Perimenopause

[Worried of Norwich]

This is a question for all you ladies out there who are in the region of 43/44 years of age. In the past year I have noticed a significant change in my periods. They are heavier, more painful and during these my anxiety levels are at an all time high. I am moody, irritable depressed and feel generally unwell. I have had bad gastro intestinal issues and all blood tests have come back normal. I have a microscopic trace of blood in urine which is troubling me greatly, terrible insomnia, cold during the day and hot at night, aching limbs and legs. Perimenpause has been mentioned but cannot believe it could cause all these issues and cant help but thinking it must be something more serious. I have terrible health anxiety at the best of times, anyone else out there of a similar age experiencing this????

[dapham]

Hi, yes, I am a similar age and can relate to ALL your symptoms. Aches, insomnia, temperature changes, skin problems, digestive nightmares, painful heavy periods, mood swings, feeling yukky and bladder infections. Sounds highly perimenopause to me. I believe we can expect up to ten years of this.... Like you my anxiety has hit sky high levels, but I am trying to think positively !!

[feelthelove]

I started perimenopause when i was 36 and had lots of horrible symptoms for years , i am 50 now and completed menopause 5 years ago i still get the aching legs and other symptoms but they are getting less now , the anxiety was worse during the change and recently the anxiety has been really bad.

Its a big change to our bodies and with the fluctuating estrogen it causes some really strange symptoms. Ther is nothing really we can do but just get through it because it has to happen, i didn't take anything for it but just went through the stages and took each day at a time. I would lie down and rest when the crashing fatigue hit me but after about 20 minutes i was fine again.