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[Clarity]

Hi, this is my first ever post and I'm hopping that someone can help me, reassure me a little

I'm 43 and symptoms for approximately 7 months now have been:

Fatigue
Weakness (even cleaning teeth is too much sometimes)
Overall lack of energy
Brain fog, very forgetful
Dizzy spells, lack of coordination, I have to run my hands along the walls at home to steady myself and 'feel' where I am
Pins and needles and coldness of extremities
Loss/reduction of libido
Palpitations
Jittery/anxiety/shaky
Insomnia

I have been feeling worse these last few days, so in addition to all of the above I am also experiencing skin numbness around my face and lips, my vision has been getting a bit blurry and my feet are getting number and number. I guess this could be down to anxiety however making things worse?

I wouldn't say that I feel depressed but my quality of life has
changed massively for the worst and I can see it's affecting my family too

I've had lots of tests.

Ferratin and b12 were low but are on the up with supplements

Neurological disorders ruled out (MS etc)

Thyroid good

ME/CFS has been mooted as a possibility by my GP but consultant not convinced.

Hormone levels were tested as my mum went through an early menopause and have come back showing an FSH level of 19 and oestradiol level of 68 (day 4/5 of follicular phase)

Consultant says I have insipient prem ovarian failure and wants me to start HRT. He believes that my symptoms could all be down to premenopause (especially as other things have been ruled out)

I'm not sure what my question is really but do these symptoms sound menopausal? If you experienced similar, did HRT improve things?

I have an appointment next week with GP and I know that this sounds really odd but I am now desperate for this to be hormone related because the alternative of CFS or ME just really scares me. As far as I'm aware, there is no test or treatment for CFS/ME and it feels like one of those diagnosis where you are just 'dumped' by the medical profession. If all of my symptoms are due to the menopause however then at least there seems to be a ray of hope that we can improve things with HRT.

So my question is, do my symptoms seem as if they could be down to the menopause? To me, it seems a little extreme that it could be making me feel this unwell and debilitated. Have any of you experienced similar?

Also, is it worth asking for testosterone levels to be checked as I have heard that low levels in women can cause many similar side effects.

Thank you so much for reading this far 

[CLKD]

Sounds 'within normal limits' for peri-meno to me  .  1 thing we do say here is that we seem to focus on every change in skin texture, internal feelings, moods ……. we seem to be more 'aware'! 

Did your GP do a thyroid function test as thyroid problems can mimic meno ones 

We have a 'funny room' to cheer us up.  We talk about meno - sometimes  and do have a read of the menus, left of screen.  Make notes to take with you, perhaps a mood/food diary too …….

Let us know how you get on!

[Suzyq]

To be honest it sounds like my experience of peri-menopause! Sorry! I know it's shocking that we are not prepared for the possibility of these symptoms.

[Clarity]

Thank you suzyq

If this is pre menopause then I would be absolutely DELIGHTED

I know that this probably sounds weird but at least then there would be possible treatments and in absolute worse-case scenario an end point.

I guess Im just so scared that symptoms may be down to CFS instead.

Thank you, I just wasn't sure if pre menopause could be responsible for this many symptoms.

Can I ask whether anything helped you to feel better, HRT?

[CLKD]

HRT can be useful for ladies i.e. replacing oestrogen levels and helping maintain healthy bone and heart function.

Brisk walking helps stave off osteoporosis as well as lifting mood. 

[Clarity]

Thanks CLKD 

Before this all kicked off I was quite active. I did a very brisk hours walk with my husband and the dogs every morning and swam in the pool and open water at least 3 times a week. Some of these swims were coached sessions where we were pushed quite hard.

But now, I can manage a very slow walk some days. Others, nothing at all. If I do something physical now, however small, it seems to come at a price. Just a very short, slow walk could have an impact on the rest of my day to the point where I struggle to stand or walk.

I'm self employed so I have to minimise my exercise just now otherwise my business would be at risk

[libby1]

Hi Clarity

I started perimnopause at 43, now 47. I've had some of your symptoms on and off for the past 4 years, plus some others 

You're not alone, I think the anxiety is the worst bit because it makes all the other symptoms much worse.

Libby
x

[Taz2]

Hi Clarity - welcome from me too. Your symptoms do sound like peri-menopause and maybe anxiety over the symptoms is making things worse. How are your periods - have they totally stopped?

Peri-menopause is different to premature ovarian failure of course. Peri-menopause is experienced by all women usually from the early forties and lasts for eight to ten years before menopause proper. This article might be interesting and of help http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/menopause/Pages/Prematuremenopause.aspx  I think that the term "incipient" means that it is likely to happen although your level of FSH 19 would seem right for your age. Have you had a look at The Daisy Network site?

Some of your symptoms could also be attributed to Fibromyalgia - the diagnosis of which is often muddled up with ME/CFS. I have fibro, as do others on here, and the unsteadiness is definitely a symptom I suffer from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Introduction.aspx.

 There is lots to consider but I do feel that HRT will at least  make you begin to feel better and much more positive about tackling any other health issues.

Taz x 

[Wanderer]

Ah Clarity, your symptoms are exactly like mine were! I am a bit older than you, and only had a tiny taste of what was to come just before my periods stopped, hot flushes, low mood, and irrational thoughts. 18 months after my periods stopped, all of the symptoms you listed, arrived in the space of one week! Fatigue that left me as weak as a newborn, tingling in extremities, twitching in legs,vaginal atrophy, mental fog, and appalling digestive disruption with bloating. Freaked me out completely, anxiety went through the ceiling, which of course made a lot of the symptoms worse. No one could explain why all my symptoms were POSTmenopause, and still can't! I too, had every test under the sun, and all were fine. I am on low dose Evoril Conti, and can't say it has done a lot, but the Venlafaxine I am on seems to have helped the brain matter!

I now have to live with vaginal atrophy, vulvadynia, pelvic floor dysfunction, IBS and GERD, which may, or may not be all connected, this probably for the rest of my life, my legacy of menopause! But all of your symptoms are definitely on the "hit list" of menopause, but are just not the ones that we expect, or are EVER told about until you come onto this site, so welcome aboard Clarity, this site has been such a help.

WANDERER xxx

[Millykin]

Hi clarity
I'm 44 and been peri meno for year half. I felt exactly like you and was so scared it was something awful, I tried ellest duet but didn't suit left it a few months now on Femoston 1/10 for 7 months and can honestly say I feel almost back to normal, a few off days here and there but I know what it is and won't hurt me, you've had lots of tests to rule other things out. This site is great cause it helps you know you are not going crazy or got something! You can only try HRT and give it a few months although mine started to work within a week. Thinking of you
Millykin x

[Briony]

Hi Clarity
I hadn't read this when I posted my last post (see 'Were your peri symptoms unusual?'). I sooooo empathise with what you're saying (I too have been pushed down the MS/CFS route). I hope my post might reassure you a bit? Good luck xxx

[meno lesley]

Hi Clarity

My story is very similar to Wanderer in as much as was hit by all sorts going on. I have dabbled with many hrts and am now on estrogel and utrogestan which has helped many of the symptoms - very similar to yours - but left with a few problems. I have had various tests for all sorts all of which showed nothing. I saw Nick Panay who is a menopause specialist on Monday in London and he was amazed that 4 years down the line i have not had any hormone blood tests. I have now had these done so should be interesting to see what that throws up.

I can totally relate to how you feel and using this site will certainly help you.

Lesley x

[Clarity]

Thank you so much everyone, I do feel reassured by your replies. I honestly thought that the menopause caused hot flushes and low mood (and little else) and so never in a million years thought that my symptoms could be down to that. They just seemed so extreme and varied and irrational.

All of the previous tests that I had received had ruled out anything serious so I wasn't worrying it was something awful. I was terrified however that the GP would just write "CFS" in my notes and effective tell me to go home and live with it.

I have an appointment next week so will definitely go in armed with determination now to get onto HRT. Its helpful to know that it can take a few goes before you find the one thats right for you.

Thanks you so much everyone, I feel very reassured now.

[Hurdity]

Hi Clarity

  from me too.

Not much to add really except I admire your determination not to be labelled with a condition such as CFS without everything else being properly investigated. CFS is what it says - it is a syndrome ie the name given to a collection of symptoms for which the cause hasn't been identified ie not a disease as such - so the medical profession is basically saying we can't find what's wrong with the tests we've done, so "there there, go away and deal with it"!

Fron what I've read and from accounts on here - CFS (and indeed some cases of fibromyalgia syndrome) symptoms can be caused by low oestrogen, low testosterone, and/or low thyroid or perhpas a combination in some cases, and of course there are as yet unkown causes of both of these conditions.  However it cannot be a coincidence that the incidence of both these syndromes is greatest in middle aged women leading up to menopause and beyond. All of these need to be tested and investigated properly before any other diagnosis is made.

The difficulty with peri-menopause/menopause is that the journey will be different for each of us although there will be common trends. If you are having regular periods and your FSH is low, as well as your oestrogen presumably your oestrogen levels are falling while you are still ovulating hence your symptoms?

There is an excellent article about the hormonal aspects of peri-menopause here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/article-perils-of-the-perimenopause.php 

Extreme fluctuations in both hormones can give rise to all sorts of strange symptoms. Looking back I felt really weird during peri-menopause and especially during the second half of my cycle - probably for about 6 years I would say, but I had no idea it was peri-menopause because I hadn't thought about what happened at all! I had particular problems with low blood sugar and all the associated symptoms (jittery, anxious, light-headed, sweaty) and used to carry glucose tablets around with me it got so bad!

So glad your consultant seems to be open to treating you properly and yes I would ask for testosterone levels to be tested - although maybe you are young for these to be low?

Oh - I said I had not much to add but got carried away as usual!

Hurdity x

[Kas]

Hi clarity,

I have been peri-menopausal for about 5 years with the more obvious symptoms happening over the last 20 months (I'm 49).This site is great and has more relevant information about all areas of the menopause than you'll find anywhere else.I only joined last week as I had a break-down at work and got sent home.I thought i'd completely lost the plot, I was so relieved to find that I wasn't alone in what I was feeling, but I'm realizing that it still takes time to accept what is happening to your body and mind, so you can move forward.
I had a lot of similar symptoms to you, and they pretty much all happened at the same time (last week) but it was a relief to know that I wasn't going ' bonkers' and that it was just Mother nature disturbing the peace. Doc has upped my ad's and I know that I won't be able to have HRT anytime soon as my body doesn't play well with artificial hormones, but I'm smiling again, which is a positive sign.
Kas xx