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[wombat01]

Hi, new here but scrolling through titles of messages I think I'm in the right place. 

I wonder if my symptoms could likely be linked to the menopause?  I'm 45, still having periods which have shortened in cycle to around 23 days apart.  For the last few months I've had a number of symptoms some of which have gradually appeared.  First was a tightness around my head, not headache that needed painkillers but an odd feeling.  Sometimes I feel like I can't get enough breath in although this usually passes quickly if I distract myself.  I got myself all anxious with the head pain and worried something serious was wrong.  And then about 6 weeks ago I started feeling really sick in the mornings.  This was accompanied with a really odd sensation in my arms, the feel heavy and weak at the same time.  As the nausea wears off so does that. 

I went to the doctor who thought a 'virus' or anxiety.  I was also really weak and shaky because I hadn't been eating well so she prescribed prochlorperazine to help with the nausea and get me eating again.  This did help and now I'm sure I'm not going to vomit I am making myself eat, not in the slightest bit interested in food most of the time though!!  I then went back 2 weeks later as although I was feeling generally better the nausea and arm/muscle aches not gone away.  Still feel anxious at times and also very lethargic.  She ran blood tests, liver, kidney, full blood count, glucose and thyroid.  All came back fine.

Basically it feels like morning sickness which is present all day but does improve as day goes on and sometimes comes back in evening.  I have thrown up bile every morning for last week but no more than that.  Also I'm really restless at night.  I wake up feeling sick, hot and just cannot get comfortable.  The restlessness has been going on months when I think about it and the nausea and hot feeling more recently. 

I'm going back to docs in 2 weeks if it's not magically disappeared!! So I'd just be interested in whether it seems like it could be linked to menopause and how to bring it up.  I always feel they sigh if you say 'I think it might be....'  and now thinking about it I'm surprised she didn't mention it as a possibility?  She did ask if I still had periods and I have to be honest it hadn't occured to me until a friend mentioned it yesterday!

If you read this far thank you 

Lisa

[samweller161]

Hi Wombat

It also sounds like peri to me - I started getting sinus issues which started off as pain in head/eye/jaw about a year ago and I wondered why the Sinutabs were not making a difference!  Since going on HRT they have reduced in frequency luckily (it was 2 or 3 days of feeling totally debilitated).  Agree with Sparkle about GPs being a bit clueless unless you are very lucky with your practice.  Blood tests tend to be unreliable and I do think that if you think you are going through the menopause then you probably are!  There are so many symptoms, some most bizarre!

SP x

[Mumalmighty]

Hi wombat01 and welcome
It certainly sounds like Peri to me. I first noticed symptoms at 45 I'm now nearly 49. I asked the doc that question he said u r and ur not! At that point I hadn't heard of perimenopause and he obviously didn't have a word to describe it either. Last Xmas I had wat I thought was a very bad virus it lasted 3 wks But nothing like I'd ever experienced. Scary tingling surges running up my arm over my chest like an extreme vibration that came in waves it frightened me to death. Like I say I took myself to the docs and asked again (bearing in mind this was only last year I was 47 nearly 48) he shook his head like I was asking the most ridiculous question he's ever heard 😤 And said everybody has had this virus but to me it was no virus. Since then every month I started feeling like that just before my period and have done ever since only each day brings something new . Now Back to ur symptoms., the arm aching and heaviness is a constant for me all on my left side including my leg. I have periods of feeling sick and dizzy. It's worse if I go out shopping it feels like I'm swaying and going to faint but never do. Everyday I feel like I'm pregnant with that hormone feeling wooshing around my body and like a slight buzzy feeling in my head. I don't have hot flushes just get hot at night but I can get really cold aswell. I've been taking menopace but have decided to change to well women vitamin as menopace seems to have very low levels of everything in it whereas well women has evening primrose and star flower I just wud like to try something else before I contemplate HRT. My point is that at 45 u most definatkey can start feeling changes. Back then the doc said do u have vaginal dryness i said yes he said oh well that is a sign 😳 Recently I had blood tests all was normal but I am far from normal. Hope this puts ur mind at rest a bit. At least the sun is shining today which is something 

[wombat01]

Thank you so much ladies.  It has put my mind at ease, Mumalmighty the symptoms are very much like you describe especially in the arms.  I've been struggling to describe it but it is in waves and the feel heavy and weak at the same time, kind of like my arms might faint 

It is a relief to know there is quite likely a plausible and not sinister explanation!! It is a beautiful day and I am feeling a bit better today so that's good.  I shall have to do some more reading up I'd not considered menopause til this week, head in sand I suppose!! Will have a look at some vitamins. I found the list of unusual symptoms and I recognised a few!!   Glad to have found this site.

[nearly50]

Nausea was one of my earliest symptoms along with joint pain. Shortening of cycle is normal too. Have a look at the STRAW + guidelines
https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-document-library/straw10.pdf'sfvrsn=2
and you can see you're possibly in the late reproductive stage.

Hopefully reading other people's experiences on here will put your mind at rest - hormones are imbalanced and so you can get a variety of bizarre symptoms.  The restlessness is horrible, not sure if it is adrenaline but I find it feels like you want to escape your own body.

[wombat01]

Yes it was reading that that made me think that could be what it was and then I found this site

Thanks for the welcome

[Hurdity]

Hi wombat01

 

What nearly50 said! 

While you are not yet at the menopausal transition as medically defined - you are at the stage when hormones start to go awry and especially in some women pms symptoms worsen. Also oestrogen can reach very high levels at this point - and this may well be the reason for the nausea and sickness.

When I was at this stage (I knew nothing about stages, or peri-menopause) - looking back I had terrible problems with blood sugar especially in the second half of my cycle - and would get dizzy and shaky very quickly even if only slightly hungry and used to carry glucose (until I realised what it was and regulated my blood sugar in other ways by changing what breakfast I had). I also started getting pre-menstrual migraines for the first time - never having had migraines before. This was all before peri-menopause!

Do read this article about peri-menopause on this site which tells you what is happening to your body:
https://menopausematters.co.uk/magazine/pdf/Article%20-%20Perils%20of%20the%20Perimenopause.pdf

Now is the chance to make any lifestyle changes that would be of benefit at this point in your life - eg make sure you are of an ideal weight, eat a healthy diet, take lots of exercise, reduce alcohol, get fresh air etc - if not doing so already.

Yes today was glorious - lifts the spirits doesn't it?

Hurdity x

[dangermouse]

This sounds so like me last year as I too never considered hormones being the problem and docs thought of everything but that too!

One tip, which may help, is paracetamol for the nausea. I had migraines (but didn't realise) but was mainly head pressure and dizziness and severe nausea. None of the anti nausea drugs helped (most made it worse as they affect neurology) and didn't try pain killers as pain was minimal. However, when I've had the nausea back (when upping my progesterone as it opens up more oestrogen receptors) the paracetamol oddly helps the nausea as it's probably caused by the blood flow to the brain. Also, Panadol Extra with caffeine relieves things even more for me.

Just passing it on as it's an 'if only I'd known!' when I was too sick to eat at all and was in the most hell I've ever experienced from 5am to 9pm!