Perimenopause moans #2

[Falkor]

First ever patch went on yesterday morning, I spent all afternoon having hot flushes but last night slept better than I have in about 5 years. Probably all psychosomatic because I can't believe it would start working that fast, but I'll take it!!

 

[kachoochoo]

dunno if I'm just tired, but I'm really feeling things today. 301 days since a bleed

when it comes to physicality, my face still looks ok for 40 cos I've always had proper chubby cheeks and a round face and I'm annoyed at feeling old

but both my arms and and boobs have really disappeared over the last few months

I've gone from an e cup to what is probs a b cup (dunno really, I'm pretty much just wearing bralettes recently)

 

[Nurseali]

For anyone on HRT how long was it before you felt better?

I started patches a month ago and still feel shit. I just want to walk away from everything in my life except my kids and start again. Mind you I'm not sure if that is perimenopause or just a realisation my marriage is shit.

Took about a month , maybe six weeks. It was more a realisation then a woke up and felt great thing.

As for marriage. I ended mine a few months before starting HRT. That helped tremendously

 

[50sGirl]

I’m so scared I’m showing early signs of dementia.
Last week on 2 separate occasions my husband went into the kitchen and found the fridge left open by me. Admittedly it’s a heavy door and if you push it, it doesn’t always close but he said it was wide open.
I’m also becoming extremely clumsy - I trip up frequently, spill drinks, drop things, etc. I haven’t fallen over this year but last year I fell over 2 or 3 times.
I sometimes even forget what I’m talking about mid sentence.
I’m praying it’s peri related and others are going through similar.
I know they say if you’re aware of these things then it’s not dementia but it doesn’t stop me worrying.

 

[50sGirl]

Just coming for a brief moan. I came off the mini pill a while ago because my periods were all over the place. They are now roughly on a 26/28 day cycle but are getting increasingly heavy. I am on holiday (not abroad thank god) and was out today (on day 2 of period) and leaked everywhere. I had to use my wife’s shirt to tie around my waist until I could get back to to the place we are staying at to change. It was like a car crash. On top of that, I’m waking up, hot at awful times and an emotional wreck. I don’t want to go onto HRT because there are lots of other things going on at the moment and I’m not sure I could cope.

Thanks for listening.

My periods have always been light. Looking back, the first sign I was peri menopausal was when I was shopping and I suddenly flooded. I rushed to the public toilets and it looked like there’d been a murder. After cleaning up the best I could, I had to wait until everyone had left so I could wash up in the basins. I went straight home. It was many years ago now but every time I go to that shopping centreI remember the exact spot I was in when it happened.
I had flooding several times after that but I was more prepared - always carry a towel in the boot of the car to sit on if needed. Now my periods are sporadic and very light so I’m hoping I’m finally nearing menopause now.

I hope yours was a one off. I have bouts of hot nightly sweats. I’m not on HRT.

 

[veronica71]

Solidarity. Everything makes me cry lately but I have been having a breakdown. Be as kind as you can to yourself, eat some protein, take some vitamin d and try and break it down, what can you change now that will make a difference? If nothing, fuck it and try and dump it in a mental box.

oh bless you - take care of yourself.

there’s always stuff going on here - I have to asd kids but I’ve been through way worse than is happening now and I just can’t seem to get a bloody grip

 

[fognoodles]

I was experiencing that before I started HRT. I've heard its typical late stage peri.

Does anyone else suffer itchy ears? Drives me insane, especially during the night !

 

[Nurseali]

I started doing Zumba , didn't think it would be my thing but absolutely love it. Everyone who goes is a similar age and it's just so much fun.
I struggle a lot with motivation on my days off so I force myself to go for a walk every day. I pick a podcast I know I will enjoy and it just means I do the walk. Podcasts have saved me in so many ways. I struggled with sleep and just put a podcast on one night when trying to entertain myself.
I now find I am asleep within two minutes of starting a podcast. It's like Pavlov's dog .

 

[petitspois]

This is quite useful on periods.

 

[Kittylover2019]

I'm more a lurker on this thread, but wanted to say this is how my symptoms were treated. I have a lovely female doctor, she said no need for blood tests,my symptoms are that of perimenopause,so she prescribed me medication for this (patches). I think it's a case of knowing your own body and pushing for a resolution/ maybe a second opinion.

Same here.

@YoungHollywood I agree with getting the second opinion, which you are entitled to. I believe that the NICE guidelines state that you should be treated on symptoms not blood tests.

 

[Missmopps]

For anyone struggling to sleep in hot bedrooms (mine was 29c last night and 27c tonight), I tried this out in desperation last night and it worked. If you have hair long enough to put up in a bun on the top of your head, do that, then you need to get the shower hose and saturate the whole of the back of your head and hairline. Blot lightly with a towel but not too much. Let it drip down your body. Get into bed, don’t wear nightclothes. You really need a quiet fan near your bed for this to work properly.i have a meaco air circulator which is so good. Enjoy the cold sensation of the fan on your wet head. Once your head has cooled down, it’s so much easier to sleep. I slept so well last night and even had the covers on when I woke up. I keep the fan on 5 on night mode all night.

Hope this helps!!

 

[Retro80s]

Menopause knickers, wtf?

My eyesight is shocking, I’ve been short sighted for as long as I can remember but I’m having trouble reading things now, will have to get some reading glasses asap

 

[YetAnotherObsessionx]

More likely, some days you are eating that and others you are eating at maintenance or over. And moving less than you used to when younger.

That's true, I didn't track for longer than about a week. I'm definitely much less active, I no longer have a dog, I work 12-13 hours a day and it's like a vicious circle of not having the energy for going for a walk, but then feeling worse for not doing exercise. I've been mega stressed for most of this year as well (work, family, bereavement), feeling depressed & I'm sure all of this together isn't helping.

 

[Hold my beans]

Anyone experiencing sore hips and joints while they are sleeping, to the extent that it’s wakening you up and you can’t get back to sleep? If so any suggestions what to try to help get a better sleep

Hip opening exercises are great for, and preventing, hip pain. Hold on to something kitchen work top height and circulate each hip as wide and as many times as you can

 

[Moonflower]

For anyone on HRT how long was it before you felt better?

I started patches a month ago and still feel shit. I just want to walk away from everything in my life except my kids and start again. Mind you I'm not sure if that is perimenopause or just a realisation my marriage is shit.

 

[It’s The Truman Show]

I used to be a real supporter until I saw her openly criticised by Dr Liz O'Riordan who is a former breast surgeon who's also had breast cancer and many comments agreed. Louise runs her own private clinic so can be quite an HRT zealot.

Liz is good. I like her. Newson has been criticised for prescribing well over the recommended amount of HRT. Which is off label and therefore might be dangerous.

 

[50sGirl]

I’ve any of you have any itching down below it might be worth checking your loo paper.
My friend’s was so bad she went to see her GP. They told her to try a different brand of loo roll. She did and it stopped completely!
I asked her which brand had caused it and she said Kirkland.
I had been using it for several months and yes, looking back it was around the same time my itching started. I no longer buy it and it’s stopped. I didn’t realise there was a rogue roll still left in the cupboard and when I used it the itching was back.
I’m not sure if it’s just that brand or any others but it might be worth a Google to check yours.
I’m fine with Cushelle.

 

[Kim Mild]

Been having discharge from one of my nipples. Been googling, it's called duty ectasia and common in menopausal women . So that's another symptom to add to my list. I'll keep a watch to see if it happens at a certain point I'm my cycle or if it's at random.

 

[zetta buttons]

Anyone got any recommendations for sore boobs… cos omg

Mine are agony at the moment. I keep checking my tracker because they are normally bad a week before my period starts, but they started hurting about 3 days after the last one ended.

I’m on EPO and menopace but I can’t even really spin because they hurt so much.

ETA not banned EPO- I’m not Lance Armstrong.

 

[Kittylover2019]

I think and this is obviously just my personal opinion, that we had so much more cloud and darkness this year that everyone has a bit of SAD now.

I think this too.

Although I’m wondering if I’m actually depressed or suffering from some sort of pmdd. I feel like I’m on the edge of a nervous breakdown. I feel joy around once every couple of days, I can’t stop crying, I’m getting a bit paranoid and a feeling of ‘woe is me’ which is unusual.

I’m going to have to see after Christmas whether I should go to the gp or if it will pass. 🥲