PMS getting worse with age?

[sbgrace]

I feel sort of unstable. I'll be 39 soon so I don't know if this is connected to age as I don't remember struggling like this before. Sometimes I'm incredibly irritable and sometimes I feel depressed for no identifiable reason. All this seems to be connected to PMS and goes away with the start of a cycle. Generally I'm neither of those things so I don't feel like myself if that makes sense. I'm having more physical signs of PMS too that I don't recall before.

 

What is going on and can I do anything about it? I don't want to start hormones or anything like that but I've just never experienced this before and I feel disconcerted by it.

[Cassy]

I'm almost 49 yo and I'd experienced similar symptoms until just recently, and also put it down to my age. Then it was suggested that I try iron supplements. I also started taking very low dose aspirin each day (75 mg). I feel so much more energetic and able to cope with life, and my symptoms of PMS have become much milder. I'm still obviously in the perimenopause; my periods are regular, although rather heavier than before.

 

I'm sure there are many other health problems that may be also be causing your problems. I don't believe it's just your age - you're young! (I had two more babies after I was 39 - at 40 and 43 yo).

[ErinD]

It might be your age. Some people go into early perimenopause. I'm 42 and have been having hot flashes and other lovely side effects for 5 years, except when I was pregnant. Can you ask your doctor to oder some bloodwork to confirm?

[KrissiK]

Could be age. I know that over the span of time I have been a "woman" my cycles have changed tremendously from having severe, debilitating cramps in my youth to no cramps but horrible PMS as an adult. Things are always changing with me.

[k10coon]

I am going through this now. I too assumed it was age (I'm a few years older than you, but my symptoms had been going on for quite a while).

 

Turns out my thyroid is under active. I just started taking medication (fingers crossed that it works).

 

Go to your gyno and get checked out. Have him/her do some blood work just to get a picture of what's going on. Make sure you tell him/her ALL of your symptoms. So many symptoms are the same for so many of the same things. Assume nothing.

 

Sorry, not trying to wag my finger in your face telling you what to do! This topic is so timely that I had to jump in.

 

Good luck!

[TranquilMind]

I'm almost 49 yo and I'd experienced similar symptoms until just recently, and also put it down to my age. Then it was suggested that I try iron supplements. I also started taking very low dose aspirin each day (75 mg). I feel so much more energetic and able to cope with life, and my symptoms of PMS have become much milder. I'm still obviously in the perimenopause; my periods are regular, although rather heavier than before.

 

I'm sure there are many other health problems that may be also be causing your problems. I don't believe it's just your age - you're young! (I had two more babies after I was 39 - at 40 and 43 yo).

 

 

No kidding. 39 is super young.

 

It was best that people stay away from me on period days in my late 40's, but we lived through it. Diet makes a huge difference, I noticed, and when I cleaned up my diet, I was happier.

 

Still going strong in middle-ish 50s, but periods are light and easy.