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[Michelle46]

Hi ladies
I have been going through peri for about 4 years. The last 10 months it's all got a lot worse. I am now on HRT but still trying to balance it. I use oestriogel and utrogestan. Since December last year the most horrible frightening symptoms came on me and I didn't realise it was peri.
I started to get panic attacks. I couldn't even drop or pick my kids up. I couldn't plan anything at all.
I lost all enthusiasm and never looked forward to anything.
I got depressed and low and kept getting racing thoughts going through my mind.
I even thought of booking myself into a relaxing retreat.
Racing heart and palpitations so was put on a low beta blocker. This helped slightly.
I had burning mouth syndrome and jaw inflammation which I've still got.
Also I didn't realise I have been holding my body so tense so when I Try to relax my body feels strange.
Severe pressure headaches.
Acid reflux which has eased a lot now.
Cancelled appointments due to anxiety and didn't meet up with friends.
Only sleeping about 2 hours a night,some nights nothing.
I did have night sweats but hrt has eased this.
My body would be buzzing and tingling. I still have the tingling though.
Lightheaded feelings.
Nauseous,which I still have.
Looking back at this frightens me how I felt and I still can't really believe this seeing it in writing.
I was such an outgoing and sociable person 😐
My doctor put it down to anxiety kicking in and put me on anti anxiety drugs which eventually I'll ween off.
Every time I went to the doctors which was a lot she never once suggested perimenopause. I just can't believe it. I bet some of you ladies have stories to tell.
Well certain things have eased. I had things so bad that surely Hrt can't clear everything?
I'm now trying to balance my Hrt. I use 2 pumps of oestriogel and 12 days of utrogestan.
I can't wait to enjoy my life again.
It would be lovely to be near the end of this journey.
Hugs ladies x

[CLKD]

 

sounds like menopause  - sounds like a GP who doesn't recognise the symptoms.  Browse round, make notes!

[Michelle46]

Yes I've been reading and making notes x

[Clovie]

Hi there, sending hugs x

I wish I knew before this started what menopause symptoms could be. I genuinely thought your periods stopped and you got hot flushes.

I was in a bad place at the start of this year, before I went off my 2mg oestrogen tablet onto 3 pumps oestrogel. I don't know f it is/was my own hormones dropping and lowering my own oestrogen but the bad symptoms which I had before I started taking HRT a couple of years ago came back - and they brought reinforcements with them! 

Earlier this year my symptoms were...

Crushing debilitating anxiety
Irritability - 'short fuse' type inability to tolerate any 'poop'. Poor hubby bore the brunt of this 
Sweatiness worse when stressed
Insomnia - oh my gosh - this was awful! Regularly still awake at 2, or awake again at 3 unable to get back off
Palpitations
Unwanted thoughts, mainly morbid thoughts, about death and illness, worry about hubby dying or getting ill, same for my children, feeling that we are all on a conveyor belt towards death 
Agrophobia, I avoided going out on my own, in fact I just didn't
Joint achiness generally
Scared to drive the car
itchiness down below
No self confidence to do basic things I'd always done all my life!
probably other symptoms, I forget, anyway
I was a mess. An emotional monster at times. My poor family! 

. Anyway since I've upped my oestrogen intake to 3 pumps instead of the 2mg tablet I have felt so much better. The change in me was quick too, about 2 weeks after I started I was feeling the benefits. I am a different person - not perfect or back to 100% by any means but I am so much better 

Some ladies just need more oestrogen than others. I was reluctant to use 3 pumps rather than 2 but for now I'm sticking with it 
I would not have credited perimenopause with so much power over so many areas of my life!
No wonder ladies of a certain age were carted off to lunatic asylums in years gone by!!! 
This website has been a godsend. To speak frankly like this to others who understand is a lifeline. 

Hope you find some way of feeling better. Could you perhaps play about a bit with your oestrogen a bit? It certainly worked for me. Of course, ask your GP if you'd rather discuss first. Good luck xx

[Michelle46]

Hi Clovie
Thanks for your reply. I think I'll try two and a half pumps tonight. Do you take progesterone? X

[Clovie]

Hi, yes, but as I'm still having my own periods I only use it every 2 or 3 months dependent on my own loss.
Good luck with oestrogen. Worth a short term trial for a couple of weeks just to see if it makes a difference.

Edited to say - I forgot to mention, I'm quite badly progesterone intolerant, that's why I'm stingy with the use of prog as far as I can be.

[Michelle46]

What symptoms do you have with the progesterone? I take utrogestan and feel really sick the days I use it. Thought it was just me x

[Clovie]

Do a search on this site for progesterone intolerance. 
Lots of threads on this subject! 
Lots of us ladies on here are prog intolerant, in fact probably one of the main reasons some of us  end up on here as we all felt bad on the synthetic progs the doctors tend to prescribe as part of HRT.

Utrogestan is actually the least troublesome progesterone so it's good youre on that anyway  but unfortunately it still causes issues in some ladies, me included, though not as severe as the synthetics. (Hence I limit it as far as I can)

Symptoms of prog intolerance in a nutshell are similar to any PMS PMT you might have had, only worse, and are prevalent during the progesterone phase of HRT    But also to note is, some ladies actually like the calming and slightly sedative effect of utrogestan so everyone is different.

Have a good read around on here, lots of useful info for you!  Good luck 

[CLKD]

Ask away, comparing experiences is useful.