Hello - I'm Unicorn, age 49. At Christmas I had something akin to a "nervous breakdown" (I know that's not a medical term!) and couldn't eat, sleep or function for a week or so. Could barely get out of bed. I'd been heading that way for a while but hadn't recognised the severity as I have always coped with very stressful things somehow and certainly never taken to my bed with stress! I was in a constant state of panic - the only way I could cope was hide in bed and lay still and hope my worried daughter or partner did not come up to speak to me. Nights were the worse - a few minutes of sleep, followed by waking in a panic and then nausea and even sickness or diarrhoea! It was horrible. I had two weeks off work and actually asked for anti-depressants to manage the panic (still on them). This was not "me" at all - I am totally a coper and lots of people rely on me for a lot of things. I have a busy job that I enjoy and I am never off sick. Usually.
I am now much better and nearly at the end of a course of CBT/talking therapy I've been having via Zoom. I've stopped feeling constantly worried that I will go back to that place of extreme panic because its honestly one of the worst things I have ever experienced. I am doing daily meditation via the Calm app (recommended by therapist even though I was convinced it wouldn't work for me) but am staying on the meds for now I am getting married in Sept so don't want to mess with my mental wellbeing right now what the pandemic and everything.
Annnnyway.. to the point, I thought this was just a random stress-thing. I have always had mildish anxiety on and off but this was something else. And I gather this 'something else' is actually perimenopause.. or actual menopause?! I have a Mirena IUD so I can't tell period-wise. But I realise I have not had any monthly boob soreness for many months now... and there has been a weird - not offensive or smell but more profuse than normal - discharge thing going on (sorry) which I have seen other people describe on here. Exactly the same as some of them - like a rush of it in the morning thin, clear to yellowish. It goes away when I treat it with BV "at home" treatments but then comes back after a week or so. I did a swab and the results came back "normal - no treatment needed" but I think it must be menopausal-related type of mild BV (although no smell) because the Canestest said it was (went bring blue for "alkaline".. vaginas should be slightly acidic but lack of oestrogen can cause them to be alkaline instead).
So this would explain the colossal panic/anxiety episode I guess??
I have been on Vit B complex, Vit D, evening primrose, and omega 3 oil capsules for a few years. I added in a "women's over 45 years pro-biotic" recently thinking this would help with the bv symptoms.. don't think it has.
Oh and I have a "burny" sensation in the mouth for more than a year now... was just ignoring it as it's quite mild but a bit weird. Looks like that is the old peri too yes??
Can anyone relate? Also, do we always hit menopause the same age as our mums? As my mum was slightly older than me I have discovered... she hates to discuss such horrors! - 52 ish she unwillingly shared.
PS glad to be here - nice sense of community and shared experiences. Thanks for having me
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Topic: Another newbie - getting head around the joys of probable perimenopause (Read 1315 times)