Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: jorainbow on July 06, 2021, 01:46:05 PM
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Hi all Here I am sat at work feeling completely out of it. Up until 4 weeks ago I had been tootling along with fairly regular periods though length and amount was changeable. Some peri symptoms but nothing that I couldn't deal with. Suddenly I feel like Ive been dropped off a cliff. I am on day 9 of my period now though prior to that I seemed to be spotting on and off for a couple of weeks. I feel spaced out, one minute jolly the next in tears, anxiety for a bit along with feeling like I have no confidence and then full of confidence and chipper. I have just picked up evorel sequi from the pharmacist but Im confused as to whether I should wait to start them til my period stops or just crack on. Is it normal for things to change so quickly? End of May I was on a beach in Wales watching the sunset with my new chap and now I just feel dreadful. I can cope with most things but this out of it feeling is really quite difficult to cope with. Any words of advice welcome :)
Edit: To add I had a three day migraine over the weekend as well.
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Sadly some ladies do feel ill as their periods wax and wane. Also brain fog is common, difficult to explain but a nuisance for many.
Why not begin the HRT? H-replacement-therapy. Have you spoken to anyone about the migraines?
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Thanks CKLD I will be starting them today when home from work. Not as yet re the migraines - paracetamol works and a sleep. I usually get them monthly so assuming its just an exacerbation!
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I would dread that, I had very bad period pains for years :'(
Let us know how you get on! Don't despair ;-)
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Walked in the door and burst into tears. I think it's the fact it's changed so quickly thats blindsided me. Going to get out in the garden and take it out on the weeds!
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Tears are fine. If Nature didn't mean us to cry, She wouldn't have given us feelings ..........
Get to those weeds Girl, get to those weeds :D
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Hi Jorainbow,
your hormones are going up and down in peri meno, the spikes and drops can be awful. Your periods can suddenly change or not at all in some cases. you can feel great one minute and terrible the next. But HRT is there to replace what you have lost. We are all living longer and it protects our heart and bones. Look on Loiuse Newson's website and Liz earle they both have videos and blogs. I hope you feel better soon.
PMXX
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Hi!
I can relate to your experience. I also felt everything happened almost overnight and I'm still trying to come into terms with this 'experience' -for the lack of a better word ::)
I started having meno symptoms last year, but these were still quite mild (at least when looking back now). I had hot flushes and insomnia, so I started Oestrogel 1 pump and Utrogestan 200mg 12 days/mo. It worked quickly, symptoms disappeared and I was feeling at the top of my game still end of Feb this year. Then suddenly first week of March something happened, I had a heavy period and felt my oestrogen levels just crashed. And since then its been a rollercoaster with all kinds of horrible symptoms -some of them now starting to be controlled, but some still not and its just an everyday struggle. ??? I'm still thinking almost every day iike 'what happened to me, can't I just go back to way I was..
I guess the thing is that for some of us, the meno process moves very quickly and body is just not able to cope. I'm still in process of trying to find the right dose of Oestrogen and its really a trial and error. Hopefully one day will get there.
Good luck with starting the treatment and let us know how you get on! xx
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CKLD the weeds are no more!
PM thank you I'll check out the resources. You're right about the drops being awful. I'm hoping that the patches are st least a start to feeling on an even keel.
EllaAurora thank you for making me feel less alone in this. I have yet to have a hot flush and sleep a solid 8hrs a night and long may that continue (I know it probably won't!). I can cope with the physical stuff. The emotional is more difficult.
I'm now sat watching football having had a lovely walk with chap and dog and a Chinese takeaway. The foggy feeling lifted about two hours ago and you wouldn't think earlier today I was a blubbering wreck. Its certainly a rollercoaster
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Any particular chap and :scottie: or someone you met in the fields ? ;)
It's OK to cry. Get it out!
How is your diet? Anxiety surges/weepiness may be caused by not eating regularly. [I get bloated from mid-afternoon and haven't worked out why yet :-\]
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A new chap CKLD! My decree nisi came through last week. Good riddance to very bad rubbish.
It's funny you mention food. Most mornings I wake up feeling fine but slowly dip over a couple of hours almost as if my energy is being drained. I am going to track what I eat against how I feel as you suggest
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Oh how exciting 8) Little steps ;-)
Do U have breakfast? I can't go far without, otherwise by 9.30 I would be on the floor, whacked, dizzy and out of it :-\. I also used to get a dip around 4.15 p.m., so began eating either mixed, dried nuts or a banana B4 driving home from work on a road with no Laybys! which caused anxiety surges as no where to pull over.
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Baby steps indeed! He is amazingly supportive too 🤗
I have to eat breakfast but sometimes it can be a couple of hours before I get it as I start work early so I'm going to track that. I also get blurry vision and if I'm correct that can be low blood sugar? It sharpens as the fog lifts. Need to find an app to track it all or a lovely journal. The latter sounds better then I can rant on paper of needed!
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CKLD the weeds are no more!
PM thank you I'll check out the resources. You're right about the drops being awful. I'm hoping that the patches are st least a start to feeling on an even keel.
EllaAurora thank you for making me feel less alone in this. I have yet to have a hot flush and sleep a solid 8hrs a night and long may that continue (I know it probably won't!). I can cope with the physical stuff. The emotional is more difficult.
I'm now sat watching football having had a lovely walk with chap and dog and a Chinese takeaway. The foggy feeling lifted about two hours ago and you wouldn't think earlier today I was a blubbering wreck. Its certainly a rollercoaster
This sounds so familiar! I've had exactly the same experience. Morning and day, feeling anxious and foggy, some days are more difficult than others, but almost every day it's there like a dark cloud. Then, towards the evening, the cloud just clears! Some days earlier, some days later, and sometimes in the evenings I feel almost like my old self. And then the next morning and the same thing over again. I haven't been able to figure out why this goes in such a rhythm. ::) I wonder if anyone else has the same and has worked out any reason for this?
Happy to hear anyway that you had a good evening and a chance to relax, even if for just couple of hours. We really need that!
Take care and keep us posted on progress! xx
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This MIGHT be cortisol rhythm out of synch when morning becomes evening? Instead of the "normal" morning trigger to get up and get going, the reverse can happen. Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands where increasingly the "sex hormones" are also produced during menopause, especially if an interruption like hysterectomy etc has hastened things, but progresses that way anyway. Balancing the hormones and reducing deficiency by replacing as satisfactorily and beneficially as possible could well be the solution.
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This MIGHT be cortisol rhythm out of synch when morning becomes evening? Instead of the "normal" morning trigger to get up and get going, the reverse can happen. Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands where increasingly the "sex hormones" are also produced during menopause, especially if an interruption like hysterectomy etc has hastened things, but progresses that way anyway. Balancing the hormones and reducing deficiency by replacing as satisfactorily and beneficially as possible could well be the solution.
Hi again! thanks for your reply, really appreciate it. This is so interesting and could make sense. It does feel like there's something else in play - beyond just the estradiol levels- that is mixing up the situation. This started for me in March, at the same time as I had a very sudden, almost overnight worsening of symptoms overall. So it's possible there was a sudden hastening of meno process, which could have triggered the imbalance.
Do you know if getting the oestrogen back in balance (which I'm now hoping to achieve with an updated regime) would be sufficient to eventually balance the cortisol too, or could something be done directly to influence the cortisol levels? I will need to bring this question to my doc next time I see her, I'm so hoping this could be the missing link here!
Thanks again and hope you are keeping well yourself. xx
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In my experience, sudden stressful scenarios create a domino effect and the hormone cascade ends up all over the place as the cortisol has to flood the system, eradicating or dramatically reducing the impact of other hormone function and interaction/interdependence? So, might be worth reflecting on what happened on the run-up to or in March? I find it really useful joining some dots in this way. I hope this makes sense and you can take it further with your gp or a meno specialist if not? Thanks for your well-wishing. 💚
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This is so interesting thank you so much for the input. I separated from my husband about 5 months ago and whilst it was the best thing as he had been cheating repeatedly, its been stressful. I even said to my colleague I feel like I've been running on adrenaline with him being at home and the constant emotional upset and suddenly it stopped. It's like I crashed. Whilst it's good to know I am not alone hopefully things will improve EllaA. Today I feel much better so I'm staying in the moment as much as I can
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Good place to be! Notice it! 💚
P.S. Cortisol levels best managed through lifestyle, but supplementing with something like Ashwaghanda wouldn't do any harm. Don't be fobbed off with one-off NHS testing, totally unreliable as needs to be tested over at least a 24 hour period and still the wild swings and fluctuations mislead. Managing stress and avoiding stimulants (caffeine, sugars, alcohol etc....everything one reaches for when stressed, basically! 😂) are the ways forward with cortisol balancing.
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Thanks postmeno! Haven't drunk alcohol for years and caffeine limited to 2 or 3 cups of tea a day so will look at decaff. Sugar I need to look at more closely and more meditation and mindfulness. Will check out ashwaghanda too
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Good place to be! Notice it! 💚
P.S. Cortisol levels best managed through lifestyle, but supplementing with something like Ashwaghanda wouldn't do any harm. Don't be fobbed off with one-off NHS testing, totally unreliable as needs to be tested over at least a 24 hour period and still the wild swings and fluctuations mislead. Managing stress and avoiding stimulants (caffeine, sugars, alcohol etc....everything one reaches for when stressed, basically! 😂) are the ways forward with cortisol balancing.
Thanks so much again! Will need to try the Ashwaganda -have read from other sources too that it might have a cortisol reducing effect.
Caffeine already to the minimum (drinking 1/3 of cup in the morning as I just love the taste and smell so can't cut it out completely), alcohol limited to 1 glass of good red wine during weekend (the same as with coffee, stopping completely sounds too harsh ;). I also really feel that sleeping helps enormously, fingers crossed my current sleep regime stays as I've been sleeping quite well over the past week.
Not to forget about the support from this forum <3 Really appreciate it!
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Don't forget those sneaky sugars! 😉