# could this be perimenopause?



## snowbum (Dec 14, 2021)

I'm 50. Started having occasional hot flashes and night sweats in July. Insomnia and sleep changes began then, too.

Still had a period every 40 days or so. I went for a physical. Gyn said that if things got worse, to come back in 2 months for talk about HRT. The night sweats stopped and I got my period, so I didn't go in for a consult.

However, I have noticed palpitations, panic attack feelings that come on with no warning and not logical. I see a therapist who feels I've come a long way. I'll be fine all day, and in 5 minutes things can turn on a dime and back again. 

I called my primary care doctor as well as gyn because I can't live like this and it's not fair to dh. 

Gyn nurse called to set up appointment but said they think this is common and quite easy to turn around. 

Anyone go through horrible anxiety and mood swings during peri? Did it get better?


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## Julie's Husband (Jan 3, 2022)

Sounds like perimenopause per the Cleveland Clinic. It leads into menopause which is more of the same.

I went through menopause symptoms due to temporary castration for treatment of prostate cancer. My very sincere and heartfelt sympathy to women. I found the emotions / mood swings the worst of it. Hot flushes and night sweats were not fun, either.


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## snowbum (Dec 14, 2021)

Thank you for your feed back. I'm going to get this handled.


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## Diana7 (Apr 19, 2016)

Yes go and get medical advise. 
I has started in the perimenopause at about 44-45 and has hot flushes with it but had a hysterectomy at 46 so will never know how it would have progressed. 
If you don't usually have palpitations or panic attacks, it may well be the hormone changes.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

Yes. I'm 47 and in the middle of it.

Are you exercising? It pretty much helps everything.

I've been a runner since middle school and I ride road bikes and lift. My symptoms aren't much....occasional sweating a little at night and some moodiness, plus some irregular periods.
Otherwise I feel good.


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## snowbum (Dec 14, 2021)

I have the palpitations during the day. My resting heart rate is in the low 60's. Been running 5 out of 7 days at least 45 minutes.


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## Erudite (Jan 28, 2015)

Diana7 said:


> Yes go and get medical advise.
> I has started in the perimenopause at about 44-45 and has hot flushes with it but had a hysterectomy at 46 so will never know how it would have progressed.
> If you don't usually have palpitations or panic attacks, it may well be the hormone changes.


I agree with the above. The heart palpitations are concerning enough. I don't know if that is normal so glad OP is getting medical advice. Did the symptoms subside with your period? I had a partial hysterectomy so retained my ovaries so have hormones but no way to gauge based on the frequency of periods any more. Everything else sounds like perimenopause to me.


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## frusdil (Sep 5, 2013)

Yep, sure can be. I'm 49 and have been going through it for a couple of years now. My hormones are all over the place - most of the time I'm pretty cool, calm and collected but every now and then something innocuous will make me incredibly anxious, or upset - to the point that I ugly cry all over my poor husband lol. My sex drive is still a rollercoaster, some weeks I can't get enough and others I'm not the least bit interested.


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## Erudite (Jan 28, 2015)

frusdil said:


> Yep, sure can be. I'm 49 and have been going through it for a couple of years now. My hormones are all over the place - most of the time I'm pretty cool, calm and collected but every now and then something innocuous will make me incredibly anxious, or upset - to the point that I ugly cry all over my poor husband lol. My sex drive is still a rollercoaster, some weeks I can't get enough and others I'm not the least bit interested.


I ugly cried over a pair of mismatched socks the other day....so yeah theres that! 🤣


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## frusdil (Sep 5, 2013)

Erudite said:


> I ugly cried over a pair of mismatched socks the other day....so yeah theres that! 🤣


I ugly cried over a tissue commercial with cute baby ducklings


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## Good_girl (Dec 23, 2021)

frusdil said:


> I ugly cried over a tissue commercial with cute baby ducklings


I can totally relate to this


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## Lorraine (11 mo ago)

I am going through the exact same thing! I am 52. I went 6 months without a cycle during 2021 and was having hotflashes but then my cycle came back and the symptoms went away. Obgyn said in August he thought I was perimenapausal . Didn't do blood work. Then around October 2021 I started having symptoms again. Hot flashes almost constantly and horrible heart palpitations. They were so bad it was starting to scare me. So I went back in and he ran blood tests. Come to find out my fsh was very high and estrogen was extremely low. He said I was actually post menopause which shocked me since he'd said peri back in the summer. My cycles have stopped again also. Funny thing is I haven't been a full year without a period so I'm not sure how I'm post menopause. He put me on hrt, the patch and progesterone. It helped my symptoms almost immediately but they do still pop up some especially the heart palpitations and flutters. Before the hrt though I was miserable. Felt awful and would have weird anxious feelings and just felt bad over all. Horrible. Not sure if this helps but just wanted you to know your not alone.


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## AVR1962 (May 30, 2012)

Yes, at 50 I experienced my first hot flash, that was 10 years ago. I can tell you my journey, it might not be yours but please understand you have to get the correct medical attention. I had been seeing a GYN and they kept telling me my hormone levels were fantastic and so they kept sending me to my regular physician who kept saying my symptoms were perimenopausal. So there was no help from either side. 4 1/2 years into it and I couldn't take it anymore I consulted with a hormone specialist and finally got relief. I would not mess with anyone but a hormone specialist. I am a very healthy natural type who believes in holistic medicine but hormones are nothing to try to deal with on your own.


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## TexasMom1216 (Nov 3, 2021)

This was off topic, sorry.


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## Julie's Husband (Jan 3, 2022)

AVR1962 said:


> Yes, at 50 I experienced my first hot flash, that was 10 years ago. I can tell you my journey, it might not be yours but please understand you have to get the correct medical attention. I had been seeing a GYN and they kept telling me my hormone levels were fantastic and so they kept sending me to my regular physician who kept saying my symptoms were perimenopausal. So there was no help from either side. 4 1/2 years into it and I couldn't take it anymore I consulted with a hormone specialist and finally got relief. I would not mess with anyone but a hormone specialist. I am a very healthy natural type who believes in holistic medicine but hormones are nothing to try to deal with on your own.


I'm having the same problem in that my urologist and PCP say it is outside their expertise or just don't really give a damn. I am supposed to be past the temporary male menopause I was in to treat prostate cancer, but it seems to be hanging on. I'm trying to get in with the endocrinologists at OHSU, but it seems impossible to find someone to handle the hormone end of things.


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## DaringGreatly (7 mo ago)

TexasMom1216 said:


> To be fair, I have been ugly crying over sentimental commercials for decades.
> 
> I’m 50 and not experiencing any of it yet. Geneva could set their clocks by my stupid periods. I really wish this thing would get started. I wonder if the health issues I’m having now are related to it? I’ll ask my doctor.


Periods changing or stopping are only one of many symptoms. When I started with peri I really thought I was getting early onset dementia. Almost all my symptoms were cognitive. Memory lapses, brain fog, mood swings and rage. The first time I felt a rage attack I was driving alone in my car on an empty road. I had to pull over till it passed. It was then followed by an anxiety attack (I'm normally very laid back and neither had ever happened before) Also I developed itching skin, thinning hair, joint pain and digestive issues. All of which reduced or went away once I started hrt patches. 
Periods never changed or altered. There is so much more to perimenopause than periods.
Get a hormone spealist if you can. GPs are woefully under educated about perimenopause.


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## TexasMom1216 (Nov 3, 2021)

You should probably just lose weight and exercise. That will make you look better and make your symptoms less apparent.


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## Pheboe (4 mo ago)

I take a prenatal vitamin it my hot hot flashes


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