Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => New Members => Topic started by: Foni1 on August 14, 2017, 01:04:35 PM
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Hi I'm new to this and am looking for some advice please
I've just turned 50 and my periods are all over the place, mood swings galore, itchy skin, insomnia and hot flushes 😔 The last couple of months I've had the above symptoms and now cold patches on my legs are driving me insane. I do have an under active thyroid which im on medication for. I've seen my go and she's like it could be but not very helpful. Could this cold thing be a symptom of the peri menopause!! Thank you for you time and hope you can help.
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Yep. Lots of sensations are the result of a drop in oestrogen. Muscles may become lax = aches and pains. Body may become dry: skin, nostrils, deep in the ears, vagina (lots here on this) - for me it is insteps, as soon as I remove socks and step into the bath they begin to itch. Also my back, I can feel it all the while but sometimes I have to get the long fork from the drawer :o ::).
Restless legs. Cramp. Mood swings ..... etc., etc., etc.. Browse round. Make notes!
Some find keeping a mood/symtpom/food diary useful. :welcomemm:
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Thank you so much for the reply. Just glad I'm not going mad...currently having a hot moment with cold bits...🙄 how on earth does that work.
Keeping a diary sound like a plan..I'll start that today. Thanks again for help and support 😊
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Hi Foni1
:welcomemm:
I am sure it is difficult trying to disentangle menopausal symptoms from thyroid ones if you have an underactive thyroid. From what I understand it may well be that your thyroid medication needs adjusting as you become peri-menopausal. You periods being all over the place and your age as well as symptoms do suggest peri-menopause.
I would go back to your doc and ask for your thyroid levels to be tested ( if this is helpful?). I Know very little about this but there are some experts on here - countrybumpkin used to be an adviser for a thyroid charity and Wrensong also knows a lot about menopause and thyroid function and their interaction.
Hurdity x
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Thanks for the advice I'll defiantly go back to the dr and get my levels checked. It's like banging your head up against a brick wall but I'll persist.
🙄
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Off to the Drs on Thursday to have my bloods done. Been reading lots of stuff on here, very useful and very helpful ☺️ Mind is focused now on things that need to be checked...still feeling pretty awful 🤢 but I'll keep positive ...we'll I'll try. Thanks for support 😁
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Hi Foni1, welcome to the forum. Hurdity is right that being hypothyroid can rather complicate matters when it comes to menopause! However, there are several ladies on the forum who have long experience of thyroid disorders, so you will not be alone if you need support at any time.
Sorting out what symptoms are caused by which condition can be tricky. However, regular TFTs should help to ensure your thyroid meds dosage can be altered quickly if this becomes necessary as your gynae hormone levels decline. I'm long term hypothyroid & now a few years post-menopause & have had to alter my thyroid meds several times during the transition.
I'm not sure about the cold patches on your legs, though I certainly found that my hands, feet & lower legs used to get unnaturally cold during times I later came to associate with high levels of oestrogen - when periods were far apart & lack of ovulation allows this hormone to build. Together with the coldness in these body parts, I also used to feel tense for no reason - could be standing washing up with no particular stress then realise how cold feet & legs were & that my body felt as if I were about to sit an exam. Similar to the way the body reduces blood supply to the extremities when adrenalin kicks in. As chaotic production of adrenalin seems to be part of the response to fluctuating gynae hormone levels, this might explain it. Is your coldness in random patches though? Could also be that you need more Thyroxine of course!
Tests of gynae hormones levels can be very unreliable before menopause proper (ie before periods stop altogether), so many GPs understandably prefer not to do this unless there is a strong suspicion that something else is wrong. This situation can be a bit frustrating with a thyroid condition, as there's nothing to confirm you are definitely in perimenopause, other than suggestive gynae symptoms.
Flushes & sweats, together with the jitters, may make you feel as though you are on too much thyroid medication & as you'll know, it's important to make sure you are not over-treated for any length of time, so do flag this up with your doctor if it happens. This is the time to cultivate a good working relationship with a sympathetic GP who will listen & be willing to test your thyroid function whenever there's any doubt about the dosage you need. Good luck with the appt & do let us know how you get on.
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Hi Wrensong
Thank you so much for all the information, very useful and helpful.
I've started to keep a diary of how I feel, symptoms, food etc so I can give my gp more information.
My life is pretty full on as I'm a carer for my mum who has a life limiting condition and also care for my eldest son(24) who has a brain injury plus other issues, so I really need to be on top form to do it right. I never normally say anything to my GP a her usual response it's STRESS!! Her normal quote is 'you're one of life's surviours' ...I guess this stems from I cared for my husband before he died of cancer 5 years ago.
I'm hoping my bloods are useful and I can get things sorted and feel a bit better. I'm also being tested for lupus as it is in my family, more to rule it out I think.
My hands and feet and lower leg are like ice this morning...oh joy so currently sat with a cuppa and a hot water bottle...🙄
I'll let you know how the tests go.
Once again thank you for comments and advice. 😁
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Oh Foni1, you have so much on your plate - I'm so sorry. I can entirely see why it's vital that you are at your best - not that we don't all deserve this anyway.
I think the diary is a very good idea - I know CLKD often suggests this & it must be helpful to so many women. A lovely Endo I had some years back asked me to do just this, to help us both work out relationships between cause & effect. As a result, I'm still doing it now & medics usually seem to find it helpful to know the detail. It can be reassuring just to understand your own body a bit more & you get so attuned to what's going on after a while, that you can experiment with making changes yourself eg to diet, levels of rest, exercise (where commitments of daily life allow this) without so often feeling the need for immediate medical advice. That said, I wouldn't make changes to meds without approval, unless your doc is already happy with you making minor adjustments, as one of mine is.
I'm sorry your GP defaults to "stress" as a diagnosis & wonder whether it might be time to change to another, if possible? Having lupus ruled out will be doubly important if you are considering HRT. I hope the GP appt goes well & do let us know how it goes with the tests.
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Hi Wrensong
Thank you again for your views and advice. I'm so glad I found you all.
Life dishes us all different things and yes it's been hard at times and still is if I'm honest I justget up everyday and take on whatever I have to deal with 😊 And try to focus on the positives.
With regard to a diary I'm already finding it useful to note down how I feel, my symptoms for that day and just decided to add food too, might be some links...you never know.
I think you might also be right about the GP, problem is we all have the same one and inevitably I always end up talking about family and forget about me 🙄. There is another GP who's really nice (male 😂) so once I get my results I think I might see him and have a discussion moving forward. He's brilliant with my best friend who has MS and I know him fairly well.
Today has been a better day, symptoms still here but I think having some sound advice and support and information is really helping. 😁
Best wishes
Foni
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Hi Foni1 - yes, just finding out that others share your symptoms, are going through or have been through similar physically & emotionally can be hugely reassuring. There are a lot of friendly women here with a wealth of experience, knowledge & wisdom, so there's always someone who can help. Maybe the male GP is worth seeing as you suggest, especially if your friend has found him so helpful. My Endocrinologist is male, so obviously can't know what menopause feels like, but he's the most lovely doctor you could ever wish to meet & has been a huge support & help to me, so female medics certainly don't have the monopoly on sympathetic care!
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It's just nice to know that others know what you're going through and you're not alone or going crazy.
Also good to hear you have a supportive specialist who's helpful. I will definitely see the male GP once my results are through whatever they reveal.
Sat here getting hotter by the second with icy cold feet and itchy 😳 Airing my neck 🙄 Think I'll go stand by the open freezer and have a cool down
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Realise this might not be possible with your commitments as a carer & you probably know this already, but gentle exercise such as walking might help with the flushing via relaxation (stress tends to make them worse) and also get the circulation going to your cold feet & legs.
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Wrensong, Great idea. I do walk as I have a chocolate Labrador but that's not exactly relaxing lol 😂 maybe some nice walks along the coastline by myself would be good as I live by the sea, actually only 5 minutes away. Might well relax the mind too. You are so helpful and full of great advice...sometimes you just need someone else to state the obvious. Thank you 😁
Feeling overwhelmed 😥today if I'm honest my youngest has just phoned me and said we are going on a little break to Rome in 4 weeks and he's sorted out cover for mum and his brother too. Not many 22 year old that could or would do that. Just hope I'm feeling a bit brighter by then.
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You live by the sea? I am so jealous! I miss it terribly! Long, mindful walks by the sea should do you a power of good - so much to look at, the sound of the waves, the feel of the breeze - all great to focus on to quiet the mind for a while.
How thoughtful of your lovely son, especially at only 22, but I know at this time of our lives when everything seems overwhelming, home can feel the least challenging option. If you can get a good few walks in & perhaps some help from the new GP, hopefully by the time you go you should be feeling well enough to enjoy some time away.
I think seeing a GP who will concentrate on you, rather than the one who also treats your other family members, is a really good idea. Though it must be so difficult when others depend on you, you need to think about your own wellbeing too. This isn't selfish, as the better you feel, the better able you will be to continue to support your family.
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Hi Wrensong
Yep I live by the sea in Dorset moved here about 21 years ago to give the boys the best start in life. Love it apart from the holidaymakers 😂 It's beautiful and I know I'm very lucky to be here with such beauty close by.
I've been out for a nice walk today as it's been lovely and to be fair I felt great getting some fresh air and enjoying a small amount of time to myself.
My youngest son is an absolute rock to me. He knows how hard life can be and has been for us all but he feels he is now the man of the house and looks after me the best he can. He may only be 22 but he's had the grow up fast with all of our life changes and does a brilliant job. Strangely I talked to him about how I've been feeling and he just put his arms round me and said it'll be ok Mum I'm here for you 😥 Yep I cried but strangely it felt good. You're right home is like sanctuary.. you kinda feel safe and away from everything that troubles you, but I'm gonna try and take some time out for me as I know it's the right thing to do.
Blood tests done this morning so hopefully they'll be back early next week. I'll make an appointment and I'll be armed with a list of questions that I've already started to write up.
Thanks for your continued support, advice, wisdom and conversation 😁It really helps
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Hi again Foni - you're really welcome - it can be such a difficult time, even without other health conditions & the considerable extra pressure you're under. I think everyone on the forum who's been through menopause & out the other side remembers how they felt during the worst of it, so we like to help if we can when things get bumpy. I'm not out of the woods myself by any means, but better than I was & if there's something, however little, you can pass on that helps someone else, it feels as though the horror of it hasn't been for nothing!
Your son sounds amazing & such a credit to you. I'm so glad you have his support.
Glad your walk helped a bit. I had a long walk though lovely leafy parkland early this morning & it's always uplifting, whatever the time of year. Often lovely birds to watch there, or if they're hiding, at least to listen to!
Glad you've got your blood tests behind you - fingers crossed for some progress with the GP. Hope you have a good weekend & good enough weather for some more walking!
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Hi again Foni - I may not live that far from you....depends if you are east or west of that county! Lovely area anyway.
Hurdity x
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Hi Wrensong
I'll update as soon as I have my results and I'm sure you'll continue to help me through the weird path I appear to have joined 🙄.
Been busy helping my mum move into her new apartment today so completely shattered but has been fun too with several hot flushes to add to the mix.
Hope you have a fabulous weekend too 🤗
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Hi Hurdity
Portland isn't far away without giving too much information
Dorset is so beautiful, very lucky to live in such a lovely place.
😁