Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Sencho1999 on February 01, 2018, 09:55:44 AM
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Hi all,
This is my first post. I'm really hoping some of you lovely ladies can help me because I really don't know what to do next.
I'm 42. Since age 37/38 I've suffered migraines (never suffered them before this) and an increasing range of symptoms which have grown and got worse over the last 5 years. These are:
anxiety - worse around ovulation and just before my period
night sweats on and off
joint pain in my ankles and wrists - really obvious at night
bone crushing fatigue
rollercoaster emotions
dizzy spells
near fainting attacks/panic attacks
migraines sometimes with aura when I lose my vision
Over the years I've had many blood tests (thyroid, ferritin, B12, folate etc etc), I've had MRI scans due to the migraines, I've had a chest x-ray due to the night sweats. Everything has always come back in the normal ranges.
I think I'm perimenopausal. And if it's not that I'm certainly not handling changes in hormones in my monthly cycle at all well. Before my late 30s I have never suffered any of the above problems.
I've tried bioidentical progesterone cream last year for 8 weeks - just to see if a boost in my progesterone levels would help. I did this because I've had two babies in the last 5 years and during BOTH pregnancies my migraines and anxiety (which are by far the worst of my symptoms) disappeared overnight. It was like pregnancy switched them off like a tap. I researched and discovered that progesterone levels are extremely high in the latter stages of pregnancy and thought maybe it was this constant supply of progesterone which was helping reduce the migraines and anxiety. However the cream made me feel awful - nausea, zombie like and I really couldn't function on it. I had spot bleeding every day for 8 weeks. It made my chest feel tight and affected my sinuses really badly. It did however seem to stop the migraines.
Right now I feel awful. I can;t go on like this. I've changed to eating fully organic, cut out all toxic cosmetics, do yoga every day and although these things help sometimes on some days I've just had, yet again, a 4 day migraine, night sweats, extreme joint pain and it's making me miserable.
I'm going to book an appointment with a GP at my practice who is listed as specialising in women's health and sexual health. I can't decide whether to ask her for HRT and whether given my age she'll think I'm crazy. Or whether to try something like the mini pill to stop ovulation and stop the up and down of my cycle. In the past I've been awful on any birth control and I haven't take any hormones for years. The last thing I took was the arm implant which included synthetic progestogens and it sent me nuts within days sp I'm terrified of trying anything at all but I really CAN'T go on like this.
I personally suspect that due to my age my progesterone levels have dropped IN RELATION to my estrogen levels and it is the difference in ratio between the two which is causing me such problems. So I'm also scared of being told I need estrgoen!
I'm so confused. Has anyone had any kind of HRT at age 42 and if so what and did it help?
Thank you in advance. x
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Hi Sencho, your story sounds very like mine, I'm 42 and been having similar symptoms for a few years, minus the migraines thankfully. That must be totally miserable 😖 I can't tolerate the pill/Mirena either, some of us seem not to be suited to hormone treatments.
Definitely start with your GP. If they're any good they will start the ball rolling and at least then you'll have some answers. You shouldn't have to put up with feeling terrible!
I haven't embarked on any HRT as my doctor is totally hopeless, but the ladies on here are very knowledgeable. Just...hello from another youngster 😊 x
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Hi Alicea,
Thanks for the reply. It's comforting to know I'm not alone. Some days I feel like I must be the only person this young feel this ill and yet all tests come back as normal. It's sooo frustrating. Which symptoms do you struggle with the most? I'm sorry you are suffering too. I've got a 3 year old and a 1 year old and I just KNOW the doctors will jump on that fact as an excuse when they don't know the answer to why I feel so dreadful. Even though these symptoms started way before my children came along. They are just worse now that's all. There's also a myth that if you have had a successful pregnancy recently then you can't be in peri - which is utter rubbish. I've just pre-booked an appointment with a GP I haven't seen before who is listed on the website as specialising in women's health. As it's a pre-booked appointment it won't be until Match though so I'm noting down the days of my cycle for this month coming and symptoms on those days.
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Hi again Sencho, it's amazing how even many doctors subscribe to myths! The trouble is that so little is really known about the menopause, people have said if it was happening to men they would have sorted it out by now 😉 As for the pregnancy thing, well every woman is different I reckon.
I've been having night sweats and generally feeling hot for about 3 years, I get terrible mood swings and anxiety, which makes life hard to cope with to say the least. And now my libido has gone and all dried up. Then the itching all over...ah the joys. I'm a bit scared of HRT to be honest, I'm kind of biding my time and seeing what happens. x
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Hello from another 42 year old!
Don't be afraid to keep hassling your GP - some of them just don't accept you can get peri symptoms early. One GP I went to told me women 'can't' go into menopause before 50!!! Learn as much as possible before you have your appointment as you may find yourself having to point out some facts to your GP (I've found it works best if I say something like 'I've read about.... and wondered what you thought' rather than 'I want...' because they are usually more open to considering something if you ask for their 'expert' opinion on it.)
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IVE been on oestrogen hrt since I was 32, so coming up 20 years because my ovaries failed after my hysterectomy. My symptoms along with FSH and oestrogen levels confirmed I was struggling
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Hello,
Welcome to the forum :)
You are not alone, I'm 45 and after I had my first child when I was 36, I developed menstrual migraine, I've always been a headachy girl. On my second pregnancy they completely went but after that pregnancy, I went into a more frequent pattern of migraine plus lightheadness occasional night sweats, vag dryness all around ovul and menstruation....I put up with it until I crossed over from episodic into chronic migraine with a range of daily sympthons pain and non pain eg imbalance, dizzy and yes I'm an anxious girl. It took a long time but I eventually went to see a meno gp specialist and found some help in the form of hrt with estrogen and prog, I'm only 4 months in and still trying to find the right balance to ease my sympthons, overall it has helped me and I have some improvement. Stick to your plan to see the gp and know from what you learn here that hormones have a huge impact on us and they don't have an age limit, like you I have small kids so had to try something, I'm keen to avoid preventatives for as long as I can on the migraines. Hope you get some answers soon, take care x
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Thanks everyone for the input. I've booked an appointment with my own GP and an appointment with a menopause specialist privately. It's either hideously increased PMT or peri symptoms or both but I need answers. I'll be back to update you all when I've had my appointments in a few weeks time. I'm sorry so many of you are suffering too. This is the pits - no one seems to suffer that I know personally in real life although I've just read the the combined contraceptive pill masks many symptoms of peri in many people so maybe that's why! I haven't taken any hormones in my body for years and years. You are damned if you do and damned if you don't.
It's been really nice to not feel alone with this today - thank you.
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Hi all,
This is my first post. I'm really hoping some of you lovely ladies can help me because I really don't know what to do next.
I'm 42. Since age 37/38 I've suffered migraines (never suffered them before this) and an increasing range of symptoms which have grown and got worse over the last 5 years. These are:
anxiety - worse around ovulation and just before my period
night sweats on and off
joint pain in my ankles and wrists - really obvious at night
bone crushing fatigue
rollercoaster emotions
dizzy spells
near fainting attacks/panic attacks
migraines sometimes with aura when I lose my vision
Over the years I've had many blood tests (thyroid, ferritin, B12, folate etc etc), I've had MRI scans due to the migraines, I've had a chest x-ray due to the night sweats. Everything has always come back in the normal ranges.
I think I'm perimenopausal. And if it's not that I'm certainly not handling changes in hormones in my monthly cycle at all well. Before my late 30s I have never suffered any of the above problems.
I've tried bioidentical progesterone cream last year for 8 weeks - just to see if a boost in my progesterone levels would help. I did this because I've had two babies in the last 5 years and during BOTH pregnancies my migraines and anxiety (which are by far the worst of my symptoms) disappeared overnight. It was like pregnancy switched them off like a tap. I researched and discovered that progesterone levels are extremely high in the latter stages of pregnancy and thought maybe it was this constant supply of progesterone which was helping reduce the migraines and anxiety. However the cream made me feel awful - nausea, zombie like and I really couldn't function on it. I had spot bleeding every day for 8 weeks. It made my chest feel tight and affected my sinuses really badly. It did however seem to stop the migraines.
Right now I feel awful. I can;t go on like this. I've changed to eating fully organic, cut out all toxic cosmetics, do yoga every day and although these things help sometimes on some days I've just had, yet again, a 4 day migraine, night sweats, extreme joint pain and it's making me miserable.
I'm going to book an appointment with a GP at my practice who is listed as specialising in women's health and sexual health. I can't decide whether to ask her for HRT and whether given my age she'll think I'm crazy. Or whether to try something like the mini pill to stop ovulation and stop the up and down of my cycle. In the past I've been awful on any birth control and I haven't take any hormones for years. The last thing I took was the arm implant which included synthetic progestogens and it sent me nuts within days sp I'm terrified of trying anything at all but I really CAN'T go on like this.
I personally suspect that due to my age my progesterone levels have dropped IN RELATION to my estrogen levels and it is the difference in ratio between the two which is causing me such problems. So I'm also scared of being told I need estrgoen!
I'm so confused. Has anyone had any kind of HRT at age 42 and if so what and did it help?
Thank you in advance. x
Hi! I'm in the same boat! I'm 42 and on hrt. I had too severe symptoms last year and I tried hrt. My ovaries started to fail 2 years ago and I'm on cyclo progynova, it contains 2mg estradiol and 0.5 norgestel and it mimics a natural cycle. I'm ok on it and I'll try micronized progesterone later cause it's safer regarding breast cancer risks. Take care! 🌹