Does menopause mean feeling premenstrual all the time

[Dmmetler]

I am 48. I am more overdue than I have ever been without being pregnant, and I feel absolutely lousy. It is not at all possible that I am pregnant without parthenogenesis. So, is this the start of  menopause? And is there anything I can do about it, since my being bloated, crampy, headachey and irritable is not good for anyone in my household? I’ve had perimenopause symptoms for awhile, but have had regular, absolutely awful periods. I don’t feel safe going to the gyn now, and I doubt telehealth could do much. 

[saraha]

So far peri has been for me 😬

[Pen]

There are some herb combos that could possibly help.  Eg

Gaia Herbs Women's Balance, Vegan Liquid Capsules, 60 Count - Hormone Balance for Women, Mood and Liver Support, Black Cohosh, St John's Wort, Organic Red Clover & Dandelion Root https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1J80L6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MKnfFb2DFE121

 

[matrips]

Yes!  Do something now about it!

After taking about 5 years to realize my severe irritability (that’s a minor way of calling it!) was maybe due to menopause, I tried many natural supplements. After another year or so, I started on Zoloft.  Just 50mg but, ahh.  I felt like me again.  And not the angry, crabby person I had become.  I just regret not realizing it years earlier.  

[Katy]

Take a pregnancy test just to be sure.  I know two women who had a surprise pregnancy at 48.  One of them was a miscarriage.  The other was healthy and very spoiled.

I don't know how widespread this is, but two women in my family took the pill through menopause and it completely blocked their symptoms.  If the symptoms bother you, you could definitely have that conversation with a doctor.  You could even get it prescribed through the Nurx app (if it's allowed in your state) and not have to actually speak to anyone.

[KrissiK]

No, that’s how peri sort of was.it’s different for everyone, though. Gaia Women’s Balance supplements helped me a lot.

[SKL]

That's how it was for me the first time I missed periods in perimenopause.  I was so sure it was about to start any minute, but 2.5 months went by before my next period.  It was on and off for at least a couple years.

I don't really know any good ideas to make it less annoying.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, matrips said:

Yes!  Do something now about it!

After taking about 5 years to realize my severe irritability (that’s a minor way of calling it!) was maybe due to menopause, I tried many natural supplements. After another year or so, I started on Zoloft.  Just 50mg but, ahh.  I felt like me again.  And not the angry, crabby person I had become.  I just regret not realizing it years earlier.  

This is me, but I’m not on Zoloft (yet). Severe irritability is accurate. Sometimes I am two people in my head and the one is saying, “Dang, girl! What is your problem?” and the other one is like, “Just SHUT UP,!! JUST SHUT UUUUUPPP!!!” 

Sounds irritate me so severely. I spend a lot of time with noise-cancelling headphone on. 

[almondbutterandjelly]

Bcp helped me with many of my symptoms.  I'm allowed to take them until age 55.  And I'm going to.  

[Katy]

45 minutes ago, Linko said:

I’m not quite there yet, but the issues I’ve had so far make me dread what’s coming. Any concern for stroke on BCP?  I’m higher risk for blood clots/stroke, and worry that BCP wouldn’t be a viable solution for me given the risks. 

 

I'm at higher risk too, I take a mini pill.  It's progestin only.  My doctor said that's what I should take.

[lynn]

So far no.  But I've been doing research and educating myself on menopause.  I found menopausetaylor on youtube.  A lot of information for all things menopause.  I found a combination of supplements that help for now.  

 

[Jaybee]

8 hours ago, Quill said:

This is me, but I’m not on Zoloft (yet). Severe irritability is accurate. Sometimes I am two people in my head and the one is saying, “Dang, girl! What is your problem?” and the other one is like, “Just SHUT UP,!! JUST SHUT UUUUUPPP!!!” 

Sounds irritate me so severely. I spend a lot of time with noise-cancelling headphone on. 

Lol, yes! It was like the objective me was looking aghast at the subjective me and saying, "What in the world is wrong with you??" And subjective me would answer, "I don't know, I don't care, now get out of my face!!!"

[kbutton]

12 hours ago, Seasider too said:

I’ll just add here that you should do whatever it takes to make your bedroom environment conducive to getting a good night’s sleep. It’s hard enough to figure out the most helpful supplements, etc. You want to have the right mattress, pillows, bedcovers, jammies, climate control, all figured out, too. Because while a good night of sleep is challenging to find in this season, a solid 7 hours of it is the very best medicine, and you want to try to help that happen as often as possible. The right diet, exercise and supplements can help you fall asleep easier, and all the other comforts will help you actually stay asleep through the night. 
 

That’s been my experience, anyway. 

And how do you do that with a DH? Lol! My DH puts out heat like a roaring furnace, but he feels cold, so he wants more covers and less fan. It's like sleeping next to a heater, and that's in king. And he's skinny, so we have plenty of room. His set point for comfortable keeps moving up--the warmer it is on an given night, that becomes the new baseline for warm enough. It's maddening.

[kbutton]

13 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

Well, sometimes separate bedrooms can actually save a marriage!😂

We compromise. I have my own covers and totally roll back the quilt that’s on top the bed. I just unfold my light blanket each night. Our agreement is that because it’s possible for dh to get warmer by adding a blanket, yet impossible for me to peel off a later of skin when I’m too warm, I get to be in charge of the ceiling fan speed. BTW a remote controlled ceiling fan is a blessed thing!

I sometimes get grudging acceptance of this. 

[Guest]

I have an endocrinology appointment on Monday anyway, so I'm hoping she'll be willing to do hormone levels, etc, and might have some ideas, since they'll have to do bloodwork anyway. 

[regentrude]

Just to clarify the terminology: as long as you still have periods, it is perimenopause; menopause is when you have not had a period for a year.

Perimenopause can last up to 13 years. And it can feel absolutely miserable. Mood issues are very common. They were the first and only symptom I have. If you are open to antidepressants, some people swear by them. Some people find relief from Vitex supplements, but according to what I learned, that is only effective at the beginning of perimenopause. Some women take topical progesterone; if you have acute depression, you might want to be careful as it can exacerbate symptoms.

Good luck. It sucks, especially since we don't know how much longer this lasts.

Edited July 24, 2020 by regentrude

[regentrude]

46 minutes ago, dmmetler said:

I have an endocrinology appointment on Monday anyway, so I'm hoping she'll be willing to do hormone levels, etc, and might have some ideas, since they'll have to do bloodwork anyway. 

How useful is that? Since the hormone levels fluctuate widely over the course of a month, how much info does one get a from a one time test?