Just wondering if anybody had any opinions as to why some of us suffer so badly with perimenopause symptoms...while others seem to not notice anything but hot flashes. My mom did not have all the crap I am dealing with. I can barely function. Am i just unlucky? Also, has anybody else heard that the worst symptoms are towards the end of perimenopause?
We're just unlucky. I deal with such tremendous anxiety, hot flashes, panic attacks, sleeplessness, brain fog and fatigue. I'm only 45 and have been dealing with it for almost five years. I want to be ME again. At least I finally know I'm not crazy and this WILL pass. Hang in there.
Hi Lou, i too have wondered the same as you and yes i have heard the symptoms become worse before the end of peri. I have friends who have only had hot flushes and are fine seem to shrug this all off. I on the other hand have not hot flushes but many other symptoms. I am 47 and periods all over the place, nausea, digestive problems, aches and pains and extreme anxiety. Can i ask do you suffer from anxiety. I believe having anxiety makes everything worse. Anxiety seems to heighten our awareness of pain etc, strangely though my anxiety started with this. I am interested to see what others say. x
Hi
Yes I wonder that as well my doctor said diet and exercise plays a big part . Im not thinking that at all as I walk over 15000 steps a day eat healthy have the occasional day off . And my peri symptoms are horrendous, anxiety /panic attacks being the worse. Feel like Mrs doom and glooom as I worry about everything and more . It’s good to know we are not alone as my friends and family I have spoken too have never felt this way , never spoke to anyone face to face who has had such severe Symptoms like me/us .. take care 💕
Hi Lou.
Sorry you are having such a hard time with it. If it's any consolation, so am I!
I've been going through perimenopause about a year and a half now. My Symptoms are really quite bad and can be very debilitating.
Anxiety/ health anxiety seems to be the worse symptom for me at the moment. I've never experienced anything like this....EVER!!
I think some of us suffer more thanks to either genetics (my mum was bad)
Or just because our bodies and systems are built different.
What are your symptoms?
I'm with you on this Claire..
Are you in the UK?
How do you deal with your anxiety?
Would love to chat.
I'm 43 and going through exact same.
Great question Lou! I’ve been wondering the same thing ? I thought since I didn’t have any children that was a factor however other women who have had children mention that they are going through a hard time too .
I’ve had 3 months of HELL and watch my friends just getting a ‘little hot’ which irks me I’m sorry to say
My thoughts? Gut health. Previous surgeries. Whether or not you've borne children and your experience in doing so. Genetics. Overall health. Eating habits. All of it. That said though, there are always exceptions. I know for me, my gut health is NOT optimal. And I am not as mindful of my eating and activity levels as I should be. I am stepping it up now as this is freaking me out. Last ditch effort haha. But I sure wish I had taken my health more seriously through my youth. But I didn't have to... I never had any issues! Youth mentality... It will never happen to me. Sure bit me in the ass!
I’m the healthiest person I know workout almost every day no junk food all HEALTH and still this HELL !!!
I need my alone time. That's the only way I can get through it. I love my husband to the ends of the earth, but when the anxiety hits I need to be by myself so I don't feel like I have to be "on" for anyone. I just keeping telling myself it's the peri and it will pass. I have three bad cervical discs and I'm prescribed valium for that condition. So I do have that if a panic/anxiety attack is too tremendous, but I try to not take them unless absolutely necessary.
Oh the nausea! It's horrible :-(
It seems to just be the luck (or bad luck!) of the draw. I wish I had had a heads up that it could be this bad, this varying, and this terrifying. Hang in there ladies. I am so grateful for you all!!
I think sometimes women just don't discuss it. Not that everyone deals with this, but I think more do suffer and just don't talk about it. My friend texted me today to ask if I ever had postpartum blues. I told her I did, but that was over 13 years ago, lol. She said, "Well, I know it's crazy, because my kids are 22 and 19, but I feel like I have baby blues again. We're both weepy one minute, cranky the next, and fine five minutes later for a little while, then BOOM out of no where; anxiety. Our lives are blessed. Long, happy marriages, good kids, yet when we talk about them, we cry. We both find ourselves crying over everything happy or sad. I was like this in the 2-3 weeks after I give birth, yet, now, I've felt like this for over a year. I've had physical symptoms (erratic and heavy bleeding, heart palps, shortness of breath, joint pain, headaches, and reflux) for several years, but the emotional stuff hit about a year ago with a vengeance. All that to say, if my friend hadn't texted me and asked that question, I wouldn't have known she was suffering from all this too.
Jennifer!! You said it perfectly!! Every word you wrote is me...especially the youth mentality....I think that's why it's so hard to accept that things are changing because we've been good for so long!
Well said, girlfriend...well said
I do pretty much the same.
I tend to go quiet and feel like I can't physically speak. But it does sometimes scare me and I feel like I can't be alone. For fear. It's such a horrible symptom. The worse one for me without a doubt.
I've never suffered so bad.
Wow, really great responses! I just started this nightmare last year at 40. I was on Birth control for 20 years, went off by suggestion of my dr. All down hill from there. My symptoms started as almost out of nowhere...stomach upset, exhaustion, no energy, nausea, no appetite, weight loss, migraines, heart palps, GERD, numbness, tingles, freezing feet, sweats, sudden anxiety especially in stores, dizzyness. Racing all over to all the “specialists” and numerous ER visits. All of them baffled. Saw a integrative practitioner , she thought I had Lyme disease ..that thankfully was negative.
When I suggested perimenopause and long term BCP use, they all seem to think 40 is too young...nonsense!
I have kids...easy pregnancies, do not smoke, drink, not overweight, anxious but more like detail orientated, not scared. I deal with stress, my son has special needs and drains me mentally and physically. I worked a physically demanding job. But, i could always handle it. I use to be strong, energetic. HAppy, Now I am just worn out!
I think in my case, this force called perimenopause is a wake up call to slow down. I will be 41 next week. Most of the weird symptoms have subsided, or I just don’t worry about them as much. Mostly, I am fatigued and dizzy these days...practically bedridden around my period ( whether or not it comes). Periods are irregular. When I’ve had enough, I hide in my room and read. Tried BCP again, could not tolerate them...even though I spent half my life on them! TRied mini pill, was sad and crying all the time. Started the low dose AD after months of deliberation. Too soon to tell if it is helping...just got through the horrible side effects. I had a dizzy spell while driving with my son and it scared me...anxiety.
Although, I know anxiety is just a branch on the tree...hormones are at the root of all of it. I am hoping the AD works enough to give me some energy, so I can get more help with my hormones. My last gyno told me i was too young for HRT. Right now, I can barely muster up the energy to check the mail, let alone trudge around to more dr appointments. Oh yeah, just got over strep throat too...never had it before! 😊. Good luck to all of you ladies, so nice to be understood! 😀
I've read that it is all about emotions. Perhaps unhappy marriage or other stresses, all build up over the years and when the hormones change it all comes spilling out in all kinds of different symptoms. I know my life hasnt been a particularly easy one...but who knows.
Thank you. I'm very smart now to make up for my stupid youth. Lol. It's true what they say, youth is wasted on the young!
That is a good question. My mom said she had some hot flashes, but never really paid attention to anything else. It really wasn't talked about much back then. I think lifestyle and genetics may have something to do with it. Some people probably can put up with a lot while others are sensitive to pain and other symptoms. It is not fun to have all these issues and not get help from some doctors. It's all about taking a pill to solve everything. Yes I do realize some do help, I'm not against women trying different options.