You are not crazy. You might be peri-menopausal.
You know all those jokes people make about women going through menopause? Well. Turns out they're not jokes about menopause, but about peri-menopause.
Peri-menopause is a bit of a sneaky bitch. At least, for me. The early signs started about 7 or 8 years ago without me even realising it.
You know all those jokes people make about women going through menopause? Well. Turns out they're not jokes about menopause, but about peri-menopause.
Peri-menopause is a bit of a sneaky bitch. At least, for me. The early signs started about 7 or 8 years ago without me even realising it.
It started out with intense anxiety, urinary incontinence and lowered sex drive. And a helluva lot of bladder and kidney infections. Also, a missed period here and there. Which is unusual for me because my cycle is like clockwork. I did suspect peri-menopause, but blood work was in the normal range. My (male) doctor at the time poo-pooed the idea of the onset of peri-menopause because I was "too young" to be going through peri at my age.
I have learned since that peri-menopause can start as early as 35. So, at the age of 38/39 I wasn't too young. It was just my body's clock that decided when I was going to go through peri and not a few pages in a medical text book.
So... what is peri-menopause? It is not menopause itself - it's the time leading up to menopause when the hormones produced by our bodies start taking a nose dive in the lead up to menopause. Menopause is the period after your period stops completely - and it is said that you've reached menopause once you haven't had a period for a year. Or two years, depending on who you speak to.
Peri-menopause brings with it a bunch of not-so-nice symptoms (you can take a look at a list of them here: PER-MENOPAUSE INFO)
Later on, the symptoms became worse and I began to question my sanity: severe anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts, brain fog, fatigue, body pain, memory issues, lack of focus and concentration... and this is a few years before the hot flashes started and those arrived three years ago.
I believed I was having a psychotic break a number of times. And this, I've since learned, is because of the drop in the hormone progesterone.
I was only taken seriously about my peri-menopause theory when a) I switched to a female doctor and b) the hot flashes and the gaps in my periods went from a week or two to several months.
You're not going nuts - you're going through a process which no one wants to believe you're going through. Not even the blood tests will show you're peri-menopausal right at the start of things.
My symptoms began with urinary incontinence and anxiety. I mean - what the hell? You're not going to be thinking menopause is on the way, right?
Then came the depression, the intense daily headaches, change in stamina.... the list goes on. For me, the hot flashes and physical symptoms were relatively easy to cope with. It was the psychological symptoms that I continue to struggle with. (more in part two)
So keep a journal of your period for a few months. See if you skip any, or if there are any changes to the length between periods, how long your periods last and if you bleed more heavily or less. Note also any physical changes such as vaginal dryiness or pain during sex.
Some symptoms can be linked to other illnesses so it's really important you still get checked out by your doctor. And it's okay to question your doctor if they tell you that you can't possibly be peri-menopausal because of your age.
Later on, the symptoms became worse and I began to question my sanity: severe anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts, brain fog, fatigue, body pain, memory issues, lack of focus and concentration... and this is a few years before the hot flashes started and those arrived three years ago.
I believed I was having a psychotic break a number of times. And this, I've since learned, is because of the drop in the hormone progesterone.I was only taken seriously about my peri-menopause theory when a) I switched to a female doctor and b) the hot flashes and the gaps in my periods went from a week or two to several months.
You're not going nuts - you're going through a process which no one wants to believe you're going through. Not even the blood tests will show you're peri-menopausal right at the start of things.
My symptoms began with urinary incontinence and anxiety. I mean - what the hell? You're not going to be thinking menopause is on the way, right?
Then came the depression, the intense daily headaches, change in stamina.... the list goes on. For me, the hot flashes and physical symptoms were relatively easy to cope with. It was the psychological symptoms that I continue to struggle with. (more in part two)
So keep a journal of your period for a few months. See if you skip any, or if there are any changes to the length between periods, how long your periods last and if you bleed more heavily or less. Note also any physical changes such as vaginal dryiness or pain during sex.
Some symptoms can be linked to other illnesses so it's really important you still get checked out by your doctor. And it's okay to question your doctor if they tell you that you can't possibly be peri-menopausal because of your age.
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