bit for half the month to mimic a cycle but there’s massive benefits in taking it at this stage and there is no reason why modern HRT can’t be taken long term

Thanks. I’ll definitely contact my Dr then. X

 

[Marshallmum1982]

Is anyone going through peri whilst on Depo? I started it last year and haven't really had a proper period since so I thought I was going mental at the end of last year before I realised it could be peri. I just worry that when the time comes that symptoms become too much and I feel like I need some HRT that they'll say no because I don't really have periods or can't track my cycle?

HRT has really helped me too, thankfully my GP was really clued up and followed NICE guidelines, discussing it all with me and not fobbing me off with ADs. Been a pain sourcing it recently though as there’s been a real gel shortage. Glad that awareness of peri is improving just wish there wasn’t so much misinformation being quoted as fact though. It took a good while to get some of the less physical symptoms under control though but confidence and anxiety levels much improved now and sleeping better (until the heat wave!)

100%- I wasn't even aware it was a thing until early this year! My mum mentioned it could be early menopause because of how I was feeling but I thought I was too young at 39 but peri makes so much more sense. Speaking to a lot of my friends who have also turned 40 this year it explains so much- its nice to know you're not the only one who can't figure out what these sudden changes are. Its pretty lonely until you can talk to someone who is going through the same, there definitely needs to be more education about it!

 

[rainbowhouse]

Was so pleased when I saw your post to say you’d created this! Hoping to learn from you experienced ladies who seem to have decent GPs

Currently constantly exhausted, barely sleeping, fat, painful legs and a cycle that’s all over the place - meaning I feel premenstrual most of the time!

 

[Blonde_moment]

Only 39, but I’m sure I’ve been in peri since 34 (my Mum went through menopause at 39 and her sister was 43, so early menopause seems to be in the family).

Periods still pretty regular, but I feel so different to a decade ago. Sleep has massively deteriorated and go through patches where I wake around 3am and can’t get back to sleep. Feel tired and lack energy and motivation. Ache more. Dry eyes. Bad headaches, especially before period. Sex drive and orgasms have declined massively. Up until mid 30s had a good sex drive and really strong orgasms. Now I hardly ever think about sex and orgasms are so weak they are almost non-existent. This is very upsetting when I am still only young. I’m single at the moment so at least I don’t have to force myself to have sex. Did have a spell of vaginal dryness and some hot flashes a few years ago, but they seem to have stopped for now thankfully.

I was prescribed HRT patches last summer by an understanding female GP, based on symptoms and my family history. Unfortunately I had unpleasant side effects and came to the conclusion I’m not ready for it and my own estrogen levels must still be high enough. Embarrassing, but I had profuse discharge (having to change underwear multiple times a day) and breast engorgement and soreness like I’ve never experienced, not even during pregnancy. I couldn’t even wear a bra, as too painful and started to get stabbing pains in my boobs too. I read up and these are both signs of excess estrogen in the body.

So, it appears I’m trapped in this awful transition phase where my hormones are not what they used to be, but haven’t dropped to a level where I can take HRT. No idea how long this will go on for. I can cope with most things, but the sleep is by far the worst. When I go through a bad patch it’s like torture and I would give anything to sleep like I used to.

 

[Baby Giraffe]

I’m in my early 50s now and until a couple of years ago all I knew about menopause was you got hot and your periods stopped, nothing about the 30 or so other symptoms or that peri was even a thing. I was struggling at work with stress and looking after an ill parent but never even thought any of it was made worse by a lack of hormones. I also knew that I didn’t want HRT as it obviously made me weak and I remembered the old scare stories from the 80s . Then I remember reading a few articles and it dawning in me that all I was doing was replacing something I was missing which helped with my poor sleep, night sweats and anxiety but also helping protect my body longer term. Wish I’d know earlier really.

Only 39, but I’m sure I’ve been in peri since 34 (my Mum went through menopause at 39 and her sister was 43, so early menopause seems to be in the family).

Periods still pretty regular, but I feel so different to a decade ago. Sleep has massively deteriorated and go through patches where I wake around 3am and can’t get back to sleep. Feel tired and lack energy and motivation. Ache more. Dry eyes. Bad headaches, especially before period. Sex drive and orgasms have declined massively. Up until mid 30s had a good sex drive and really strong orgasms. Now I hardly ever think about sex and orgasms are so weak they are almost non-existent. This is very upsetting when I am still only young. I’m single at the moment so at least I don’t have to force myself to have sex. Did have a spell of vaginal dryness and some hot flashes a few years ago, but they seem to have stopped for now thankfully.

I was prescribed HRT patches last summer by an understanding female GP, based on symptoms and my family history. Unfortunately I had unpleasant side effects and came to the conclusion I’m not ready for it and my own estrogen levels must still be high enough. Embarrassing, but I had profuse discharge (having to change underwear multiple times a day) and breast engorgement and soreness like I’ve never experienced, not even during pregnancy. I couldn’t even wear a bra, as too painful and started to get stabbing pains in my boobs too. I read up and these are both signs of excess estrogen in the body.

So, it appears I’m trapped in this awful transition phase where my hormones are not what they used to be, but haven’t dropped to a level where I can take HRT. No idea how long this will go on for. I can cope with most things, but the sleep is by far the worst. When I go through a bad patch it’s like torture and I would give anything to sleep like I used to.

It would be worth trying a different type of HRT as we can absorb and react differently. I’m on gel which works great for me but when I couldn’t get it and was swapped to spray it didn’t work at all even though in theory it should have had the same effect. The same with the progesterone element, I am great on oral utrogestan (body identical) but some people do better on it vaginally or with a marina coil rather than the type included in combined patches. It can be very trial and error unfortunately

 

[ILoveUnicorns]

I think I need to start tracking my nights where I struggle with sleep, I think they are just bad the week leading up to my period, but it does feel more often than that more recently. I use an app so can just record info on there, my cycle is 24 days so I feel like it comes round so fast. Def don’t have a high sex drive any more. At what point do you think it’s worth having the conversation with the Dr? Do you wait longer before there are more symptoms, less regular periods?

 

[PrettyGreeneyes76]

I think I need to start tracking my nights where I struggle with sleep, I think they are just bad the week leading up to my period, but it does feel more often than that more recently. I use an app so can just record info on there, my cycle is 24 days so I feel like it comes round so fast. Def don’t have a high sex drive any more. At what point do you think it’s worth having the conversation with the Dr? Do you wait longer before there are more symptoms, less regular periods?

I went to the gp as I had anxiety I never suffered with it before and knew something was wrong, my boobs was the 1st sign as they really hurt near my period and even when I was pregnant they never hurt that bad.
My periods was awful heavy and clots too

My blood tests come back normal but thankfully my gp went on the list of my symptoms, and let me have HRT patches.
I would keep a list of symptoms for 1/2 months and then see a gp

There is a really helpful Facebook page perimenopausal support uk

 

[ILoveUnicorns]

I went to the gp as I had anxiety I never suffered with it before and knew something was wrong, my boobs was the 1st sign as they really hurt near my period and even when I was pregnant they never hurt that bad.
My periods was awful heavy and clots too

My blood tests come back normal but thankfully my gp went on the list of my symptoms, and let me have HRT patches.
I would keep a list of symptoms for 1/2 months and then see a gp

There is a really helpful Facebook page perimenopausal support uk

Thank you I’ll have a look at that page, my boobs really hurt for a good 10 days before I’m due on, laying on them at night feels uncomfortable & then it subsides once I come on. I don’t think I’m more anxious but I feel more irritable and stressy than I ever used to, a much shorter patience.

 

[prozacprincess]

I’m on HRT patches which were fine until about a month ago. The insomnia has returned and I’ve been woken by night sweats almost every night too. I’m so bloody tired …

 

[Dinnerbag]

I’m just 40, first lockdown I had a period that lasted over 100 Days. Gp gave me the tablets that stop your period. Was very irregular maybe 6 weeks between or 2 weeks ranging from heavy clots to light spotting. Started flushes a year ago. Currently not had a period since February…. But gp says it’s not peri or menopause

 

[kenners]

Peri meno… my specialist subject as I’ve been to hell and back with it!
Currently using the Everol 100 patch, 2 x Estrogel pumps and continuous Utrogestan daily. Lucky lucky me!
Had to go private to get prescribed HRT as my GP refused to entertain it as I ‘was too young for menopause’. I was 41. Absolute bell end.

I’m just 40, first lockdown I had a period that lasted over 100 Days. Gp gave me the tablets that stop your period. Was very irregular maybe 6 weeks between or 2 weeks ranging from heavy clots to light spotting. Started flushes a year ago. Currently not had a period since February…. But gp says it’s not peri or menopause

I feel your pain. Ask to see another GP

 

[Stantheman]

So pleased that this thread is here!