Help! Perimenopause at 36? Or am I losing it!!!

Women's health
1

I am 37. Last year I went to 10 different Dr's and spent so much money to find nothing. My symptoms are weird and all over the place. Finally Dr's chalked it up to anxiety, depression, or possibly fibromyalgia....grrr...basically, no answers. I track all my symptoms as well as charting my BBT and notice that my cycle is all over the place. My temps are erratic which lets me know my hormones are fluctuating. I feel like a mental mess and some days i steuggle to get thru. Feel like i'm dying here 😢 Here are my symptoms. They are not consistent. They are hit and miss:

-Weepiness, Anxiety and Depression, mostly after period ends up until mid cycle, not everyday

-Off balance feeling (but not off balance...It's weird, like walking on marshmellows)

-insomnia

-Sore breasts from mid cycle until period

-muscle tightness/ache (randomly and everywhere but especially in shoulders and neck)

-ocassional random skin crawling feelings

-Tinnitus (comes and goes)

- jittery feeling (tested neg for diabetes and blood sugar levels were normal)

-irregular cycles and lighter periods (I was always regular until symptoms started)

-occasional tummy issues

-on and off fatigue

-weird eye symptoms

-night sweats

-zero sex drive

-And a weird spaced out feeling. Like twilight zone weird. Hate this feeling!

-sometimes feel light headed upon standing. Get a feeling of a "gush to my head (had my heart checked...everything looked ok)

The list goes on but that gives you an idea. I feel like i'm losing it. I have been to several gp' s, rhumatologist, neurologist and once I figured out that it might be hormones then i went to an OB..she wasn't much help. Pages of labs and tests turn up nothing. Thyroid tested several times and all normal. Blood Hormonal panel came back a little weird but was taken at the wrong time of the month. Saliva hormone test came back showing low hormones but was also taken at the wrong time. Both tests were taken at mid cycle and then compared to post ovulation levels. I would think an experienced OB would know better but i guess not.

Ladies, any of you go thru this? I've taken so many supplements and even tried progestrone cream. Dr. Told me to up the amount of cream to a much higher dose and literally the next day all of my symptoms were exaggerated big time. A low dose didn't seem to hurt me but a large amount def did something.

At a loss here. Courage needed 💕

2

Hi Lisa, I am now 48, but this started for me 4 years ago when I was 44. I keep a diary and track all my symptoms as well and have so many similar symptoms to you - anxiety and depression, feeling of being off balanced as if drunk, insomnia, muscle tightness and pain in my neck and shoulders, fatigue, a very odd spaced out sensation that affects my vision as well, lighter periods with cycles closer together, headaches, feel really ill, no sex drive. I too often presume I mist be dying. 

I have also also tried supplements, mediation, I have bought  it haven’t used it. My doctor says it could be perimenopause but to be honest everyone is at a loss with me. You honestly are not alone. Whatever you have, I have as well xx

3

It sounds to me Lisa as if you are in perimenopause. You are on the young side, but my late mother had fully menopaused by 34 or so. It is therefore not impossible for you. Do you have a family? Have you had all the children you wanted. Stopping the reproductive cycle comes to all us women. Horrid though it is, and very distressing, this forum and the love and support from the ladies on it, has let me know I'm not going mad and I'm not alone in what I am suffering. So rest assured, we are all here for you, and we are all going through it with you. Love, hugs and x's for you at this hard time.

4

Perhaps you have too little estrogen or just too much bad estrogen . . which dim plus supplement will alleviate, either way! Works great! Also, if you have severe fatigue it could be "exhausted adrenal glands" they produce all your sex hormones and more. I had adrenal exhaustion in my mid to late 30's, very tricky to diagnose. Definately probable if you are often cold and tired esp if your thyroid is fine. Good luck!

5

Oh Lisa, poor you. I really feel for you as I am going through much the same symptoms and really severe. I have gone on HRT and things are gradually improving slowly but surely. Perhaps the progesterone cream was the wrong method of hrt for you. Try patches or oral medication. Then like me you can come off it very very slowly, a little bit at a time. You will then be in control of how quickly you menopause and the severity of your symptoms. Hope this helps you. Hugs and x's. Dont forget we are all here for you should you wish to talk.

6

no you are not losing it. I'm 39 and have had all those symptoms for 4 years now. doctor doesn't even engage in conversation when I mention perimenopause they just keep telling me it's health anxiety. it's so frustrating . I have had blood tests ecg all normal but always have symptoms. it helps to know we are not alone

7

It's Comforting to know that others understand. The spaced out almost drunk feeling is so hard to get thru. Is yours constant everyday or does it fluctuate? Also, mine seems to be worse when up and moving around. When I sit or chill in bed it's much better. Getting out of the bed in the morning is so hard! Just knowing what i have to battle when getting up takes courage! Thank you for sharing ♥️

8

Thank you ♥️ I have been blessed with two wonderful children. We were not sure if we were at a stopping point before all this started but we're at peace if we are. I never in my life would have imagined going thru this! Thank you for sharing!

9

How did you ultimately determine adrenal? I am not cold and my fatigue is hit and miss. When i do have fatigue it hits like clockwork around noon and generally lifts by early evening. I had my cortisol tested via saliva and it was fairly normal. High in the morning but that was expected as i was having anxiety. A tad bit lower in the afternoon but still within normal ranges. Getting it tested again next cycle.

I'll have to check out that supplement. Thank you for sharing ♥️

10

Omg yes I’ve basically had most of your systems , it’s scary feeling I always think something is wrong with me. New one this year is at times I get a muscle tightness under jaw feels like a cramp. My  glands tightness up occasionally feels weird .

11

Omg I basically have most of your systems as well, this year I have a new one, it feels weird like tightness feeling under my jaw, my glands feels at times it’s have a muscle cramp feeling.

12

I chuckled reading your comment...not at you, but because I've had that one too. Thought it was my lymph nodes and got worried. It went away after a cycle or so. Again, that symptom is hit and miss. Realized it was muscular. Bizarre isn't it. Hugs!

13

Yes i have it all the time. It is worse when I first get up in the morning and when I am tired. You sound so similar to me! xx

14

Hi Lisa, I’m having a similar experience with symptoms as you. Dizzy/off balance, woozy spaced out feeling. As you say, worse when rising from sitting or lying to being upright. It’s a blooming nightmare, been like this for two years, no period now for nearly 8 months

I have many other symptoms like you as well, the stiff painful neck etc. I find it really hard to walk when I get out of bed in the morning my calve muscles are so tight

I can tell you that I’m on tibolone hrt that has helped a bit and allows me to have some quality of life

Take comfort that there are a lot of us woman suffering from all of this weirdness and it cannot harm us, our bodies will eventually adapt and settle down. The worst thing you can do is dwell on symptoms and let them overwhelm you because it will just prolong things

Hope this helps you in someway 

Keep marching forward Lisa x

15

Omg really, I truly always get scared of any of theses systems, always feeling like something is wrong I hate this, I feel so much better this knowing that there are woman that have experienced the same as I . I can’t really describe this one it’s really weird feeling , it truly feels like a cramp tightness, when it dose happen I have too open and shut my mouth too loose it up. 

16

Hi Natalie, your body is not your own when menopausing. It feels totally alien and you get feelings in your limbs that you've never had before but they will go. After nearly a month of HRT I am slowly feeling better. I thought I was dying at times my symptoms were so bad. The dr put me straight onto HRT due to the amount of symptoms I was getting and the severity. Now I can take it for a while then reduce it all be it very slowly and a little at a time so I take control of my menopause rather than it controlling me. Take my word for it, this forum is great, so many ladies all supporting eachother through what is one of the hardest times in a womans life. It helps so much that you know you are not alone and we are all going through the same symptoms. I am so lucky. I've been blessed with a son and a partner and a dr who all love and support me. I also thank all the ladies in any of the menopausal discussions for their un waivering support and reassurance. Lots of love, hugs and x's to you all. Keep posting!

17

Oh I have all these symptoms and they are on a rotating basis! Today my shoulders and back are so achy and I’m pretty cranky, have a dry scratchy throat..but it’s always something different after about a week or so..I’m 47 and haven’t tried any type of hormonal treatment, my dr wants me to hold off if I can, which I guess I can because I’m not up for adding anything else right now!! Hang in there and keep reaching out, we are here!!!

18

Hi Lisa,

I think you and I are twins. 

I am experiencing everything you are.  The random itches, the cold extremities....mainly my left foot. UGH!!

I got to ask because I am freaking out.....what type of eye issues are you experiencing?  I just went to the opthamologist today, and they did some eye x-rays, did the eye exams, did a brief peripheral eye test and nothing. They even took my blood pressure and now I think they thought I was either having a stroke or the early symptoms of a stroke but my blood pressure was 120/80 (as always..normal)  She said fluctuating hormones can cause various eye problems.....I am experiencing just weird vision issues.  I can see fine, no double or blurry vision, no floaters, no black outs, just weird, like a shadow I can see right through. 

She wants me to come in and do a eye field test Monday.  Well like an idiot, I looked up eye field test.  I also looked up "Does Perimenopause cause eye issues" and in fact it dies but honestly still no relief in my anxiety.

Also, wanted to mention I did see my GYNO last week and she put me on Lo-Loestrin to even out my hormones BUT when they did the blood work to see where my hormones are at they were all normal but Im still having hot flashes, mood swings, tinnitus, brown blood for the 1st day of my period, NO sex drive, sore neck and shoulder muscles and the list goes on.

Anyway...my period started today and I started the BC.  I can keep you updated and let you know if it works.

Thank you LIsa for sharing.

Kimberly

19

Awe Kimberly, I'm sooooo sorry you're going thru this. It's so hard. But, knowing we are not alone helps a little ♥️ I can't even describe my weird eye symptoms. At the beginning I had a few episodes of blurry eyes but haben't had that in a year. At times they are very sensitive to bright lights, especially car lights. Store lights have given me problems. When in wake up in the morning sometimes my vision is "grainy." I think they call it visual snow. I notice It's worse when I have other symptoms, especially when I'm weepy with depression. And I have a general feeling that my visual perception is "off"...I have no vision issues...can see just fine. It's weird, i don't know exactly how to describe it. It's worse when walking and moving. I've also have dry eyes from time to time. My muscle right under my brow bone get really sore from time to time too.

My lifesaver has been charting my cycle...including temps and also spending on saliva hormone tests. It showed my estrogen being very low when blood tests showed levels within normal. I'm about to do a month long hormone panel. It tracks and maps hormones over an entire month. Honestly, i think my hormones are swinging back and forth nearly every month. Thru charting BBT I can see some months my progestron is really high...other months It's low.

Part of all this stress is just not knowing What's going on! I know You understand.

And oh my, the tinnitus. I have it right now. It comes and goes but my current sound is new...and annoying.

Please let me know know how the bc works for you. Bug hugs!!! Hang in there.

20

OMG!!! LIsa, That's it!!  You just described it for me.  "Visual perception"  thats is.  Its off. My visual perception is off.

Thank you.  When the Dr. was asking me today, I couldn't explain it. I just kept saying, it was like a shadow that I could see right through.

I will definitely let you know if the BC works.  It's a very low dose but she said it should even me back out.

Thank you again,biggrin