Hi Jill
Like others, I have loitered on here for a while just observing other people's experiences, but your post made me want to respond.
This will be a very very long post so please bear with me and get comfy or just go straight to the tips if you get bored.
I want to reassure you that all the symptoms you are experiencing I have also had / have, and I can pretty confidently tell you that they are associated with peri menopause. Here is my story and some tips for you to try to help you cope.
Quick overview of me: age 44; heavy clotty painful periods for 7 years due to fibroids and polyps resulting in anaemia on and off; reflux and swallowing problems for 4 years; 18 months ago started with areas of numbness including face, muscle and joint aches, eye pain and dryness, increased cystic breast pain, dizziness, brain fog and forgetfulness, chest flutters, shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping, weird 'sausage fingers' feeling in hands with stingy raised veins, pins and needles / 'buzzing' and heat in hands and feet, tinnitus, difficulty with cooling down with sweats or getting warm with shivers.
Obviously I went to my gp (3 female ones) with these symptoms but realised quite quickly that the more frequently you go the less they take you seriously.
Dr Google (bad idea) meant I was convinced I had MS or some other horrible condition. I had a barium swallow to check my gullet, blood tests, and nerve conduction tests which all came back negative. I paid privately for brain, spine and neck MRIs which came back negative. I went to the optician and those tests unsurprisingly came back ok. All of this was extremely reassuring but of course did not help with the symptoms and made me feel like a fruit loop. The gps final response was fibromyalgia and a prescription for amytripoline.... no thank you!
I'm disgusted about gps lack of peri / menopause knowledge which surely they have a professional obligation to update in order to accurately diagnose and treat. There are 33 million women in the UK. It's inexcusable and terrifying how many of those are misdiagnosed and dished out pain killers and anti depressants or worse. It's medical negligence. If we can get informed as laymen then so can they as practitioners. They can just read the flipping NICE guidelines as a bear minimum!
Anyway, this is when I decided to take control myself. I started to spot patterns with my symptoms during the menstrual month which made me realise they were either linked to hormone spikes and dips or blood loss with my heavy periods (most likely a mixture of both). So I researched this using reliable UK medical sources (see below). That is when I stumbled across the 34 symptoms of peri menopause and had a lightbulb moment. Oestrogen receptors are all over the body so of course there will be multiple symptoms. The relief was enormous.
I still have many of the symptoms to some degree but I'm now due to have a total laparoscopic and vaginal hysterectomy leaving the ovaries in order to sort out the heavy periods/fibroids. I'm quite terrified but also can't wait to have no more bleeding, anaemia or iron tablets, which I think may be causing some of the symptoms. I'm also now privately under the annual care of Dr Louise Newson, who diagnosed peri menopause within 10 minutes and prescribed Oestrogel only to begin after my hysterectomy. My gp was quite snippy about all of this this, but I couldn't care less. I fully intend to change surgeries after the hysterectomy.
I know both of these things are big steps and will bring their own challenges but I feel very positive. I actually feel quite 'lucky' to only have to take the oestogel as I know from this forum that most of the horrid side effects come from progesterone and that transdermally is the safest route. Dr Newson recommended 2-4 pumps of gel which I can vary depending upon my symptoms at that time, to be rubbed on the inner thighs as far away from the breasts as possible.
I think my main concern in the interim before my ovaries pack up completely is too much oestrogen as I think this dominance (during contraceptive pill years) caused the breast cysts, fibroids, chloasma and precancerous cells on my cervix (back in my 30's). But the pill has much larger doses of hormone than HRT. I'm keen to stop my current symptoms which happen in the oestrogen dips so I think it will just be trial an error with the gel, giving it 3 months to settle down. Obviously due to the hysterectomy I won't know when I'm post menopausal.
Anyway now for top tips that have helped me:
- Get fully informed. Check out websites for the British Menopause Society, Dr Currie (on here) and Dr Newson (Menopause Doctor website). That should be enough as they have a wealth of easy to understand reliable information. Bookmark, print or copy bits into the notes page of your phone so that you can quickly refer back to them - damn that brain fog! Try to avoid American websites as their advice re HRT is based on the much flawed medical studies of yesteryear.
- Have a blood test for anaemia as most women are, particularly if periods are heavy. The symptoms creep up on you and are horrible, but it can be sorted with iron tablets and diet.
- If you can afford it consider making an appointment at Dr Louise Newson's private clinic (there are a few specialists there). It's over a couple of hours from me and is expensive at £250 for a 30 min initial appointment but I think it is worth it. Take a list of symptoms (although she will use a Greene Scale questionnaire) and a list of questions. You may want to get hormone blood tests done at your doctors first to avoid that additional cost though they may not be necessary depending on age. You can ask for the printout from your gps receptionist. It's your data and by law you can have access to it. Dr Newson is very active on raising awareness and educating gps and women on all things menopause and HRT so you will be in safe hands.
- Research HRT options. There is no reason why gps cannot prescribe BODY identical oestrogen (17 beta oestradiol) and progesterone (utrogestan) as they are available on the NHS, rather than the synthetic rubbish which seems to cause most of the side effects / risks. Surely to goodness those should be discontinued by now. Transdermal is also the safest method. If HRT is the route you choose it can be individualised to your needs and medical history risks. There are many short and long term health benefits of taking HRT.
- Be breast aware. I've had some scares in the past and cystic breasts makes it very difficult to examine but generally if lumps move they are okay, static ones aren't. There are some easy self examine guides online. If in doubt get straight to the gp. From 50+ there should be Nhs screening. Personally I think this should be for any age on HRT, particularly progesterone. Diet, exercise, weight, alcohol and smoking are the key self help factors here that you can control.
- Get your feet checked with a podiatrist. I know it sounds odd, but my arches had started to collapse and I was over pronating, which was causing widespread muscle, joint and foot pain (including the buzzing and burning nerve pain). I think that lax muscles was the culprit. This is easily sorted with orthotic inserts which have literally changed my life. Memory foam Sketchers are also fab for the feet, cheaper at Sports Direct.
- 20 minute magnesium Epsom Salt baths or foot soaks (in a washing up bowl) a couple of nights a week are great for muscles. They can be expensive. I get a bulk box off Amazon for about £20 and they last ages.
- Massage, either self massage, I use Better You Magnesium Sleep mineral lotion. Or treat yourself to a professional full body massage. Swedish massage is a good all rounder. I try to go every 6 weeks if poss. It can be expensive so see if your local college does it, usually for about £10.
- Consider supplements Vitamin D3 (bones, and interestingly breast cancer I was reading the other day on breastcanceruk), Omega 3 (joints), B complex (nerves and muscles), multivitamin and take with meals to protect your stomach. Boots 3 for 2 or Holland and Barrett penny sale are good quality.
- Cut out alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, spicy food, carbonated drinks, citrus food, tinned tomatoes or anything too acidic ... sorry. Eat little and often, not too late and don't lie down after eating. This will dramatically sort out acid reflux which irritates that swallowing muscle. If needed occasionally take a teaspoon of Gaviscon before bed (don't drink afterwards). It usually does the trick but minimise the diet triggers first. I took Omeprazole for a while but that comes with its own problems and stops you fully absorbing other vitamins and minerals.
- Consider your medication. NSAIDS will negatively effect your stomach (acid reflux etc) so if you need to then always take with food. Mefenamic acid, Ibruprofen etc are really painful for me. Paracetamol is well tolerated and 1x can usually sort out most aches and pains.
- 30 mins of yoga stretches and breathing morning and night if poss. Nadia Narain DVDs are fantastic for any level and really lovely and relaxing too. The boxset is great value and has something for everyone depending on how you feel that day. Cheaper than classes and after a while you will be able to do the moves watching normal telly. Amazon or eBay.
- Deep breathing exercises for sleep, anxiety, flushes etc. Breathe slowly pushing out your belly then up through your lungs then back down. Putting one hand on your belly and the other on your chest can help. It takes a little practice. Or the 3,4,5 method of breathing in for 3 counts, hold breath for 4 counts and breathe out for 5 counts.
- 5cm memory foam mattress topper is a godsend for comfort in bed. Argos or Silentnight sale.
- Wear layers so you can easily cool down or stay warm. Hot water bottles are cheap and also great for aches and pains. Eat ice cubes or frozen fruit to cool down at home, or try running inside wrists under a cold tap. Drink warm rather than hot drinks. Cut alcohol, caffeine, spicy food. Keep an sos kit of 'mop up' tissues, mini deodorant and a wafting device in your bag.
- Bedside radio low on a sleep timer helps with tinnitus or difficulty sleeping.
- Completely overhaul your diet, common sense tells you what is healthy re fruit and veg etc. I'm just starting with kefir yogurt which is supposed to be good for gut health. It's an acquired taste! But try to keep weight down.
- Drink plenty of water warm or cold and make it your main drink as dehydration can make you feel rubbish, particularly if you are sweating. You can flavour it with lemon, ginger, fruit, mint etc.
- Probably the most important thing is being as active as possible. Walking is perfect weight bearing exercise and is better for the pelvic floor than running. I try and walk everywhere I can and joined a local 'walking for health' group for company. When you feel rubbish or in pain this feels like the last thing you want to do but trust me it will benefit you in so many ways and you can build it up. Plus it is free! You should be doing at least 150 minutes to get you a bit out of breath every week. Keep your circulation pumping and don't sit for long periods of time. It keeps weight down too.
- Speaking of pelvic floor, this is something we all need to be doing. You can download a free app or set an alarm on you phone for 3 times a day. Michelle Kenway has some great You Tube tutorial videos. I'm still quite literally getting to grips with this at the moment.
- Tell friends, husband, family and work if you are struggling. This will make your life easier. Ive noticed that literally nobody talks about it so start the conversation and don't be embarrassed. I've been really lucky with an amazing husband and great (male) boss and work mates. I made the very difficult decision to leave work as I was finding it so difficult and uncomfortable but I'm determined to get back after the hysterectomy and HRT are all sorted.
I hope this doesn't all sound happy clappy. Even if just one thing works for you it will be a bonus.
I know that I'm just at the beginning of this journey and the next phase will be a challenge but I wish you and all the ladies on here the very best for the future. I shall continue to loiter in the background xx.
