Perimenopause Moans #3

[Stimpii]

Last week I started to feel ‘normal’ again. I took my last progesterone tablets on Friday night (as I’m 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off) and today I’ve started to feel really anxious and panicky again and just not right.

Is this just a coincidence. This is my first cycle so don’t know what to expect but I’m really annoyed as last week was a good week

 

[neverbeeninfluenced]

Not a moan but I just want to share somewhere that yesterday was the first time in about 6 months I haven’t wanted or needed a nap and I actually had some energy and motivation. I could cry with happiness. It was my non working day and I did the food shopping, made lots of food for my parents as I’m a carer. Got on top of all the washing, changed all the beds and then played with my 6 year old. Normally any of those activities would have wiped me out. My husband said looks like you’ve had a good day and my response was yes I didn’t feel like I was dying today. I knew I was low but I didn’t realise how low I’d actually got as for me it was a gradual decline and was easy to dismiss isolated symptoms as something else.
for info I first got HRT in Nov 2023 after struggling for a while but had previously been refused in May 2023 as I was under 45, I was 44 and 9 months! Anyway the original dose of HRT got me to a certain level but back in December I started feeling like crap again but put it down to Xmas and being a busy person. It was only in March that I thought it might be peri related as many of my original symptoms were back with a vengeance such as insomnia, allergies, skin irritation and dizziness. My HRT dose was increased and it’s took 9 weeks to get me to this level.

 

[Crumpet41]

Can I ask a gross question please . Does anyone else have brownish looking blood during their period? Mine has been this way for some months now ( when my period appears - it’s been hit and miss for about 18 months).

 

[Hold my beans]

Can I ask a gross question please . Does anyone else have brownish looking blood during their period? Mine has been this way for some months now ( when my period appears - it’s been hit and miss for about 18 months).

Yes, mine's been that colour and is normal from what I've read. My periods have been 6/8 weeks for a while

Fed up with hot, cold, hot, cold. My cardie's on and off more times than Katie Price's knickers

 

[griftalo]

I've had similar sounding period pains, along with horrendous lower back pain, 3 random times in the last couple of years. One lasted nearly 24 hours and pain relief hardly touched it! Like you, I felt like I had been punched repeatedly in that area after the intense pain subsided. Nothing like that for about six months now and I have had irregular lighter periods so hoping that was just the start of everything coming to an end

I have realised how lucky I've been to have regular, pretty much pain free periods 30+ years of my life, I don't think I could've coped with that level of pain every month

Me too, I couldn’t have either. One of my kids has suffered terribly to the point of vomiting from the pain. For me. labour was a massive shock as I clearly didn’t really know what real period pain was.
thanks for the hope! I thought it might be like this every time now

 

[Crumpet41]

Yes, mine's been that colour and is normal from what I've read. My periods have been 6/8 weeks for a while

Fed up with hot, cold, hot, cold. My cardie's on and off more times than Katie Price's knickers

Glad to know its not just me . I think i read that this means you are in the late stages of peri ( assuming the article was correct ?)

 

[Winthropp Tuesday]

Can I ask a gross question please . Does anyone else have brownish looking blood during their period? Mine has been this way for some months now ( when my period appears - it’s been hit and miss for about 18 months).

Yeah, I get this too! When my period starts it’s dark brown or sometimes black (sorry!) for a day, then bright red for a few days - then goes back to treacly brown for four or five days. I read somewhere if it’s brown at the start it can be a sign of low progesterone…

 

[ILoveUnicorns]

I’m 42, mine starts off quite brown now and then go red but mine are only 3/4 days long. My cycle is all over the place, since Jan I’ve had cycles lasting 34, 16, 24, 23, 22, current one predicting 20 days which would be today but no sign yet but I feel like it should be if you know what I mean.

 

[neverbeeninfluenced]

Can I ask a gross question please . Does anyone else have brownish looking blood during their period? Mine has been this way for some months now ( when my period appears - it’s been hit and miss for about 18 months).

yes and dare I raise the gross level (safe space) but it can be stringy too.
I think my last period was totally brown but previously had a mix of brown and fresh blood days

 

[Kim Mild]

Yeah, I get this too! When my period starts it’s dark brown or sometimes black (sorry!) for a day, then bright red for a few days - then goes back to treacly brown for four or five days. I read somewhere if it’s brown at the start it can be a sign of low progesterone…

I'm on the mini pill, and the bleeding I get is l brown . There is other things that make up the womb lining , rather than just blood.

 

[Crumpet41]

Yeah, I get this too! When my period starts it’s dark brown or sometimes black (sorry!) for a day, then bright red for a few days - then goes back to treacly brown for four or five days. I read somewhere if it’s brown at the start it can be a sign of low progesterone…

That makes sense ( re the low progesterone) . Mine is dark brown all the time now . I used to have periods that lasted around 5 days or so. These days they last around 3(ish) . I also used to have heavy periods but now they start light and then im almost spotting ( but not quite spotting as there is more blood ).

 

[Crumpet41]

I'm on the mini pill, and the bleeding I get is l brown . There is other things that make up the womb lining , rather than just blood.

I am def not on any form of pill/contraception but still useful to know

 

[Crumpet41]

I am thinking of looking to go and see a private specialist - I have had nothing but trouble for the most part with GP's and peri. It took me almost 18 months to be taken seriously ( sorry this is me going on a tangent here - I think I was 43 when I started having peri symptoms) .
I eventually found a GP who listened to me (although by this stage I had been logging symptoms for 3+months in the hope that someone would believe me ) and I was eventually given HRT.

This GP left the surgery and was replaced by another idiot ( a female GP as well ) who accused me of lying and telling me I was too young for peri and wanted to prescribe me lithium . I ripped up the prescription and just stopped going to the GP and have carried on as best as I can.

I am bleeping sick of not being taken seriously . I have stopped wanting to go and get help because every GP i have seen constantly disregard what I am saying ( and sorry for swearing - it is not directed towards you). Recently, I have have been giving some thought to seeing someone in a private capacity because i am wondering if i am now close to menopause . Periods are very hit and miss and i have had three occasions where i have not had one for 6 months ( and then the brown blood ) which i read was related to being in the late stages ( although i am not entirely sure it was accurate as it wasnt a publication that looked "official".

Apologies for the moan - it has not been the best experience so far. Being told i needed lithium instead of HRT was the last straw (i am nearly 47 now ).

 

[Winthropp Tuesday]

Oh @Crumpet41, I am so sorry this is the experience you've had - and my god, you're most certainly not moaning. I've had similar problems with my GP refusing to consider I'm in peri - even with me providing detailed evidence of all the changes to my cycle, problems with mood/anxiety, and other hormonal symptoms. "You're too young; we won't consider you until you're 46". This was 3 years ago, when I was 42 - things are exactly the same for me now, at 45, although worse in some ways.

I was fobbed off with anti-depressants - they wanted me on Sertraline to help with my PMDD, but wouldn't consider any hormone therapy even though it's quite clear my symptoms are all cycle-related. (Not dissing anti-d's by the way, but I've had bad reactions to the ones I've tried in the past).

This is so unjust and unfair for you - and for all of us.

Just as a general recommendation - I've recently finished reading Naga Munchetty's new book: 'It's Probably Nothing', about the rise of medial misogyny, and it's well written though absolutely rage inducing to see the number of women in the same position as many of us are... things shouldn't be like this, but they are and it absolutely sucks donkey balls.

 

[petitspois]

NICE guidelines https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng...tions#identifying-perimenopause-and-menopause (look at section 1.4)

Your GP should be discussing HRT as an option and not gatekeeping.

 

[Crumpet41]

Oh @Crumpet41, I am so sorry this is the experience you've had - and my god, you're most certainly not moaning. I've had similar problems with my GP refusing to consider I'm in peri - even with me providing detailed evidence of all the changes to my cycle, problems with mood/anxiety, and other hormonal symptoms. "You're too young; we won't consider you until you're 46". This was 3 years ago, when I was 42 - things are exactly the same for me now, at 45, although worse in some ways.

I was fobbed off with anti-depressants - they wanted me on Sertraline to help with my PMDD, but wouldn't consider any hormone therapy even though it's quite clear my symptoms are all cycle-related. (Not dissing anti-d's by the way, but I've had bad reactions to the ones I've tried in the past).

This is so unjust and unfair for you - and for all of us.

Just as a general recommendation - I've recently finished reading Naga Munchetty's new book: 'It's Probably Nothing', about the rise of medial misogyny, and it's well written though absolutely rage inducing to see the number of women in the same position as many of us are... things shouldn't be like this, but they are and it absolutely sucks donkey balls.

I am sorry that you have also had a similar crappy experience with trying to get proper help. The GP i saw last year was the final straw for me - i could not beleive that was what she offered to me and completely dismissed what i was saying to her. Infact she was outraged that the previos GP had given me HRT ( this was when i was 44/ maybe 45? ) and after me trying to get someone to listen for the previous 18 months.

The idiot GP categorically told me that the previous GP was wrong to prescribe me HRT at 44 because i was "too young". This is after i had also pointed out that i had tracked and logged symptoms. She was just not interested and basically said that peri tends to start when women hit 50. she then handed me a prescription for lithium. I was so stunned at the time that i just took the prescription and walked out. Went home and ripped it up. I have not (and will not ever) go back to that GP again.

In hindsight i should have complained about my experience at the time but i was very angry/upset about it and then put it out of my mind.

re - naga munchetty;s book. I have seen this thanks ( and also heard her discussing this on radio 4 womens hour). I meant to look for the book but its slipped my mind . I will definatly look for it though.

 

[Crumpet41]

NICE guidelines https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng...tions#identifying-perimenopause-and-menopause (look at section 1.4)

Your GP should be discussing HRT as an option and not gatekeeping.

thank you - will have a look.

 

[missbct]

Finally spoke to my GP yesterday about the horrible symptoms I've been having the past 18 months. I turned 40 at the start of the year, but last 6-8 months I've had hideous nausea (mainly mornings but often after eating), fatigue, joint pain, night sweats and increased anxiety which hasn't been caused by anything else. I've had PCOS all my adult life and my cycle is ducked, I've had 3 regular (as in, on the day which never happens) periods this year and this month it's ducked off again. GP was great and understood that it's not just measured on hormones but symptoms, which was good. I'm concerned about my mood/anxiety sky rocketing as I've got a long history of poor mental health. But my god the nausea.

 

[sporkinghell]

I hate summer. These warmer temperatures = return of cystic acne easily my worst perimenopause symptom! I had terrible acne throughout my teenage years and now I get to enjoy it all over again

 

[Crumpet41]

moan incoming.. had another rubbish sleep last night. woke up multiple times and finally woke at 5am and have been awake since then. Feel like a zombie currently.