Help me - perimenopause or is something really wrong??....

[Joker]

What is normal???  I do have a telehealth appointment this weekend but my anxiety is crazy at this point. I've had a bit of anxiety and breast tenderness the last several months along with my cycle shortening a few days.

My last cycle was absolute hell, though. I was snapping at people and I had horrible breast pain and pain in my lower abdomen (left side was tender to touch and at times I wouldn't even stand up straight). I had about one week of feeling fine and it is starting all over again. I don't know if it's all hormones, something really bad, or a combo of crap because of the shutdown. And how in the world is a telephone appointment going to help? Can hormones going crazy make one feel this bad? I guess I just want someone to have been there, done that so I won't worry so much. If I need to worry, I want to know that too, though. 

[Scarlett]

Anxiety is what drove me to hormones during menopause even though I swore I wouldn’t because my mom had breast cancer.  My anxiety was so bad....I could feel it creeping up my body and crawl along my scalp.

[Tree Frog]

Short answer, yes, I believe hormones can make one feel horrible, but it's also important to be checked out. Providers in our area are using telemedicine to determine which patients need to be seen. I think for your peace of mind, it would be worth making sure everything checks out. 

My cycles have become much worse since I turned 45 (so about 8 years) as I entered perimenopause. My periods have been very heavy (as in unavoidable embarrassing leaks each month) and increased breast pain and cramping. One time my breast pain woke me up, so I scheduled a mammo right away. The dr. told me that usually malignancies don't present with pain. It's the lumps with no pain they tend to be more concerned about. I have found evening primrose oil helps a lot with my wide mood swings and is good for breast health. I've had cramping the way you describe once in a while.Taking a hot bath or using a heating pad on the area helped me immensely. That helps me. My sister was diagnosed with ovarian cancer about the time my cycles got really bad, so my doctor did blood work and various exams to ensure I didn't also have ovarian cancer. If you have any family history of female cancer, you need to tell your doctor and have it checked out.

Good luck, Joker, with your appointment. It's always good to have things checked out when there is a significant change.

[HSmomof2]

It should be checked out for sure, since it’s a change for you, but my cycles have become increasingly bad over the last year as well (I’m 48). They’ve always been bad, and I’ve had PMS with anxiety for many years. In the last year, though, it’s become much worse....heavier with severe cramps, pain in my right side mid-cycle and during period (went to ER because I was concerned it was appendix). I’ve had three separate ultrasounds and a CT, which all showed nothing that would be causing the pain. Gyn thinks I likely have endometriosis, especially with my past history of infertility, and this is peri menopause hormones wreaking havoc. She basically gave me options of bc pills, hysterectomy, or trying to manage symptoms with nsaids and anxiety meds until menopause. I’m trying the third option.....some months more successfully than others. My mother didn’t have menopause until 61. I don’t know that I can make it that long. I hope you’re able to get feeling better soon! 

[Ottakee]

I just went through a series of tests.  Thankfully doctor was open all along (even here in Michigan).  She even did the endometrial biopsy for me on a Saturday morning.  Then I had the pelvic ultrasound on the next Tuesday.

Yesterday I did do a telemed appointment as a follow up to discuss options.

Is there any way you can get an in person appointment?  Telemed can be good for some things but it is no substitute for a doctor hands on.

And yes, peri menopause can cause what you are experiencing.

[JennyD]

7 hours ago, Joker said:

Can hormones going crazy make one feel this bad? 

 I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but I'd venture that hormones going crazy + the world as we know it coming apart at the seams might make a person feel pretty terrible.

Good to get your symptoms checked out by an actual professional, for sure, but I would not underestimate the ambient stress level right now.  

[IvyInFlorida]

PMS/PMDD hormones make me crazy and spike my anxiety horribly.  And when there is additional stress of some form it can compound it big time.  There were 2 different seasons of life that I took an anti-depressant to help me get through that.  Once external stress reduced I was able to manage the "regular" PMS madness without medicine.  The anti-depressant was a Godsend--no shame!

[regentrude]

Hormones going crazy can do that to you. It sounds exactly like perimenopause, aggravated by the stress of this unusual situation. Google PMDD (it's like PMS on steroids). The add a pandemic. 
My first sign of perimenopause was irrational irritability that was completely uncharacteristic for me, and over the course of a few years, the mood swings have become intolerable and the lows disturbing. 

But I would have the abdominal pain checked out to make sure it is nothing else.

 

Edited May 14, 2020 by regentrude

[Joker]

My telehealth appointment went way better than I thought it would. They are going to have me come in for an actual appointment to make sure it’s nothing serious. 
 

They are also sending me for a Covid antibody test since I’ve had a mild cough for the past two months. I had a sore throat and headache the first week of March and then this cough started and hasn’t stopped. It’s very mild and doesn’t even interfere with sleep or anything so I doubt it was the virus but he wants to make sure.