Search perimenopause and menopause experiences

symptoms started mid 40s with joint pain, that eased, then severe depression which did lift but vulva itching has remained unsolved . The noticeable sudden changes were at 50, periods were every other month and shorter, insomnia started and hot sweats. I tried HRT for year and a half with alot of adjustments using up to 3 pumps of oedtrogel and 200mg of utrogestan, but stopped because of the flat mood I didn't get the happy high, insomnia was awful, very fatigued and vulva itching continued. Coming off was easy and hot flushes stayed away for at least for year and a half. I focused on trying to ease vulva itching and changes in shape and colour, went back to GP and tried blissel vaginal creams, this agitated my mood and again felt more aggressive, vaginal ateopy was mentioned but no urgency around it. I was given a over the counter moisturizer and 1%steroid cream (again) using this was supposed to clear it up, I'm another year on and it gets embarrassing to keep going back. I started a herbal ointment and have supplements from nutritionalist that works for mental calmness, sleep and mood. New symptoms change at 54 is painful sex, another one to add to vaginal atrophy, I wish there was more help around this, I've moved and changing GP and will once more see how to manage the vulva and vaginal changes. The supplements are helping me stay upbeat, I'm hoping that the tide will change.

I was forced to try many HRT regimens before getting tibolone, that experience was like hell on earth. They didn't even work to make me feel better on non progestin days, most days I was suicidal purely from NHS progestins. I was told to stick out the suicidal feelings because it might get better over time, it didn't, it was an awful way to treat any human and was life threatening for me. I ought to have got tibolone first, as soon as I told my GP the reason I didn't want HRT was my known progesterone intolerance. My husband had a vasectomy 20 years ago so I wouldn't need the pill for precisely this reason. I stressed he hadn't done it lightly, the pill really had a terrible effect on me. She dismissed my concerns as irrelevant for someone my age (52 then, now 55) and gave me Evorel Conti, she said that progestin was bio-identical (false information). I felt so awful in a matter of weeks that I stopped using the patches. I told the GP again, I have a problem with progestins, they make me suicidal. Instead she insisted I must be wrong about how I feel. She said the doses are so low I couldn't feel the progestin. I felt it very strongly indeed. She tried to persuade me to change my experiences to something more fitting, she told me women love HRT, they don't say things like I was saying, there's no way it could make me feel worse. I refused to switch to telling lies about my experience, in return she got angry and said I couldn't have any more HRT. She told me all my symptoms would return, I'd have all the night sweats back. She asked, did I really want that? Not really, but it was better than wanting to die every minute of every day. After I recovered some confidence, I resumed asking for something to help. They gave me clonidine which sent me to sleep, gabapentin which is quite uplifting but not a solution. Some months later a locum gave me tibolone, that was the end of me bothering them. I'd no problems with menopause after starting tibolone. It had only good side effects in addition to the good effects it directly brings. The locum said it's totally safe, that is contradicted elsewhere, they don't really seem to know. Tibolone solved every menopause problem I had for nine whole months. Then disaster struck. When I was 53, the GPs asked how was tibolone? I told them it made me feel fantastic, young again. My body functioned properly again, I was even bleeding for five days every single month with tibolone and I called it a period. They immediately took me off tibolone and all my symptoms returned worse than ever. I had anxiety, insomnia, night sweats, day sweats, mild incontinence, fatigue and rebound low mood, but no more bleeding. They said because I had periods I was peri and had to run the gauntlet of those Oe&P in sequence type HRTs, until I was post menopause. I'd already had a full 15 months period free age 51-52, before starting any hormone treatments, but that didn't matter all of a sudden. Hell on earth resumed while I tried provera, utrogestan, cyclogest and anything else they could think of to trigger suicidal ideation in me. Eventually, four months after taking tibolone away and resuming the progestin torture regimens, the NHS gave me the promised TVScan to determine my status (and why I was bleeding at all). I was declared post meno again, yay, they had no idea why I was bleeding, but importantly I was given tibolone back again (and the periods resumed as regular as ever, lol). The second time it took a while to settle my tummy on tibolone, about five months, but I knew it was worth sticking it out, that stuff works so well I hope I can take it forever. In the last 13 months they haven't asked about how tibolone is, or how I am for that matter, so I won't volunteer information that might scare them. I'm still having something identical to a period every month and I feel good so I'd better keep my head down.

Begin when I was 49 years old and got really worse with the next year with a lot of like memory laws bring fog and anxiety in depression was the worst time of my life I'm not 100% but I'm feeling a little bit better

Surgically Oct ‘22 Joint pain Night sweats Brain fog/memory

I was 50 when my periods stopped altogether. I had hot flushes for first 7 years

I started experiencing joint pains when I was about 47. However, I didn't realize that it had anything to do with perimenopause. It was only a few years later when I was really struggling with my memory that I put 2 and 2 together. It was since I was 50 that my other symptoms have kicked in like sleep issues, night sweats etc. I have worked hard on CBT for my sleep, used HRT for night sweats (doesn't work) and trying to eat right for my brain. Nothing really works perfectly but I try I definitely get sore joints if I eat too much sugar

When I started with peri- menopausal symptoms I was 41 and despite blood tests with my GP they were unable to confirm. In hindsight I now understand what was going on but I felt very isolated, uncertain and embarrassed. Menopause wasn’t talked about as much ten years ago. I had multiple symptoms which were mostly low- medium grade but accumulatively had a big impact on my day to day life. I was peri for about 8 years and am now post menopause at the age of 51. The biggest impact for me has been my sex drive which is non existent partly due to vaginal atrophy. It’s not an easy symptom to talk about openly but has really impacted my relationship and self-esteem. I now use oestrogen pessaries and cream to alleviate these symptoms after a great conversation with a nurse. They help.

Desperately seeking information about what HRT is appropriate Unable to find anyone to help explain

I think perimenopause symptoms started when I was 42 (now 46) and I continue to have quite severe symptoms. Mostly severe symptoms are feeling completely exhausted, low and anxious, trouble with aches and pains and sleeping. Not much has helped as yet, Im continuing to try HRT, yoga and eat well.

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I started HRT age 52. It was for extreme dry itchy skin which was worse on my face and brain fog. I started on Evorel sequi, which was great. Now on Evorel conti. I prefer the patches, I didn’t want a pill. Early days, but I’ve started periods again on conti, they are regular, but I can’t wait for them to stop!

I've just turned 50. The night sweats have been going on for about 4 years with the last 12 months unbearable. Probably about 12 months ago I started more severe mood swings, brain fog. Just general over reactions. I still maintain that my points were valid just maybe my delivery that was off. I just didn't feel like myself. I wasn't sleeping well. Waking up during the night and not being able to get back to sleep.

Approx 46. 3 years so far

44yrs Perimenopause Symptoms crept up on me and probably started late 30s with heavy and debilitating period. I started on Morena at 39yrs old. Severe symptom brain fog, depression and low mood with awful joint pains.