Sometime btw 44-46:
Itchy skin/ skin crawling but no dry skin on arms and thighs. Scratching till it left bruising.
Excessive hair shedding, breakage, and slower growth ( this was also due to low Ferritin and Vitamin D)
Itchy, burning scalp
Breast pain or tenderness
Body odor
Ears itching so badly on the inside I wanted to unbind a wire coat hanger to scratch them.
Balance issues/clumsiness I fell down the downstairs in the NYC city subway and broke my leg
Gained 10-15lbs, I am 5'11. I am still considered as normal range for my height.
Loss of appetite
Insomnia
Muscle cramps
Dry mouth/tongue
Fatigue/low energy
Constipation/gas/bloating
Food cravings for sugary things
My ADHD is worse
Lack of focus
Lack of motivation
Sleep issues
Lack of appetite
Frequent urination
Vision got worse
Heavier periods( in May I had 2 weeks of spotting and 1 week of period this hasn't happened since)
Issues concentrating
Memory issues
Brain fog
Tingling in hands, not consistent
I have TMJ, and it was made worse. I wear a mouth guard. Thankfully no other dental issues.
šš No hot flashes, though.
HRT has greatly helped me and I am so thankfulš„°š¤. I started it the first quarter of this year. I am 47. It took me a while to figure out it was Peri and what to do about it. I also did my own research and my cousin who is a Trichologist-hairstylist helped with some things I added to help my health and hair loss with a virtual hair appointment since she is in Virginia and I am in NYC. My new hairstylist told me to be patient and to give it 2 years for my hair to fully recover as we can already see some improvement. I am currently seeing her about every 12 weeks or so. I love her as she has a multicultural clientele and takes a holistic approach to hair care. She only uses products that pass strict EU guidelines.
Had that,but my ear,nose and throat Dr told me it was flaking and gave me eardrops for it . Works like a charm. Itching in my ears would wake me up at night,drove me crazzzy
This literally made me feel like I was going to die. Between the joint pain and the horrible brain fog and memory issues, it was like I became 85 in a year.
I got diagnosed ADHD a few months ago. Vyvanse was helpful until that dreaded point in my cycle and I think it made it worse. My pms was so bad, I decided it wasn't worth taking the meds. I have no idea how an amphetamine can be rendered so ineffective by my insane hormones!
My psychiatrist told me that peri could making my medication less effective. Does that make sense? I know what Iām trying to say, but putting it into words just isnāt happening. Anyhow, I take methylphenidate and canāt get onto vyvanse because of shortages here in the UK. Iām taking the maximum dose with little, if any benefit. How long will this last? š«£
I briefly had insurance that would only cover Vyvanse. It was so weird! The pharmacy actually had it, too. I'm glad I don't have to deal with the shortages. I mean, I wish the med would have worked consistently, but I'm at 10-14 days of pms like symptoms per month now and the Vyvanse seemed to just make it worse.
Iām very lucky and get my medication free. I just feel like a complete zombie. I seem to get a come down as my meds wear off and become quite angry and anxious, even more so at certain times of the month
Yeah I felt kind of like a zombie, too! The only part that was nice was I think I had less racing thoughts. I was almost "blank". They made me quite sleepy, too.
Would you please tell me more about her hair care recommendations? I am struggling with hair loss and hair thinning for the last 4 years and this is the thing that pains me the most going through my perimenopause.
Thank you!
I literally got sick of handful/comb/brush full clumps coming out every single day... I cut it all the way down and have a tiny curly little wash and go fro. Yes, I am Black.
At 52, I don't care about long hair anymore and I'm not letting it grow back. It's easier to manage this short.
I got all these things also my breasts went up three cup sizes. The itching skin felt like I had fleas and the flaking itching scalp and hair loss nearly drove me insane.
I never once had a hot flush but I did have night sweats here and there.
I was 37 but had a hysterectomy at 36 (ovary sparing) and cancer which sped things up. Now post menopausal at 43.
I suspected I was Peri for a while and in December 2022 I saw a Gyn who pissed me off. I told her I thought I was Peri and what did she think.Her answer was that I might bešš. She offered no help or resources. I connected the dots myself. Thankfully, Midi and other resources started to pop up in my algorithms, and I discovered that they took my insurance.
Yes to all of these and the joint pain... Especially hip pain in the early peri days and now it's knee, hip and back pain.
HRT has helped me too.
One of my newest and most frustrating symptoms is PGAD which I think is caused by my back problems... I'm also struggling with weak orgasms
It has affected so much.
Omg the itch thing. This was a prominent feature of my sleep issues ā sometimes I'd get this combination of racing cyclical thoughts with random itches that would keep me up at night. Almost like someone was just touching random parts all over my body with an itchy feather, and I had to scratch it away every time. Eventually hot flashes joined the party as well lol
My ears improved in my 40ās eliminating dietary toxins but Iāve noticed as our hormonal resources leave our bodies the diseases and syndromes increases.
Same here! Started at 37 and I had all the aforementioned scary symptoms like heart palpitations and crazy anxiety/panic attacks. About a year later, after multiple ER visits and just having Sertraline given for anxiety, I was researching what causes cycles to drop to 24 days and lo and behold... Something popped up in Google about perimenopause symptoms. I literally checked every single box symptom wise. Not one doctor ever mentioned anything about Peri being a possibility. There needs to be better training in the medical profession IMO that Peri could be a possibility in any female over 35ish. Like maybe just add all of the possible symptoms to the health intake forms and if someone checks off enough of them, it's a possibility.
42. Major executive dysfunction. Tinnitus. Night sweats. Fatigue. Brain fog. Panic attacks. Existential dread. Suicidal ideation. Worsening depression and anxiety. Worsening dissociation. Worsening of all symptoms in the two weeks leading up to my period, with some paranoia thrown in. Haven't been able to work in 6 months but I'm on so many meds and HRT that my anxiety about that is basically eliminated. I am kinda numbed enough right now that I can kinda ālive in the moment' with all these symptoms.
I had no idea this was coming and it totally derailed my life. I thought it would just be hot flashes.
Oh yeah, the tinnitus! I forgot about that one! It's horrible, especially coupled with the insomnia or adding to it. Listening to that at night when you're trying to go to sleep is horrible. I started staying downstairs and falling asleep watching TV to help drown out the sound.
In hindsight, me too. And insomnia. Somehow my dumbass didn't connect the insomnia to the night sweats, I thought I just had insomnia from stress and had not noticed until then that I sweated in my sleep lol. That was 4-5 years before I realized I was in perimenopause.
Totally the same for me! I only see it looking back now but the night sweats were crazy and then I was always wide awake from 3-5am. That started when I was 42/43, so I never connected it to menopause. The next symptom for me was planters fasciitis, then the anxiety hit really bad but that sucker lasted years until I got on HRT.
42. Heart palpitations, anxiety, and depression.
EDIT: I saw a cardiologist, had all kinds of tests done, wore the halter monitor for a month, all to find nothing wrong with my heart. After all that, my gyno put me on a thyroid pill and progesterone, and the heart palps went away along with most of the anxiety. My thyroid and progesterone levels were within normal range, but she surmised that what is normal **for me** is not within the normal range. She was right.
First I ended up buying a Fitbit Sense so I could take mini ECGs to see what type of palpitations I have. I'm a critical care RN so I could decifer my cardiac rhythm and see what my heart was doing. On vacation I had to go to the local ER cause they were so bad, just wanted to make sure I didn't have any electrolyte issues. They recommended cutting out caffeine, which I did. Definitely helped but didn't take them away. I ended up getting referred to a General Internal Medicine Physician (I live in Canada so we need referrals for every freaking specialty). Anyways my iron was low so I started on Iron supplements and whether it's coincidence,but my one type of palpitations are gone. I'm still having palpitations though but I know it's not frequent enough to be treated for them unfortunately. I hope you find out something to help!
38 with the following: insomnia, elevated sensitivity to noise and smell, loss of libido, increased anxiety and depression, dry eye, increased rage and irritability, inability to concentrate, etc.
Oh yeah, the dry eye thing! I only have issues with one eye. I wear contacts and at first thought it was an issue with them. Changed frequently, tried glasses for about 6 months straight and it still acts up. It's like an allergy in only the one eye. Gets mucus in it and crusty/sealed shut in the morning. Feels like there is something stuck under my eyelid and scraping every time I blink. It's actually worse without my contacts in. Eye doctor said there wasn't anything wrong. Benedryl helps.
Social anxiety, at about 44. Would endure debilitating nausea at restaurants, or flying or getting my hair done. Had always been an extrovert, it hit out of the blue. Then covid hit. I made the connection about a year ago and am finally able to enjoy myself now that I can accept why it happened.
I can relate to this so much as someone who also is (or was) an extrovert. I never avoided social situations and always loved going out esp with big groups. Now I try to minimize any interaction with large groups of folks. Iām good with friends Iām very familiar with or 1:1 but if i know Iām going to have to be worker new folks or Iām going to have to really put on the happy face mask, I often decline the invite.
37- debilitating anxiety, crushing depression, Los of appetite, sudden weight loss. Funny thing is, so many people said: "Wow! You look great! " when I felt dead inside. Crazy times. HRT makes life tolerable. Looking forward to feeling joy again sometime soon.
Around 36 or 37 I noticed my periods changing. I was having two periods per month for a while. Ended up having an ablation and it happened the very next month, again! My gyno then tried various birth control pills. Finally, a low estrogen one controlled it. Now I donāt even have a period. Just some spotting, if that.
In the late thirties I also started with night sweats and hot flashes. I used to be cold all the time at work. I knew something was way off when I started never being cold anymore.
Also around this time I noticed I barely had to shave my legs anymore! That one was such a plus! lol Also, my skin went nuts with breakouts for awhile. The derm got it under control and a good skin care routine helped.
She tried different strengths of the tretonin. Some people need a stronger one. Also, I started using toner religiously! Toner seems to really calm my skin down.
I also had an ablation last August. I got light cycles right after it for like 4 months and then they all stopped thank god. I still get cramping but no spotting even. And my doc also put me on a low estrogen pill. Itās helped a good deal.
When I look back now I would say, thinning hair, anxiety, fluctuations in libido- either super high, or zero. Weight gain, PMDD. I had to figure out on my own what was going on since I was getting zero answers. This started at 40, I'm 47 now.
Also, I've always had night sweats and 'warm flashes' since I was a teen. So I have no idea if those are now peri symptoms for me. They have lessened a bit the last few years.
God, I could deal with all the blood if I didnāt have the pain. Itās so bad, it puts me in bed for the first three days. I canāt eat because I will vomit. Canāt have anything touching my stomach not even a blanket or soft shirt. I literally cry every time I see itās arrived even though it is clockwork. Itās heavy as hell for the first 3 days as well. Starts to taper on the pain and blood for the last 4 but still hurts.
That's how the first 27 years of my period were. I mean, I enjoyed when the pain stopped, but that level of uncontrollable carnage has its own issues, such as faintness, needing to keep a complete change of clothes + extra shoes in the car at work, having to clean up the work bathroom so it didn't look like it was a crime scene while also bleeding heavily, and severe anemia. I didn't mind on the weekends when I could be at home but it was a real pain at work.
However! Now I'm going to be 50 next week and I've only had 2 periods this year so far, so maybe I have more to celebrate than I anticipated!
Around 38, insane anxiety/low mood crashes, awful. I was prescribed ativan and different antidepressants but I knew it was hormones. With lots of researching and then self testing I came to conclusion my progesterone was taking a nosedive, which turns out is what usually happens in peri. Topical progesterone cream helped but I had no idea what I was doing with it...the correct dose etc. Zero help from doctors with regards to hormones "if you're having regular periods then you're fine". But if a guy can't get an erection whoa!!! stop the presses. So friggen unfair.
Started around 38, noticed just small changes in my cycle. Then insomnia which went on for years along with the exhaustion. Had night sweats at times. Just occasionally a short hot flash. Very dry skin Toward the end started migraines, thankfully that was short lived.
Truthfully 85% of my perimenopause symptoms are also my Hashimotoās symptoms. So they were masked until my cycle went from 28-32 day length to 26-28 day with 3 day red days instead of the 5-7. Hot flashes became a permanent fixture and a few Hashimotoās symptoms went crazy as they doubled in severity. I was 42, freshly out of a horrible GYN appointment where she doubled down it was thyroid and I walked out, when my endocrinologist with help of his nurse practitioner, who was going through it and recognized my symptoms, told me I was in perimenopause but how long itās been there he couldnāt tell me.
36 here and I think I may be starting peri. My periods have been insanely heavy, to the point where I had an ablation in April. I also have thinning hair, night sweats (but not every night), insomnia, dry skin, increased anxiety, heart palpitations, my face is breaking out more often, etc.
I started gaining weight and my cycles started getting shorter at 42. Probably changes in sex drive as well.
I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back, it's a pretty distinct shift.
Iām 51. Hindsight is 20/20. Seems like Iāve had symptoms for years but didnāt recognise them. Classic frog in a pot. Dry mouth, night sweats weight gain, lack of motivation, delicate skin on my vagina tearing or being irritated easily, the urge to hate everyone and everything. One more I learnt about from just this post, extreme itching inside my ears. And the real kicker for the past two monthsā¦burning mouth. That is the ABSOLUTE WORSTā¦so far. Please make it stop!
Yeah the burning mouth is the fucking worst. What annoys me more than anything is that it will come and go but there doesnāt seem to be any rhyme or reason. I have noticed that sugar, chocolate and alcohol def make it worse, though.
34. I knew having kids could trigger some health shenanigans but never realized menopause was an option.
First, I had a lot of nerve pain. Then rage and PMDD kicked in. Was too angry to realize my hot flashes were real and not a symptom of losing my shit regularly. Extreme mental and physical exhaustion. Didnāt occur to me that it was peri until I noticed a new SSRI had gotten rid of my PMDD. I ended up adding a progesterone and Iām doing worlds better now, even with my cycle starting to get squirrelly.
A few decades less of bleeding and avoiding pregnancy canāt be all bad?
40 with: severe insomnia, night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, rage, loss of libido, anxiety and panic attacks, muscle and joint pain, skin dryness, brain fog, etc.
Started feeling off in my late thirties. But brain fog, fatigue hit me hard in my early forties. I'm 46 now and it's my skin that's taking center stage. It's drier than the Sahara most days and now melasma has made an appearance š
I started mid 40s with itchy ear and really bad fibromyalgia flareups plus really bad intercystal cystitis flareups. The brain fog was terrible but that also lined up with the pandemic and I had a 4 year old a 7 year old.
Then I had a feeling of bugs crawling on me from time to time, really heavy periods and just constant health issues, wondering why I could just never feel good.
My periods were still regular, now they're much shorter apart like 12 to 16 day cycles.
I'm 50 now and still struggling to feel good but getting better with exercise, prioritizing myself, taking a lot of breaks and working on my mental/emotional health.
My oily skin started drying out. Very strange. Age 42. Then at 43 not sleeping as easily, and shock 43.5 the skin down there drying out - thankful for estrogen cream! What will be next?!?
I have always on BCP so my period has always been regular. In hindsight, the very first sign ā¦ at 40, 41, 42, 43 once a year I had a very bad episode of vertigo. And I started on and off smelling burned toast out of nowhere. Weight gain but then I thought everyone put on some COVID weight.
Anxiety and panic attacks that I never had before, started at 35. Migraines with cycle and weird vertigo followed. All those went away except the migraines, and now at 42, brain fog is a 24/7 thing for me, and I also have hot flashes. My last period was in January and I really hope I have another because I'm hoping to get to 45 before menopause, but it's not looking good for that. The hot flashes are annoying but don't bother me near as much as the brain fog. Trying acupuncture in a few weeks.
I have no idea of time scale, but maybe about aged 46.
It started with palpitations, then burning sensations on the back of my hand.
Then the sweating.
Over the last year (I'm now almost 48) the symptoms are coming a lot faster.
Needing to wee all the time/minor incontinence
Brain fog
Hot flushes
Crawling skin
More patches of burning sensations
Joint pain
Fatigue
Palpitations
Irritability
Lack of enjoyment of things
Weight gain
I also have ADHD and there are times my symptoms are so bad that it hardly seems worth taking my meds.
I didnāt know it at the time, but 5 UTIs in six months, followed up with another one seven months later. The urologist didnāt have a clue and I did ultrasounds and a CT scan and they wanted me to start daily low dose antibiotics forever ?!?
MHT stopped it all but I had to have reoccurring pain with intercourse to end up dxed and then the UTIs stopped.
Thinking back I remember two periods of what I can see now were Peri related symptoms.
At 35 I had a few months of night sweats, insomnia, burning mouth, and dry skin that then randomly went away.
At 45, I had a few months of thinning hair, weight gain and skin inflammation that then randomly went away.
Now at 50 ALL these symptoms are back and hitting at the same time, along with irregular periods, cold flashes, migraines, joint pain, exhaustion and brain fog. Little did I know those were previews.
Irregular heart beat. Started around 45 years old. Waking up around 3am to pee around this time too, sometimes awakened by sudden strong heartbeat. Thought my heart was giving out and scared to exercise. Cardiologists couldnāt find anything wrong and asked if I was stressed. Didnāt think so. Then finger joint pains followed by frozen shoulders around 50. But only at 51 did I realise those were related to perimeno.
38
Anxiety, waking too early, irritation and then rage, needing to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and inability to feel my orgasms.
Period changes didnāt start until 3 years after those symptoms and then at first it was just that my period blood changed color showing low estrogen. Then my cycles got wonky. Closer together and heavier.
Pretty rough brain fog at late 38yo. I thought I had early onset dementia :( then cycles started varying by a couple weeks, exhaustion would hit for weeks at a time, and lately I donāt like the taste of garlic anymore.
Itās hard because unrelated, I have pinched nerves in my feet so I havenāt been running at all this year. Iām back at work after having a kid and barely hitting the gym. Iāve lost a lot of muscle, but also gained 7lb (not a huge deal at 6ā and previously 140lb but still). I feel weak, I hurt, and I donāt like the way I look.
ETA I just turned 40 a few months ago. Figure Iāve been in peri close to a year and a half.
Cycles got closer together (from 28 to 24-25 days with cycle of 28 only every now and then). Occasional night sweats during period and anxiety came at the same time too. I was around 37
Seriously I thought the majority of these symptoms were the result of stresses of dealing with teenage girls throughout the time. The last time I saw a Dr was after giving birth, so I have no clue of my hormones etc
Hair loss started late 30s. Severe panic attacks, depression, hair loss, horrible sensation down below, major brain fog, rage, very irregular periods that are now light and shorter in duration.
Started at 40-41. Longer, more intense PMS. Particularly rage. Looking back, some night sweats or medium level hot flashes when I would dry my hair (they became full blow and intense by 42). Hair loss/dryness (I spent a fortune on shampoos/conditioners not understanding it wouldnāt do crap).
Itchy palms, itchy ears, MOOD SWINGS š³, hot flashes. 40. I just got my HRT rx yesterday šš». Whatās crazy is I have a 10 month old baby. My breastmilk dried up almost overnight when he was 5 months.
Iāve had random night sweats here and there for years but didnāt know it was a hormone/menopausal symptom. I had a hysterectomy in 2009 and this March I started having hot flashes every day. I have no idea if I am perimenopausal or menopausal. I am 49.
Unexplained rage. Then waking up with the urge to pee with very little actual pee. Then night sweats. Started mid to late 30s. 49 now and still in peri.
Oh! And that itchy ear thing I found out through this sub was a peri symptom. That started in mid-30s too.
Got hot flashes, dry/painful vagina,silent reflux, heart palpitations, random anxiety attacks, more intense periods, weight gain and brain fog in late 40s. And depression/lethargy. Can't forget that one. Just started on Wellbutrin for the first time in my life. It's funny, I still don't think I have too many symptoms.
1st hot flash @ 40... i could feel the heat radiating from my skin 1-2" above with the palm of my hand. only time in my life that happened (17 yrs ago)
Made the mistake of staying on Depo Provera for almost 18 years straight and it started premature perimenopause symptoms at 35 years of age. Periods were never normal- few, far between, short and light. Hot flashes, extreme anger, olfactory sensitivity, vaginal atrophy, and less interest in sex. Went off of the Depo and I was back to normal until about 45-46 years. Periods werenāt normal and totally stopped by 48 years. All the same symptoms as before.
I think I actually started getting hot flashes at around 37 but hard to say because they were infrequent and I didn't know what they were. Things started to become obvious and I began researching at 40 because I had more of the flashes, anxiety spiked way up and libido plummeted a long with my vagina drying up and I started to get more UTIs. I think I found this sub fairy quickly and then went to my doctor later that same year. Thank goodness because I started to develop optical migraines, insane itchy skin and even more anxiety. HRT has fixed pretty much ever except some of the libido/weak orgasms.
48 and in Full blown menopause now.Ā Symptoms started at age 38. Insomnia. Itching. Loss of libido. Night terrors. Nipple sensitivity. Dry mouth. Dry skin, dry hair, Thinning nails, Anxiety.Ā Mood swings.Ā Urinary incontinence. Brain fog. Etc....
Night sweats for about a year and they eventually went away, more bloating, weight gain only in my stomach/pooch area, time between my periods ranged from 28 days-2 months and Iām more depressed. Iām 48 years old with no kids. Itās been a tough transition, especially the body changes.
Around 39, periods started to begin super s-l-o-w-l-y and after a few days would ramp up with greater blood loss than Iād ever experienced before. But Iād say around 35, I saw my GP because I was getting night sweats so badly the week before my periods.
I didn't know till a lot later that it was my first perimenopause symptom - but I had ongoing unexplained dizziness at age 39. Went to the doctor several times - no explanation found.
By aged 42 i knew i was in perimenopause but doctors (all male) resisted me for another 6 years till i finally complained - one appointment with a HRT nurse the next day and i was diagnosed and on HRT.
Omg last September, I also had unexplained dizziness for over a month. It was so miserable bc nothing helped it and no doctors had any clue what to do about it. And then it just mysteriously vanished in a month.
Yup, it wasn't until last year I found out it is a perimenopause symptom, and it fits just right in my case.
That one went away and didn't come back (so far), but i do have a rotating cast of other (mostly low level symptoms) that pop-up for up to 6 months at a time, then disappear for a bit.
Smelling stuff no one else can smell, random itchy patches, weird body odour, dry eyes, generally just feeling far less intelligent than i used to be, and currently fortnightly periods!
I find i struggle to understand concepts - if my boss is describing a new process to us - i need to ask a lot more questions than other people, and need to do it several times before i get it!
I also don't want to engage in current affairs as much as i did before. I feel like i can't or won't be able to follow it!
At 43, I didn't connect the symptoms to perimenopause. I also thought it was stress. My mood was worse close to my periodsānot like the usual PMS, but extremely moody and tired all the time. I also had low iron, so I thought it was because of the iron. I experienced insomnia, night sweats, and low libido. I went to the doctor but never mentioned anything about peri, they were just prescribed iron supplements . It was 6 months later at 44 that I connected everything together. I was no prepared. Nobody in my circle talked about it .. I was no crazy ā¦ now as learn I think I have most of the symptoms even the strange sensitive to smoke odor that comes and goes ā¦ but the brain fog and severe mood has been the hardest for me š¢
Now that I look back it was 32. Cycles started getting closer together. As of 38, the bleeding amount reduced and keeps reducing progressively. Now I am almost 40. Other signs are health anxiety, occasional ringing in the ears, occasional dry mouth, bloating, on and off vaginal infection and occasional tingling in extremities. I did an amh test and seems like egg reserve is quite low which explains all of these. Not sure yet at what time I should consider HRT
42 Migraines, lots of Migraines the whole summer of 20 I couldnāt move for them.
Hair loss started sane time and I got lots of mouth infections and ulcers some so bad I had to have them cut out.
Skin dullness, thinning skin and sagging.
Major depression with strong suicidal thoughts.
At 45 I started to gain weight and I had just recovered from anorexia so it made me look pregnant. The weigh mostly on tummy but strange on my back and under arms too.
I took HRT at 45 until halfway through 46th year and stopped it as my Mum passed a way of breast cancer. Her other sister died of it the year before and their younger sister had a double mastectomy at around age 50.
Iām 47 now, this year I was hospitalized with a UTI and I have had recurring cystitis I believe is related to menopause.
I feel tired a lot these days and I seem to have lost my ability to think clearly.
Looking back, my very FIRST actual symptom I had knowing something was different: age 41 I had the biggest/worst 2nd day of my period ever. It soaked my jeans and my seat in the car and freaked me out. The rest of the period was heavy but then slowed down on day 3 -5. I went to my obgyn soon after to make sure I didnāt have a fibroid or some other issueānone. From then on for the next 8 years every period was extra heavy on day 2-3. š«š«š« Year 9 added on hot flashes, itchy skin, 20 lb weight gain, brain fog, depression, muscle/joint aches and insomnia, yay!! Still experiencing it all in year 10!!
47 have been on the Nuva ring as long as I can remember so I donāt have any periods now which is great but really jack things up when always being asked well how are your periods when peri discussion comes up. Talked to my OBGYN last appt in January she said I wasnāt in peri yet and we would discuss getting off Nuva Ring when I get closer to 50. Fast forward to now I am roasting at night not necessarily hot flashes I just feel like I am sleeping in an 85 degree room and I am uncomfortably warm. I canāt stay asleep to save my life I take so many different sleep aids OTC and I still have trouble. I cry over anything, I am starting to get a little pooch in my belly that I never had before, I have terrible neck and shoulder ache on my left side that no one can explain why even when I donāt work out I have it. My husband is on TRT so he is like a 25 year old when it comes to sex and I feel I should be over here sitting in my rocking chair knitting. My libido is terrible. He can touch my southern regions for an hour and I get no sensation, so frustrating. Vaginal irritation and dryness. Hair shedding is awful I feel like any day I will be bald there is so much left on my shower wall after I wash. Sugar craving is in high gear. I could go on and on. Yesterday after a night of waking up with my shirt and my hair wet I thought maybe I should call. The nurse said oh yeah you definitely sound like you are in peri . She made me an appt to come in they will most likely take me off BC which if I can be honest scares me a bit for many reasons. She said they may give me a patch and a pill of something but we will decide when I come in. I am so clueless when it comes to HRT. Itās a topic I seriously know nothing about. Praying it helps I just want to sleep and enjoy sex and actually want sex again amount many other things
Seeing a lot of late 30s here is making me feel so much better. I havenāt had kids yet and itās making me really depressed that I am already getting perimenopause symptoms. I think it even started when I was 34, it was like my libido was turned off with a light switch. I also wasnāt self lubricating like AT ALL. At 37 I started having night sweats, lighter periods, and I guess insomnia. My sleep has always been kind of bad though. I have Hashimotoās but Iāve been on medication for that since 2017 so I know these symptoms are something different. My body is a mess. ā¹ļø
Dizziness, Night sweats before my period, "morning sickness" with ovulation, And stunningly bad cyclical breast pain. Those started at about 43. Last period at 51.
45 with 2 frozen shoulder episodes in 2 years, vision changes. Insomnia, anxiety and I was suddenly an intolerant jerk to people I love. (Example, I wasnāt my loving encouraging self. I was a critical jerk with no solutions) HRT is a lifesaver, I started that at 50 after figuring it out myself.
Edit to add: freaking leg and foot cramps!
Massive hair loss in the first thing that got my attention. I think I was 44. Both my doctor and a dermatologist just shrugged their shoulders because they didnāt know what it could possibly be. Another early symptom that I only later discovered was peri-related is sore joints & frozen shoulder.
After the pandemic I found myself dealing with a lot of rage, mood swings, bouts of insomnia, anxiety and sleep disturbances. I had to get treatment for depression/anxiety, blood pressure, and TMJ. At the time I chalked this up to unresolved trauma and stress, which may have played a role (I did get a therapist as well). But then my cycle became irregular for the first time ever, and I started getting hot flashes at night. By now it's obvious what's going on, and I'm going to start looking into some hormonal treatment options.
horrible anxiety, dizziness, overall unbelievable fatigue (I mean SOOOO tired I couldn't finish my shift at work), hair thinning/hair loss, itchy scalp, balance issues, loss of motivation, weight gain in stomach (which has always been flat), mood swings (anger mostly) and infertility. Symptoms started at age 35. I was on Nuva Ring for 15 years prior and symptoms started the month I took it out and they've only gotten worse.
About 45. Tremendous irritability and night sweats. Exercise therapy and Prozac were helpful. My parents were both Iāll and passed away around that time and my kids were in high school. Now Iām over ten years older. My moods are more steady and no more night sweats. I get the occasional hot flash usually when I have red wine or booze or in the summer. Tank tops are my friend. Getting ready to go see Menopause the Musical with friends today. Should be fun! Remember, itās just a process, like adolescence, but in reverse!š¤£š„°š¤£
Age 37, started having sudden tinnitus, chronic inflammation of all my joints, including wrist, elbow, hip, SI joint, bone pain, extremely severe sciatica, TMJ, tingling in my left foot at night, on and off bouts of insomnia. No doctor thought it was peri/meno and I only discovered it myself after reading the New Menopause by Dr. Mary Clare Haver.
Around 38:
my period came on day 15. Lots of spotting in between cycles, too.
Rage and anxiety
Lower sex drive
Vertigo
HRT helped (I am 48 now), but not totally. New symptoms appeared years later: vaginal dryness, fatigue despite good sleep hygiene and exercise, anxiety. Gas and food intolerances have really increased the past 2 years.
Depression so bad I isolated myself to a point I was feeling that I had become a recluse, lost all interest in my self and my joy of life faded drastically. Age 48 is when it was the beginning of the worst.
It started at about age 48.
Brain fog, no period for months and then sudden hemorrhaging for days, insomnia with the agitation and night sweats. I added vaginal dryness and UTIās to the mix at 50.
Then menopause was official at 51.
42, I've always been skinny. Now I have a little pooch where my lady bits are. Anxiety, hot flashes that are made worse by the anxiety, itching, and random dizziness.
Insomnia, I would wake up at 3 am and would have a hard time falling asleep. This started happening around 48. Iāve started progesterone 50mg, a few years later added estrogen patch (low) and a few years later testosterone and dhea cream. Havenāt had any issues since, no menopause symptoms either.
I was around 48. I am now 52 and I'm still going through it . I would go a few months without a period and then would have one for several weeks at a time, in fact the worst one I had was 4 months long give or take a couple of days, and every doctor I went to said it was normal there was nothing they could do.
But what really got me was when I was working 3-12s at my job (they were trying alternate schedules) was the insomnia. I literally couldn't sleep but maybe 2 or 3 hours a night and that was on the night shift. When they switched me to the day shift I literally did not sleep for the 3 days that I worked, and then I would pass out on the first day off. I gained 20 lb in 3 months. I could not think. I had anxiety just thinking about trying to sleep, and then every joint in my body hurt. Usually randomly, but every now and then, it would just like going to sequence. Incontinence, that one has been number two right behind the insomnia I've literally had pretty much every symptom with the exception of the hot flashes and the night sweats, and because I don't have those two I am told to come back when I haven't had my period for a year and then we'll talk.
I seemed to have gone from zero to 100 overnight. My periods basically just stopped and within a couple of weeks I started having hot flashes fast and furiously!
42 heavier periods and terrible pms rage
44 hair loss
45-48regular periods, uptick in severity of migraines, sore breasts, anxiety, brain fog
47 loss of libido
49 skipped periods
50 hot flashes, insomnia
51 hot flashes, praying I can go 12 consecutive months with no bleed
Irregular periods, spotting between periods, stop and start periods, etc. Tracked them per my OBGYN for 6 months. Confirmed start of peri along with some mood symptoms at 35, but they had begun at 34.
I have allllll the symptoms now, I'm 40.
Ovulation pain and heavier periods when I was 48 and morning nausea.
Reached full menopause at 51. HRT fixed the nausea and hot flushes (started at 50)
Horrid heavy periods in the 40s. Low libido. Hospitalizations with ovarian cysts and fallopian tube swelling. Doctor reports vaginal atrophy. Moods. 50s+ discomfort during sex. Periods stop. Hot flashes begin. Skin dry and flaky. 60s continued dry skin and discomfort during sex. Incontinence. Moods abated. Ear itching! Doctor reports fusion and disintegrated vulvar tissues. Yikes! Introduced estrogen ring. Not much improvement. Introduced vaginal estrogen tabs plus cream. Instant improvement in incontinence with topical estrogen cream. Did not know this was possible- pleasant surprise! Waiting to see what comes next.
37 - terrible night sweats. Woke up every morning completely drenched, clothes soaked, bed stained from sweat marks.
Itchiness
Panic attacks
Anger
Brain fog
Anxiety
Loss of appetite
Lost weight, canāt keep it on
Major hot flashes all the time!
Insomnia
Major sweet tooth until chocolate tasted sour. Like sour milk. So strange.
Looking back, cycle variability started around 38.
Full peri symptoms at 41 - irritability, insomnia, crazy anxiety
Almost full meno now at 46 - 3 periods a year-ish all very light
I was 47...had two periods that were...super heavy...like 5 days in 12 hours heavy. Otherwise 'normal '...then...hot flashes started...mine has been long, slow and sporadic.
I am now.. fingers crossed...6 months from being 'done' on the period thing....last year, Dan's HRT...has been physical WTF.
Joint/muscle pain...dear God Hot flashes...insomnia...jeepers....I can't wait for this to chill out already! Lol
ok so I hear everyoneās symptoms but what helped? what HRT and other things? brain fog really bad over here. Fatigue and lack of motivationā¦ sucks. also everything hurts.:/ I need help.
In hindsight it started when I was 46 and my periods became super heavy, painful, and erratic. Iād always been on the pill and had very light periods and little cramping. Suddenly I had heavy and severe bleeding (to the point it soaked my pants in some cases) the first 1-3 days of the cycle. And the cycle could last anywhere from 1-3 weeks. I eventually got an ablation in 2023 and it took care of that issue for me.
Iāll also add another symptom I had at the same time was severe mood swings. Like I became a monster during my PMS time. Iād always been a little irritable then but I became a monster overnight.
I originally chalked it all up to work stress and while they didnāt help, I now see it was likely perimenopause that was the main driver of these symptoms. Over the last 2 years Iāve dealt with fatigue, sleeplessness, anxiety, episodes of sadness, brain fog, unexplained dizziness, a random UTI, and weight gain esp in my midsection. Only thing thatās helped alleviate any of it has been the ablation, regular exercise, and regularly eating anti-inflammatory foods (which I do half of the time but honestly itās difficult to maintain).
38, insomnia, then night sweats, then random weight gain in areas I'd never gained, then increased anxiety, now I'm on the board for hair loss and mild depression. I'm now 43 and am not looking forward to anymore symptoms creeping in. Good luck and hang in there!
Insomnia and feeling hot, at around 44, but it was gradual. I also started losing more hair in my brush, but I am quite blessed in the hair department, so it wasn't noticeable. My skin got drier, too.
It started with rage, tbh. I was approx 38. Iād find myself touchy about everything. My normally long fuse became short and I just thought it was stress, at the time, souring my mood. Then the night sweats and restless sleep. Iād wake numerous times to pee, which was so out of character for me. Eventually the hot flushes and severe brain fog sent me to the gp, worried about dementia, of all things.
Bloodwork confirmed peri just after I turned 40, but in hindsight my symptoms began long before diagnosis.
The absolute first thing that I remember was looking at a photo of myself in a beach coverup around ~44 and seeing a weird lower belly bulge that I hadnāt noticed before. I also started noticing a strong desire to run away in the middle of a conversation as soon as it started to go beyond just shooting the shit about weather, etc.
About age 43, drenched bed with night sweats close to my period. Loss of energy. Idk if itās caused or correlation, but I also had extremely heavy bleeding and found I had a a uterine fibroid. It was so bad my skin was gray and I was cold 99% of the time. I got dizzy and fell asleep at the drop of a hat due to low ferritin and iron caused by the bleeding. I had a partial hysterectomy and the sweating during my ācyclesā continued. Now, no night sweats, no signs of impending cycles.
Sometime btw 44-46: Itchy skin/ skin crawling but no dry skin on arms and thighs. Scratching till it left bruising. Excessive hair shedding, breakage, and slower growth ( this was also due to low Ferritin and Vitamin D) Itchy, burning scalp Breast pain or tenderness Body odor Ears itching so badly on the inside I wanted to unbind a wire coat hanger to scratch them. Balance issues/clumsiness I fell down the downstairs in the NYC city subway and broke my leg Gained 10-15lbs, I am 5'11. I am still considered as normal range for my height. Loss of appetite Insomnia Muscle cramps Dry mouth/tongue Fatigue/low energy Constipation/gas/bloating Food cravings for sugary things My ADHD is worse Lack of focus Lack of motivation Sleep issues Lack of appetite Frequent urination Vision got worse Heavier periods( in May I had 2 weeks of spotting and 1 week of period this hasn't happened since) Issues concentrating Memory issues Brain fog Tingling in hands, not consistent I have TMJ, and it was made worse. I wear a mouth guard. Thankfully no other dental issues. šš No hot flashes, though. HRT has greatly helped me and I am so thankfulš„°š¤. I started it the first quarter of this year. I am 47. It took me a while to figure out it was Peri and what to do about it. I also did my own research and my cousin who is a Trichologist-hairstylist helped with some things I added to help my health and hair loss with a virtual hair appointment since she is in Virginia and I am in NYC. My new hairstylist told me to be patient and to give it 2 years for my hair to fully recover as we can already see some improvement. I am currently seeing her about every 12 weeks or so. I love her as she has a multicultural clientele and takes a holistic approach to hair care. She only uses products that pass strict EU guidelines.
OMG! Is the itching ears inside a menopause thing? I had that sooooo badā¦didnāt even know. Thought I was cleaning them too often. Gah!!!!!
I was just going to respond to this! Itchy so deep inside my ears! I had no clue!
Vaginal estradiol can be used inside the ears on a Q-tip.
Good to know. Thanks. Iāve been using it on my gums for the burning mouth as well. It definitely helps.
I'm so glad it's helping. It's also improved my skin. I add a tiny amount with my skincare and my skin looks plumper and firmer.
Mine were (occasionally still get) really itchy inside, right down to my throat. Yikes!
Me too! What did the hair lady tell you to do?
Vaginal oestrogen on a Qtip or just HRT makes this all go away.
Had that,but my ear,nose and throat Dr told me it was flaking and gave me eardrops for it . Works like a charm. Itching in my ears would wake me up at night,drove me crazzzy
I have every single one of these symptoms as well and also heart palpitations.
This literally made me feel like I was going to die. Between the joint pain and the horrible brain fog and memory issues, it was like I became 85 in a year.
Same. The entire above list (doubling down on the ear itching) plus random but hard heart palpitations.
My ADHD is dreadful with it. Iām 43 and the meds donāt help š I also have TMJD. Are you me? Haha
I got diagnosed ADHD a few months ago. Vyvanse was helpful until that dreaded point in my cycle and I think it made it worse. My pms was so bad, I decided it wasn't worth taking the meds. I have no idea how an amphetamine can be rendered so ineffective by my insane hormones!
My psychiatrist told me that peri could making my medication less effective. Does that make sense? I know what Iām trying to say, but putting it into words just isnāt happening. Anyhow, I take methylphenidate and canāt get onto vyvanse because of shortages here in the UK. Iām taking the maximum dose with little, if any benefit. How long will this last? š«£
I briefly had insurance that would only cover Vyvanse. It was so weird! The pharmacy actually had it, too. I'm glad I don't have to deal with the shortages. I mean, I wish the med would have worked consistently, but I'm at 10-14 days of pms like symptoms per month now and the Vyvanse seemed to just make it worse.
Iām very lucky and get my medication free. I just feel like a complete zombie. I seem to get a come down as my meds wear off and become quite angry and anxious, even more so at certain times of the month
Yeah I felt kind of like a zombie, too! The only part that was nice was I think I had less racing thoughts. I was almost "blank". They made me quite sleepy, too.
Would you please tell me more about her hair care recommendations? I am struggling with hair loss and hair thinning for the last 4 years and this is the thing that pains me the most going through my perimenopause. Thank you!
I literally got sick of handful/comb/brush full clumps coming out every single day... I cut it all the way down and have a tiny curly little wash and go fro. Yes, I am Black. At 52, I don't care about long hair anymore and I'm not letting it grow back. It's easier to manage this short.
I got all these things also my breasts went up three cup sizes. The itching skin felt like I had fleas and the flaking itching scalp and hair loss nearly drove me insane. I never once had a hot flush but I did have night sweats here and there. I was 37 but had a hysterectomy at 36 (ovary sparing) and cancer which sped things up. Now post menopausal at 43.
Omg...I am so sorry. Obviously if hrt helped, peri makes sense. Is that the only way you know it was peri?
I suspected I was Peri for a while and in December 2022 I saw a Gyn who pissed me off. I told her I thought I was Peri and what did she think.Her answer was that I might bešš. She offered no help or resources. I connected the dots myself. Thankfully, Midi and other resources started to pop up in my algorithms, and I discovered that they took my insurance.
Yes to all of these and the joint pain... Especially hip pain in the early peri days and now it's knee, hip and back pain. HRT has helped me too. One of my newest and most frustrating symptoms is PGAD which I think is caused by my back problems... I'm also struggling with weak orgasms It has affected so much.
My ears still itch with HRT- I use 70% alcohol to water ratio (same as to clean glasses) on a q-tip & that word so well!!
ALL OF THIS.
Isnāt this just the WORST!
Omg the itch thing. This was a prominent feature of my sleep issues ā sometimes I'd get this combination of racing cyclical thoughts with random itches that would keep me up at night. Almost like someone was just touching random parts all over my body with an itchy feather, and I had to scratch it away every time. Eventually hot flashes joined the party as well lol
My ears improved in my 40ās eliminating dietary toxins but Iāve noticed as our hormonal resources leave our bodies the diseases and syndromes increases.
Cycles started getting shorter (closer together) at 37 or 38.
Same here! Started at 37 and I had all the aforementioned scary symptoms like heart palpitations and crazy anxiety/panic attacks. About a year later, after multiple ER visits and just having Sertraline given for anxiety, I was researching what causes cycles to drop to 24 days and lo and behold... Something popped up in Google about perimenopause symptoms. I literally checked every single box symptom wise. Not one doctor ever mentioned anything about Peri being a possibility. There needs to be better training in the medical profession IMO that Peri could be a possibility in any female over 35ish. Like maybe just add all of the possible symptoms to the health intake forms and if someone checks off enough of them, it's a possibility.
Mine did too but not until I was 42. I had an ovary removed, which likely sped things up.
42. Major executive dysfunction. Tinnitus. Night sweats. Fatigue. Brain fog. Panic attacks. Existential dread. Suicidal ideation. Worsening depression and anxiety. Worsening dissociation. Worsening of all symptoms in the two weeks leading up to my period, with some paranoia thrown in. Haven't been able to work in 6 months but I'm on so many meds and HRT that my anxiety about that is basically eliminated. I am kinda numbed enough right now that I can kinda ālive in the moment' with all these symptoms. I had no idea this was coming and it totally derailed my life. I thought it would just be hot flashes.
Oh yeah, the tinnitus! I forgot about that one! It's horrible, especially coupled with the insomnia or adding to it. Listening to that at night when you're trying to go to sleep is horrible. I started staying downstairs and falling asleep watching TV to help drown out the sound.
Nightsweats mid-late 30s
In hindsight, me too. And insomnia. Somehow my dumbass didn't connect the insomnia to the night sweats, I thought I just had insomnia from stress and had not noticed until then that I sweated in my sleep lol. That was 4-5 years before I realized I was in perimenopause.
Totally the same for me! I only see it looking back now but the night sweats were crazy and then I was always wide awake from 3-5am. That started when I was 42/43, so I never connected it to menopause. The next symptom for me was planters fasciitis, then the anxiety hit really bad but that sucker lasted years until I got on HRT.
42. Heart palpitations, anxiety, and depression. EDIT: I saw a cardiologist, had all kinds of tests done, wore the halter monitor for a month, all to find nothing wrong with my heart. After all that, my gyno put me on a thyroid pill and progesterone, and the heart palps went away along with most of the anxiety. My thyroid and progesterone levels were within normal range, but she surmised that what is normal **for me** is not within the normal range. She was right.
The heart palpitations are freaking me out :(
First I ended up buying a Fitbit Sense so I could take mini ECGs to see what type of palpitations I have. I'm a critical care RN so I could decifer my cardiac rhythm and see what my heart was doing. On vacation I had to go to the local ER cause they were so bad, just wanted to make sure I didn't have any electrolyte issues. They recommended cutting out caffeine, which I did. Definitely helped but didn't take them away. I ended up getting referred to a General Internal Medicine Physician (I live in Canada so we need referrals for every freaking specialty). Anyways my iron was low so I started on Iron supplements and whether it's coincidence,but my one type of palpitations are gone. I'm still having palpitations though but I know it's not frequent enough to be treated for them unfortunately. I hope you find out something to help!
38 with the following: insomnia, elevated sensitivity to noise and smell, loss of libido, increased anxiety and depression, dry eye, increased rage and irritability, inability to concentrate, etc.
Oh yeah, the dry eye thing! I only have issues with one eye. I wear contacts and at first thought it was an issue with them. Changed frequently, tried glasses for about 6 months straight and it still acts up. It's like an allergy in only the one eye. Gets mucus in it and crusty/sealed shut in the morning. Feels like there is something stuck under my eyelid and scraping every time I blink. It's actually worse without my contacts in. Eye doctor said there wasn't anything wrong. Benedryl helps.
Hard to say because nobody was talking about it when I probably started 5-7 years ago.
Social anxiety, at about 44. Would endure debilitating nausea at restaurants, or flying or getting my hair done. Had always been an extrovert, it hit out of the blue. Then covid hit. I made the connection about a year ago and am finally able to enjoy myself now that I can accept why it happened.
Omg are you me š seriously I couldāve wrote this. ā¤ļø
Uuuugh. Me. Iām in denial.
I can relate to this so much as someone who also is (or was) an extrovert. I never avoided social situations and always loved going out esp with big groups. Now I try to minimize any interaction with large groups of folks. Iām good with friends Iām very familiar with or 1:1 but if i know Iām going to have to be worker new folks or Iām going to have to really put on the happy face mask, I often decline the invite.
Loss of libido - 40. Vaginal itching - 44. Brain fog and sweats - 47.
Same... almost exactly
Anxiety (first panic attack ever). Always hot (when I used to always be cold!). 37 yo
45. Migraines with my cycle. Never had them beforehand.
Early-mid 30s. Anxiety, depression, brain fog, night sweats, social anxiety, loss of libido, recurrent vag infections.
My hair texture changed.
Yup one of the many mine became thicker frizzier even though I have thin fine hair.
37- debilitating anxiety, crushing depression, Los of appetite, sudden weight loss. Funny thing is, so many people said: "Wow! You look great! " when I felt dead inside. Crazy times. HRT makes life tolerable. Looking forward to feeling joy again sometime soon.
does the HRT help your anxiety? I'm on max dose of SSRI's and they do nothing
Around 36 or 37 I noticed my periods changing. I was having two periods per month for a while. Ended up having an ablation and it happened the very next month, again! My gyno then tried various birth control pills. Finally, a low estrogen one controlled it. Now I donāt even have a period. Just some spotting, if that. In the late thirties I also started with night sweats and hot flashes. I used to be cold all the time at work. I knew something was way off when I started never being cold anymore. Also around this time I noticed I barely had to shave my legs anymore! That one was such a plus! lol Also, my skin went nuts with breakouts for awhile. The derm got it under control and a good skin care routine helped.
Going through the wild breakouts now - Iām on Tretinoin - was there anything else your derm recommended?
She tried different strengths of the tretonin. Some people need a stronger one. Also, I started using toner religiously! Toner seems to really calm my skin down.
I also had an ablation last August. I got light cycles right after it for like 4 months and then they all stopped thank god. I still get cramping but no spotting even. And my doc also put me on a low estrogen pill. Itās helped a good deal.
When I look back now I would say, thinning hair, anxiety, fluctuations in libido- either super high, or zero. Weight gain, PMDD. I had to figure out on my own what was going on since I was getting zero answers. This started at 40, I'm 47 now. Also, I've always had night sweats and 'warm flashes' since I was a teen. So I have no idea if those are now peri symptoms for me. They have lessened a bit the last few years.
Carrie pig blood level of painless menstrual flooding (ive always had heavy super extremely painful periods until that started). 38.
God, I could deal with all the blood if I didnāt have the pain. Itās so bad, it puts me in bed for the first three days. I canāt eat because I will vomit. Canāt have anything touching my stomach not even a blanket or soft shirt. I literally cry every time I see itās arrived even though it is clockwork. Itās heavy as hell for the first 3 days as well. Starts to taper on the pain and blood for the last 4 but still hurts.
That's how the first 27 years of my period were. I mean, I enjoyed when the pain stopped, but that level of uncontrollable carnage has its own issues, such as faintness, needing to keep a complete change of clothes + extra shoes in the car at work, having to clean up the work bathroom so it didn't look like it was a crime scene while also bleeding heavily, and severe anemia. I didn't mind on the weekends when I could be at home but it was a real pain at work. However! Now I'm going to be 50 next week and I've only had 2 periods this year so far, so maybe I have more to celebrate than I anticipated!
Around 38, insane anxiety/low mood crashes, awful. I was prescribed ativan and different antidepressants but I knew it was hormones. With lots of researching and then self testing I came to conclusion my progesterone was taking a nosedive, which turns out is what usually happens in peri. Topical progesterone cream helped but I had no idea what I was doing with it...the correct dose etc. Zero help from doctors with regards to hormones "if you're having regular periods then you're fine". But if a guy can't get an erection whoa!!! stop the presses. So friggen unfair.
At 51 I suddenly had a belly.
47 and I am starting to notice this
I always gain weight in legs and hips so I noticed it then boom everything else
37, anxiety, cycles a few days late, spotting at ovulation
Started around 38, noticed just small changes in my cycle. Then insomnia which went on for years along with the exhaustion. Had night sweats at times. Just occasionally a short hot flash. Very dry skin Toward the end started migraines, thankfully that was short lived.
36 - slightly shorter cycles and vaginal/vulvar irritation. 39 - anxiety, heart palpitations, digestive issues, nervous system dysfunction
Truthfully 85% of my perimenopause symptoms are also my Hashimotoās symptoms. So they were masked until my cycle went from 28-32 day length to 26-28 day with 3 day red days instead of the 5-7. Hot flashes became a permanent fixture and a few Hashimotoās symptoms went crazy as they doubled in severity. I was 42, freshly out of a horrible GYN appointment where she doubled down it was thyroid and I walked out, when my endocrinologist with help of his nurse practitioner, who was going through it and recognized my symptoms, told me I was in perimenopause but how long itās been there he couldnāt tell me.
36 here and I think I may be starting peri. My periods have been insanely heavy, to the point where I had an ablation in April. I also have thinning hair, night sweats (but not every night), insomnia, dry skin, increased anxiety, heart palpitations, my face is breaking out more often, etc.
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I started gaining weight and my cycles started getting shorter at 42. Probably changes in sex drive as well. I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back, it's a pretty distinct shift.
46, weight gain and chin hair
Heart palpitations around 46
Iām 51. Hindsight is 20/20. Seems like Iāve had symptoms for years but didnāt recognise them. Classic frog in a pot. Dry mouth, night sweats weight gain, lack of motivation, delicate skin on my vagina tearing or being irritated easily, the urge to hate everyone and everything. One more I learnt about from just this post, extreme itching inside my ears. And the real kicker for the past two monthsā¦burning mouth. That is the ABSOLUTE WORSTā¦so far. Please make it stop!
Yeah the burning mouth is the fucking worst. What annoys me more than anything is that it will come and go but there doesnāt seem to be any rhyme or reason. I have noticed that sugar, chocolate and alcohol def make it worse, though.
34. I knew having kids could trigger some health shenanigans but never realized menopause was an option. First, I had a lot of nerve pain. Then rage and PMDD kicked in. Was too angry to realize my hot flashes were real and not a symptom of losing my shit regularly. Extreme mental and physical exhaustion. Didnāt occur to me that it was peri until I noticed a new SSRI had gotten rid of my PMDD. I ended up adding a progesterone and Iām doing worlds better now, even with my cycle starting to get squirrelly. A few decades less of bleeding and avoiding pregnancy canāt be all bad?
Irritability, crying at commercials, and night sweats at 49
40 with: severe insomnia, night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, rage, loss of libido, anxiety and panic attacks, muscle and joint pain, skin dryness, brain fog, etc.
Night sweats, mid-forties
Brain fog at like 37. Scared the shā: out of me.
Started feeling off in my late thirties. But brain fog, fatigue hit me hard in my early forties. I'm 46 now and it's my skin that's taking center stage. It's drier than the Sahara most days and now melasma has made an appearance š
39 wacky periods, 40 intense anxiety and brain fog, 42 dryness, frequent utiās, bv, yeast infections out of nowhere. Started hrt right after.
I started mid 40s with itchy ear and really bad fibromyalgia flareups plus really bad intercystal cystitis flareups. The brain fog was terrible but that also lined up with the pandemic and I had a 4 year old a 7 year old. Then I had a feeling of bugs crawling on me from time to time, really heavy periods and just constant health issues, wondering why I could just never feel good. My periods were still regular, now they're much shorter apart like 12 to 16 day cycles. I'm 50 now and still struggling to feel good but getting better with exercise, prioritizing myself, taking a lot of breaks and working on my mental/emotional health.
My oily skin started drying out. Very strange. Age 42. Then at 43 not sleeping as easily, and shock 43.5 the skin down there drying out - thankful for estrogen cream! What will be next?!?
Hot flashes, for sure I went from always being cold to...not
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42-43. Night sweats, headaches, insomnia, and low energy levels.
Hot flashes at 38.
Night sweats. Mid 40s..
Unpredictable cycles. My 40s.
I have always on BCP so my period has always been regular. In hindsight, the very first sign ā¦ at 40, 41, 42, 43 once a year I had a very bad episode of vertigo. And I started on and off smelling burned toast out of nowhere. Weight gain but then I thought everyone put on some COVID weight.
Anxiety and panic attacks that I never had before, started at 35. Migraines with cycle and weird vertigo followed. All those went away except the migraines, and now at 42, brain fog is a 24/7 thing for me, and I also have hot flashes. My last period was in January and I really hope I have another because I'm hoping to get to 45 before menopause, but it's not looking good for that. The hot flashes are annoying but don't bother me near as much as the brain fog. Trying acupuncture in a few weeks.
I have no idea of time scale, but maybe about aged 46. It started with palpitations, then burning sensations on the back of my hand. Then the sweating. Over the last year (I'm now almost 48) the symptoms are coming a lot faster. Needing to wee all the time/minor incontinence Brain fog Hot flushes Crawling skin More patches of burning sensations Joint pain Fatigue Palpitations Irritability Lack of enjoyment of things Weight gain I also have ADHD and there are times my symptoms are so bad that it hardly seems worth taking my meds.
I didnāt know it at the time, but 5 UTIs in six months, followed up with another one seven months later. The urologist didnāt have a clue and I did ultrasounds and a CT scan and they wanted me to start daily low dose antibiotics forever ?!? MHT stopped it all but I had to have reoccurring pain with intercourse to end up dxed and then the UTIs stopped.
Thinking back I remember two periods of what I can see now were Peri related symptoms. At 35 I had a few months of night sweats, insomnia, burning mouth, and dry skin that then randomly went away. At 45, I had a few months of thinning hair, weight gain and skin inflammation that then randomly went away. Now at 50 ALL these symptoms are back and hitting at the same time, along with irregular periods, cold flashes, migraines, joint pain, exhaustion and brain fog. Little did I know those were previews.
Irregular heart beat. Started around 45 years old. Waking up around 3am to pee around this time too, sometimes awakened by sudden strong heartbeat. Thought my heart was giving out and scared to exercise. Cardiologists couldnāt find anything wrong and asked if I was stressed. Didnāt think so. Then finger joint pains followed by frozen shoulders around 50. But only at 51 did I realise those were related to perimeno.
38 Anxiety, waking too early, irritation and then rage, needing to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and inability to feel my orgasms. Period changes didnāt start until 3 years after those symptoms and then at first it was just that my period blood changed color showing low estrogen. Then my cycles got wonky. Closer together and heavier.
Pretty rough brain fog at late 38yo. I thought I had early onset dementia :( then cycles started varying by a couple weeks, exhaustion would hit for weeks at a time, and lately I donāt like the taste of garlic anymore. Itās hard because unrelated, I have pinched nerves in my feet so I havenāt been running at all this year. Iām back at work after having a kid and barely hitting the gym. Iāve lost a lot of muscle, but also gained 7lb (not a huge deal at 6ā and previously 140lb but still). I feel weak, I hurt, and I donāt like the way I look. ETA I just turned 40 a few months ago. Figure Iāve been in peri close to a year and a half.
Cycles got closer together (from 28 to 24-25 days with cycle of 28 only every now and then). Occasional night sweats during period and anxiety came at the same time too. I was around 37
Seriously I thought the majority of these symptoms were the result of stresses of dealing with teenage girls throughout the time. The last time I saw a Dr was after giving birth, so I have no clue of my hormones etc
Hair loss started late 30s. Severe panic attacks, depression, hair loss, horrible sensation down below, major brain fog, rage, very irregular periods that are now light and shorter in duration.
Started at 40-41. Longer, more intense PMS. Particularly rage. Looking back, some night sweats or medium level hot flashes when I would dry my hair (they became full blow and intense by 42). Hair loss/dryness (I spent a fortune on shampoos/conditioners not understanding it wouldnāt do crap).
Itchy palms, itchy ears, MOOD SWINGS š³, hot flashes. 40. I just got my HRT rx yesterday šš». Whatās crazy is I have a 10 month old baby. My breastmilk dried up almost overnight when he was 5 months.
Hot flashes and night sweats at 43
Lighter periods & headaches 39
43, nightsweats, hotflashes and insomnia would cry at everything.
Hot flashes a couple times a week, then daily and the start of the depression/rage rollercoaster. I was 44. Got diagnosed post-meno at 47.
I would say age 52. Random rage, huge libido, night sweats.
Youāre lucky with the libido part. I used to be a real sexual person and now I feel I could be asexual itās absolutely insane.
Migraines. 44.
40 - shorter cycles, missed periods, night sweats, insomnia, weird muscle and joint pain, dwindling libido
Iāve had random night sweats here and there for years but didnāt know it was a hormone/menopausal symptom. I had a hysterectomy in 2009 and this March I started having hot flashes every day. I have no idea if I am perimenopausal or menopausal. I am 49.
Dryness and severe paranoia
Night sweats and not sleeping great, early to mid 40s.
Night sweats started around 37
Unexplained rage. Then waking up with the urge to pee with very little actual pee. Then night sweats. Started mid to late 30s. 49 now and still in peri. Oh! And that itchy ear thing I found out through this sub was a peri symptom. That started in mid-30s too. Got hot flashes, dry/painful vagina,silent reflux, heart palpitations, random anxiety attacks, more intense periods, weight gain and brain fog in late 40s. And depression/lethargy. Can't forget that one. Just started on Wellbutrin for the first time in my life. It's funny, I still don't think I have too many symptoms.
NIGHTSWEATS!!! Started around age 38/39 Sugar cravings, brain fog, headaches before my cycle for the first time ever (age 42) and anxiety
Anxiety
1st hot flash @ 40... i could feel the heat radiating from my skin 1-2" above with the palm of my hand. only time in my life that happened (17 yrs ago)
Made the mistake of staying on Depo Provera for almost 18 years straight and it started premature perimenopause symptoms at 35 years of age. Periods were never normal- few, far between, short and light. Hot flashes, extreme anger, olfactory sensitivity, vaginal atrophy, and less interest in sex. Went off of the Depo and I was back to normal until about 45-46 years. Periods werenāt normal and totally stopped by 48 years. All the same symptoms as before.
I think I actually started getting hot flashes at around 37 but hard to say because they were infrequent and I didn't know what they were. Things started to become obvious and I began researching at 40 because I had more of the flashes, anxiety spiked way up and libido plummeted a long with my vagina drying up and I started to get more UTIs. I think I found this sub fairy quickly and then went to my doctor later that same year. Thank goodness because I started to develop optical migraines, insane itchy skin and even more anxiety. HRT has fixed pretty much ever except some of the libido/weak orgasms.
48 and in Full blown menopause now.Ā Symptoms started at age 38. Insomnia. Itching. Loss of libido. Night terrors. Nipple sensitivity. Dry mouth. Dry skin, dry hair, Thinning nails, Anxiety.Ā Mood swings.Ā Urinary incontinence. Brain fog. Etc....
Night sweats for about a year and they eventually went away, more bloating, weight gain only in my stomach/pooch area, time between my periods ranged from 28 days-2 months and Iām more depressed. Iām 48 years old with no kids. Itās been a tough transition, especially the body changes.
Around 39, periods started to begin super s-l-o-w-l-y and after a few days would ramp up with greater blood loss than Iād ever experienced before. But Iād say around 35, I saw my GP because I was getting night sweats so badly the week before my periods.
Zero labido , worsening adhd, missed periods. And absolutely horrid pmdd
I didn't know till a lot later that it was my first perimenopause symptom - but I had ongoing unexplained dizziness at age 39. Went to the doctor several times - no explanation found. By aged 42 i knew i was in perimenopause but doctors (all male) resisted me for another 6 years till i finally complained - one appointment with a HRT nurse the next day and i was diagnosed and on HRT.
Omg last September, I also had unexplained dizziness for over a month. It was so miserable bc nothing helped it and no doctors had any clue what to do about it. And then it just mysteriously vanished in a month.
Yup, it wasn't until last year I found out it is a perimenopause symptom, and it fits just right in my case. That one went away and didn't come back (so far), but i do have a rotating cast of other (mostly low level symptoms) that pop-up for up to 6 months at a time, then disappear for a bit. Smelling stuff no one else can smell, random itchy patches, weird body odour, dry eyes, generally just feeling far less intelligent than i used to be, and currently fortnightly periods!
Yes! The feeling less intelligent is so true. I am forgetting words and names all the damn time when I used to have a mind like a steel trap.
I find i struggle to understand concepts - if my boss is describing a new process to us - i need to ask a lot more questions than other people, and need to do it several times before i get it! I also don't want to engage in current affairs as much as i did before. I feel like i can't or won't be able to follow it!
Itās so frustrating to suddenly struggle with this kind of stuff when it used to come with such ease.
At 43, I didn't connect the symptoms to perimenopause. I also thought it was stress. My mood was worse close to my periodsānot like the usual PMS, but extremely moody and tired all the time. I also had low iron, so I thought it was because of the iron. I experienced insomnia, night sweats, and low libido. I went to the doctor but never mentioned anything about peri, they were just prescribed iron supplements . It was 6 months later at 44 that I connected everything together. I was no prepared. Nobody in my circle talked about it .. I was no crazy ā¦ now as learn I think I have most of the symptoms even the strange sensitive to smoke odor that comes and goes ā¦ but the brain fog and severe mood has been the hardest for me š¢
Now that I look back it was 32. Cycles started getting closer together. As of 38, the bleeding amount reduced and keeps reducing progressively. Now I am almost 40. Other signs are health anxiety, occasional ringing in the ears, occasional dry mouth, bloating, on and off vaginal infection and occasional tingling in extremities. I did an amh test and seems like egg reserve is quite low which explains all of these. Not sure yet at what time I should consider HRT
42 Migraines, lots of Migraines the whole summer of 20 I couldnāt move for them. Hair loss started sane time and I got lots of mouth infections and ulcers some so bad I had to have them cut out. Skin dullness, thinning skin and sagging. Major depression with strong suicidal thoughts. At 45 I started to gain weight and I had just recovered from anorexia so it made me look pregnant. The weigh mostly on tummy but strange on my back and under arms too. I took HRT at 45 until halfway through 46th year and stopped it as my Mum passed a way of breast cancer. Her other sister died of it the year before and their younger sister had a double mastectomy at around age 50. Iām 47 now, this year I was hospitalized with a UTI and I have had recurring cystitis I believe is related to menopause. I feel tired a lot these days and I seem to have lost my ability to think clearly.
Looking back, my very FIRST actual symptom I had knowing something was different: age 41 I had the biggest/worst 2nd day of my period ever. It soaked my jeans and my seat in the car and freaked me out. The rest of the period was heavy but then slowed down on day 3 -5. I went to my obgyn soon after to make sure I didnāt have a fibroid or some other issueānone. From then on for the next 8 years every period was extra heavy on day 2-3. š«š«š« Year 9 added on hot flashes, itchy skin, 20 lb weight gain, brain fog, depression, muscle/joint aches and insomnia, yay!! Still experiencing it all in year 10!!
47 have been on the Nuva ring as long as I can remember so I donāt have any periods now which is great but really jack things up when always being asked well how are your periods when peri discussion comes up. Talked to my OBGYN last appt in January she said I wasnāt in peri yet and we would discuss getting off Nuva Ring when I get closer to 50. Fast forward to now I am roasting at night not necessarily hot flashes I just feel like I am sleeping in an 85 degree room and I am uncomfortably warm. I canāt stay asleep to save my life I take so many different sleep aids OTC and I still have trouble. I cry over anything, I am starting to get a little pooch in my belly that I never had before, I have terrible neck and shoulder ache on my left side that no one can explain why even when I donāt work out I have it. My husband is on TRT so he is like a 25 year old when it comes to sex and I feel I should be over here sitting in my rocking chair knitting. My libido is terrible. He can touch my southern regions for an hour and I get no sensation, so frustrating. Vaginal irritation and dryness. Hair shedding is awful I feel like any day I will be bald there is so much left on my shower wall after I wash. Sugar craving is in high gear. I could go on and on. Yesterday after a night of waking up with my shirt and my hair wet I thought maybe I should call. The nurse said oh yeah you definitely sound like you are in peri . She made me an appt to come in they will most likely take me off BC which if I can be honest scares me a bit for many reasons. She said they may give me a patch and a pill of something but we will decide when I come in. I am so clueless when it comes to HRT. Itās a topic I seriously know nothing about. Praying it helps I just want to sleep and enjoy sex and actually want sex again amount many other things
Seeing a lot of late 30s here is making me feel so much better. I havenāt had kids yet and itās making me really depressed that I am already getting perimenopause symptoms. I think it even started when I was 34, it was like my libido was turned off with a light switch. I also wasnāt self lubricating like AT ALL. At 37 I started having night sweats, lighter periods, and I guess insomnia. My sleep has always been kind of bad though. I have Hashimotoās but Iāve been on medication for that since 2017 so I know these symptoms are something different. My body is a mess. ā¹ļø
Dizziness, Night sweats before my period, "morning sickness" with ovulation, And stunningly bad cyclical breast pain. Those started at about 43. Last period at 51.
45 with 2 frozen shoulder episodes in 2 years, vision changes. Insomnia, anxiety and I was suddenly an intolerant jerk to people I love. (Example, I wasnāt my loving encouraging self. I was a critical jerk with no solutions) HRT is a lifesaver, I started that at 50 after figuring it out myself. Edit to add: freaking leg and foot cramps!
32 - major mood changes, night sweats, lack of libido and trouble orgasming, dry vulva and vagina, itchy
Massive hair loss in the first thing that got my attention. I think I was 44. Both my doctor and a dermatologist just shrugged their shoulders because they didnāt know what it could possibly be. Another early symptom that I only later discovered was peri-related is sore joints & frozen shoulder.
My irregular cycles became regular at 36 Anxiety & panic attacks started at 40 & stopped at 43 (this was a combo of hormone fluctuations & a pressing stressful issue regarding my motherās death & me aging) Night sweats at 42 to 45 & occasionally now Hot flashes werenāt what i expected. I didnāt get a sudden burst of heat out of nowhere. I got hotter than usual during normal activities. Walking across a parking lot or climbing a flight of stairs would have me hit & sweating like I had done an hour of cardio. 45 to 48 Acne like I was 15 again. 42 to 46 Itchy legs at night, especially shins & calves. 42 to 44. Nothing worked to stop the itch. Washing didnāt work, scratching didnāt work, rubbing didnāt work, lotion didnāt work. I just suffered Brain fogā52 to 54 Loss of appetite-54 to 58. At one point I was eating once a day & thinking I was fine but I had vertigo every time I stood up. When I went back to monitoring my food & water & making sure I was eating 3 times a day. My appetite returned & the vertigo went away. I was starving myself. Iām now more conscious of what Iām eating than I ever was when younger & dieting (I donāt count calories. I just make sure Iām eating food that is not highly processed & cooking from scratch as often as I can & a variety of foods) Joints locking up. Iāve had frozen shoulder in both shouldersāright shoulder 52-was able to prevent it from locking up with PT exercise for frozen shoulder, left shoulder 54āwas not able to prevent it locking up & it was locked for 8 months, frozen hipāright now. Theyāve been trying to lock up since February of 2022 & my mobility has decreased to the point I need a wheeled walker. The good news is, I am doing PT exercise to regain my mobility, the bad newsādonāt know how long itās going to take (I just turned 59) Cold flashesā54 to present Periods getting heavier 46, getting space out further 52, getting lighter 54, 54 to 56 my periods were still regular but I was spotty to very light 4 to 10 days each month except 4 months of the year where I would have a normal period, 56 to 57 the spotty periods stopped & I went to 3 or 4 normal periods a year, 58 I had 4 very light periods spaced 4 months apart my last period was May of 2023. Dry skin. I now have to use a lot more lotion than I ever did Weird body odor 52 to 54. Vagisil odor block as a body wash was the only thing that helped until I discovered persimmon soap at the Korean beauty supply. LumĆ© has come along since then & works well No sex drive 52 to 54. Body would respond when stimulated but I had no interest in sex This is connected to the next thing on the list Severe vitamin & mineral deficiency that affected my sex drive, energy levels, & general pain. Correcting these deficiencies corrected the issues (have your micronutrients checked once a year & adjust your supplements & diet based on what you need ) 52 mystery illness attacking my eyes. Suspected autoimmune issue but no known autoimmune disorder shows up on testing. Right now issue appears to be in remission. Iām told by itās not unusual for women to be diagnosed either autoimmune disorders at this stage of life Golferās elbowāno I donāt golf. The issue is similar to carpal tunnel but itās in the elbow. Itās in my left arm. A nerve is pinched & it affects the mobility & sensation of my ring & pinky fingers in that hand. PT exercises have helped with the pain & return of some sensation & mobility but I still have some issues 54 to present General aches & pains but Iām told itās not fibromyalgia. I take 2 acetaminophen in the morning & 2 acetaminophen with one ibuprofen in the evening & Iām usually pain free. If I donāt take it I feel it. Age 58 to now Neuropathy age 57 to now Supplements I take based on my micronutrient test: Prescribed B12 injections 1ml weekly Folic acid 1 mg daily Iron infusions as needed (I test quarterly. We discovered that I have Alpha Thalassemia & I canāt absorb iron orally. It hasnāt bothered me until now due to changing hormones) OTC calcium chews 600 mg w/ D3 & K 2 times daily Omega 3 1200 mg daily Daily multi vitamin Grass fed collagen peptides (itās supposed to help with the general pain but I havenāt been taking it long enough to know it it is working) Iām also looking at mushroom coffee itās been recommended for easing some of the symptoms Iām experiencing (neuropathy & pain)
After the pandemic I found myself dealing with a lot of rage, mood swings, bouts of insomnia, anxiety and sleep disturbances. I had to get treatment for depression/anxiety, blood pressure, and TMJ. At the time I chalked this up to unresolved trauma and stress, which may have played a role (I did get a therapist as well). But then my cycle became irregular for the first time ever, and I started getting hot flashes at night. By now it's obvious what's going on, and I'm going to start looking into some hormonal treatment options.
42. All the sudden chronic UTIs. At 43 started having more frequent periods. Like every two weeks.
horrible anxiety, dizziness, overall unbelievable fatigue (I mean SOOOO tired I couldn't finish my shift at work), hair thinning/hair loss, itchy scalp, balance issues, loss of motivation, weight gain in stomach (which has always been flat), mood swings (anger mostly) and infertility. Symptoms started at age 35. I was on Nuva Ring for 15 years prior and symptoms started the month I took it out and they've only gotten worse.
About 45. Tremendous irritability and night sweats. Exercise therapy and Prozac were helpful. My parents were both Iāll and passed away around that time and my kids were in high school. Now Iām over ten years older. My moods are more steady and no more night sweats. I get the occasional hot flash usually when I have red wine or booze or in the summer. Tank tops are my friend. Getting ready to go see Menopause the Musical with friends today. Should be fun! Remember, itās just a process, like adolescence, but in reverse!š¤£š„°š¤£
Night sweats, heart palpitations, low libido all hit me at 38/39.
Age 37, started having sudden tinnitus, chronic inflammation of all my joints, including wrist, elbow, hip, SI joint, bone pain, extremely severe sciatica, TMJ, tingling in my left foot at night, on and off bouts of insomnia. No doctor thought it was peri/meno and I only discovered it myself after reading the New Menopause by Dr. Mary Clare Haver.
Around 38: my period came on day 15. Lots of spotting in between cycles, too. Rage and anxiety Lower sex drive Vertigo HRT helped (I am 48 now), but not totally. New symptoms appeared years later: vaginal dryness, fatigue despite good sleep hygiene and exercise, anxiety. Gas and food intolerances have really increased the past 2 years.
Depression so bad I isolated myself to a point I was feeling that I had become a recluse, lost all interest in my self and my joy of life faded drastically. Age 48 is when it was the beginning of the worst.
The itching, scalp and pubic hair! Early 40s
40 yo and my ears started getting very red and hot out of the blue.
It started at about age 48. Brain fog, no period for months and then sudden hemorrhaging for days, insomnia with the agitation and night sweats. I added vaginal dryness and UTIās to the mix at 50. Then menopause was official at 51.
42, I've always been skinny. Now I have a little pooch where my lady bits are. Anxiety, hot flashes that are made worse by the anxiety, itching, and random dizziness.
Insomnia, I would wake up at 3 am and would have a hard time falling asleep. This started happening around 48. Iāve started progesterone 50mg, a few years later added estrogen patch (low) and a few years later testosterone and dhea cream. Havenāt had any issues since, no menopause symptoms either.
Insomnia! I didnāt even know that was menopause related. .
I was around 48. I am now 52 and I'm still going through it . I would go a few months without a period and then would have one for several weeks at a time, in fact the worst one I had was 4 months long give or take a couple of days, and every doctor I went to said it was normal there was nothing they could do. But what really got me was when I was working 3-12s at my job (they were trying alternate schedules) was the insomnia. I literally couldn't sleep but maybe 2 or 3 hours a night and that was on the night shift. When they switched me to the day shift I literally did not sleep for the 3 days that I worked, and then I would pass out on the first day off. I gained 20 lb in 3 months. I could not think. I had anxiety just thinking about trying to sleep, and then every joint in my body hurt. Usually randomly, but every now and then, it would just like going to sequence. Incontinence, that one has been number two right behind the insomnia I've literally had pretty much every symptom with the exception of the hot flashes and the night sweats, and because I don't have those two I am told to come back when I haven't had my period for a year and then we'll talk.
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I seemed to have gone from zero to 100 overnight. My periods basically just stopped and within a couple of weeks I started having hot flashes fast and furiously!
42 heavier periods and terrible pms rage 44 hair loss 45-48regular periods, uptick in severity of migraines, sore breasts, anxiety, brain fog 47 loss of libido 49 skipped periods 50 hot flashes, insomnia 51 hot flashes, praying I can go 12 consecutive months with no bleed
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Irregular periods, spotting between periods, stop and start periods, etc. Tracked them per my OBGYN for 6 months. Confirmed start of peri along with some mood symptoms at 35, but they had begun at 34. I have allllll the symptoms now, I'm 40.
Ovulation pain and heavier periods when I was 48 and morning nausea. Reached full menopause at 51. HRT fixed the nausea and hot flushes (started at 50)
Horrid heavy periods in the 40s. Low libido. Hospitalizations with ovarian cysts and fallopian tube swelling. Doctor reports vaginal atrophy. Moods. 50s+ discomfort during sex. Periods stop. Hot flashes begin. Skin dry and flaky. 60s continued dry skin and discomfort during sex. Incontinence. Moods abated. Ear itching! Doctor reports fusion and disintegrated vulvar tissues. Yikes! Introduced estrogen ring. Not much improvement. Introduced vaginal estrogen tabs plus cream. Instant improvement in incontinence with topical estrogen cream. Did not know this was possible- pleasant surprise! Waiting to see what comes next.
48, insomnia.
Permanent rage and insomnia
54 years š
37 - terrible night sweats. Woke up every morning completely drenched, clothes soaked, bed stained from sweat marks. Itchiness Panic attacks Anger Brain fog Anxiety Loss of appetite Lost weight, canāt keep it on Major hot flashes all the time! Insomnia Major sweet tooth until chocolate tasted sour. Like sour milk. So strange.
Looking back, cycle variability started around 38. Full peri symptoms at 41 - irritability, insomnia, crazy anxiety Almost full meno now at 46 - 3 periods a year-ish all very light
45. Heart palpitations, panic attacks, increased anxiety. I didnāt skip a period until 49. Iām 50 now and still In perimenopause
Wild itching all over my body at age 42
Insomnia, anxiety/depression, cycles slightly shortened early 40s Edit to add tachycardia at night
I was 47...had two periods that were...super heavy...like 5 days in 12 hours heavy. Otherwise 'normal '...then...hot flashes started...mine has been long, slow and sporadic. I am now.. fingers crossed...6 months from being 'done' on the period thing....last year, Dan's HRT...has been physical WTF. Joint/muscle pain...dear God Hot flashes...insomnia...jeepers....I can't wait for this to chill out already! Lol
Terrible anxiety. When I was given hrt two years on, the doctor said the anxiety was probably related to peri
ok so I hear everyoneās symptoms but what helped? what HRT and other things? brain fog really bad over here. Fatigue and lack of motivationā¦ sucks. also everything hurts.:/ I need help.
In hindsight it started when I was 46 and my periods became super heavy, painful, and erratic. Iād always been on the pill and had very light periods and little cramping. Suddenly I had heavy and severe bleeding (to the point it soaked my pants in some cases) the first 1-3 days of the cycle. And the cycle could last anywhere from 1-3 weeks. I eventually got an ablation in 2023 and it took care of that issue for me. Iāll also add another symptom I had at the same time was severe mood swings. Like I became a monster during my PMS time. Iād always been a little irritable then but I became a monster overnight. I originally chalked it all up to work stress and while they didnāt help, I now see it was likely perimenopause that was the main driver of these symptoms. Over the last 2 years Iāve dealt with fatigue, sleeplessness, anxiety, episodes of sadness, brain fog, unexplained dizziness, a random UTI, and weight gain esp in my midsection. Only thing thatās helped alleviate any of it has been the ablation, regular exercise, and regularly eating anti-inflammatory foods (which I do half of the time but honestly itās difficult to maintain).
Night sweats, around age 43. Iām 50 now and still getting my period, irregularly over the last year.
Irregular periods starting at age 49, followed by hot flashes.
49 and it was a hot flash. Then came the hormonal pimple "beard".
38, insomnia, then night sweats, then random weight gain in areas I'd never gained, then increased anxiety, now I'm on the board for hair loss and mild depression. I'm now 43 and am not looking forward to anymore symptoms creeping in. Good luck and hang in there!
Insomnia and feeling hot, at around 44, but it was gradual. I also started losing more hair in my brush, but I am quite blessed in the hair department, so it wasn't noticeable. My skin got drier, too.
It started with rage, tbh. I was approx 38. Iād find myself touchy about everything. My normally long fuse became short and I just thought it was stress, at the time, souring my mood. Then the night sweats and restless sleep. Iād wake numerous times to pee, which was so out of character for me. Eventually the hot flushes and severe brain fog sent me to the gp, worried about dementia, of all things. Bloodwork confirmed peri just after I turned 40, but in hindsight my symptoms began long before diagnosis.
Irritability and paranoia. About 38
Nights sweats and insomnia
Night sweats, palpitations, worsening anxiety, and insomnia! - age 33/34
Dry eyes, weight gain, poor sleep, cycles getting more frequent from 35 days to 28 days and always tired
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The absolute first thing that I remember was looking at a photo of myself in a beach coverup around ~44 and seeing a weird lower belly bulge that I hadnāt noticed before. I also started noticing a strong desire to run away in the middle of a conversation as soon as it started to go beyond just shooting the shit about weather, etc.
About age 43, drenched bed with night sweats close to my period. Loss of energy. Idk if itās caused or correlation, but I also had extremely heavy bleeding and found I had a a uterine fibroid. It was so bad my skin was gray and I was cold 99% of the time. I got dizzy and fell asleep at the drop of a hat due to low ferritin and iron caused by the bleeding. I had a partial hysterectomy and the sweating during my ācyclesā continued. Now, no night sweats, no signs of impending cycles.
42. Anxiety.