38 and falling apart

[momof5]

I just turned 38 this month and am having regular periods as I have always had, just 24 hours of real heaving bleeding and then just spotting for a few days instead of my normal 4 day cycle of bleeding. I've had the heart palps off and on for about a year now but have been having them more often. My blood pressure will go up with them and it's really a scary thing because it just hits me. I'm just standing there and all of a sudden I don't feel right. Then I get scared even thought I try to stay calm.
My breasts are tingling off and on like they used to when I first got pregnant, but I'm not pregnant !
I'm having terrible stomach problems, my food just doesn't digest the way it used to. I'm so tired it's not even funny and so not like me. A few weeks ago I was having trouble falling asleep ! I don't get hot flashes that I'm aware of. I do get a warm feeling come over my face every once and a while though but it goes away in a few minutes. I was forgetting everything until I totally cut out white sugar / candy / pop / etc from my diet and limit my white startches. That has really seemed to help in that area. I keep thinking that I've got something wrong but every time I have something checked it comes back ok.
My doctor just thinks I'm over stressed. I've got 5 kids from 5-15 and just don't have the time to fall apart right now. I'm not sure if this is pre-menopause, but it's the only thing I've been able to find that come close. Is there anything that I can do to help with the symptoms in a more natural way ( if this is pre-menopause ) I just found this site and thought I would go ahead and post something. I've never done this before so I'm kind of new at this, sorry if I went on to much.

[craftyvalerie]

Welcome momof5.........Sorry you are having such a hard time........I started having symptoms of peri when I was 38.....and my doc also said it was stress........but I know now it was the start of peri........because my periods then started becoming irregular......I really didnt find anything natual that helped me but like you will find on this great site that everyone is different and what helps one person might not help another.......and there are many books out there to read and research with.....this site has helped me loads....just knowing that is not in your head and that others are going through the same thing helps a lot........Valerie

[psexypsychic]

I started having peri-symptoms when I was 34. I just turned 39 yesterday. My doctors (they change every couple of years) tend to not believe me. They have tested me for everything- including the menopause hormones... and guess what- the meno test showed "no change". Well, some days are worse than others. And, as it turned out, I started my period a couple days after the blood test. There's no telling what was going on in my body hormonally!

The doctor is supposed to call me later in the week with the possibility of putting me on birth control pills. And when he tells me that my blood test "showed nothing", I'm going to tell him that he needs to figure out what's causing all these symptoms then, because it sure as hell sounds like perimenopause to me (and everyone else!).

(if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck...)

[momof5]

I do know that this runs in my family. I found out a few years ago once I started having troubles when I e-mailed my birth Mom (I'm adopted) and she said "you sound like I did during my middle 30's" My goal is to find out as much as I can about this because we have 4 girls and though I hope they don't have to deal with this at such an early age, chances are they will.

[snoopy]

Howdy.

I was 38 when my per. started to get whacky... Drs. said and still say that's pretty young ..well I am not making this up! My most dreaded symptom is hot flashes, don't get me wrong I have lots of other symptoms too.

Hang in there and stay on this board. Lots of great advice and bonding.

[RacerWife7]

Me too! ...Just like the rest of us, I started having crazy symptoms at 38, as well. AND I know that stress can bring on the symptoms, too. When I was 39 I worked in a job that I hated and the commute was he!!. The stress of the commute was SO bad that I my symptoms started getting REALLY bad. As soon as I quit that job, the symptoms went back to "normal" whatever THAT is. I still had them, but they weren't quite as bad once the stress levels were lowered.

So, I do advise reducing your stress - however you can... exercise, time away from the kids with friends, ...whatever you have the ability to change. Every little bit could help. Good luck!

[momof5]

Now my mouth feels sore off and on now, for no reason that I can tell. It's very annoying. Does anyone know why this happens ? I haven't had an attack in awhile. I know it will happen again, but at least I know I'm not going to die! I really have to make sure I'm getting enough sleep and eating enough, but not to much as my stomach is still a problem. It makes me upset that all the different doctors I've seen, none of them think I'm going through perimenopause. It's like they have never heard of it before. They just say, you are not going though menopause because you are still having your period every month, even if it's changed or shortened a bit ( about 5-6 days early each month for the past 3 months )
At least my husband and family believe me. It really does help to read that others have had the same type of things happen to them. I just wish it was more understood in the medical profession, or at least the doctors I've gone to. Thank you for your support and suggestions !

[minniepauz]

It's crazy in this day and age (and especially in the past 5 years) that ANY doctor would not mention peri-menopause!!! It IS kind of an indefineable time, but it sure puts minds to rest when they find out everyone goes through it even if it's a little different for all of us.

You're not crazy and once you've done your research, you can relax and expect to go through some of it before reaching the final menopause stretch.

[Brighid Moon]

I just realized today that it's possible this began with me when I was 37-38 as well. I had my first panic attacks at that time, out of the blue, for absolutely no reason. It was right after that that my skin started changing, and I got my first chin hair! Of course, no one diagnosed me for it, and I didn't have any tell-tale hot flashes (didn't get those til I was 40), so I didn't suspect. I'm very glad and grateful to have found Dee's site here, it's helped me understand a lot of this and put it into perspective, which helps the anxiety/panic immensely. Very supportive! I wish you well, momof5!

[Laura26]

I've just posted on the Thyroid message stream about these types of problems.

Why not do a bit of reading on Candida Albicans which we all know as thrush? Symptoms can mirror low thyroid and, the fact that you improved when you give up sugar could be a bit of a clue.

Many doctors are sceptical about the Candida theory of health but the real-life stories online struck so many chords with me.

Good luck

Laura Essendine
Author – The Accidental Guru
The Books Limited Blogspot

[gorgeousfluffpot]

My body, too, started to go haywire when I was in my late thirties - periods all over the place, weight gain, strange itchy feelings. When I visited my doctor the cnclusion was "stress" which he said was very common in women of my age. After all, we have to cope with husbands and children, etc. Since at that time I had neither a husband nor children I thought his judgement was odd, but I had a very stressful job and just put it down to that. Of course it was peri-menopause, which I had to find out about from trawling the internet and asking around older friends. But I can see the point that your body can be affected by your mental state and stress and, of course, 30s to 40s women are usually juggling busy lives: kids, families, elderly parents, jobs, social responsibilities, mortgages and bills. It's probably the busiest time of your life in terms of trying to keep everything together, and then your female hormones gang up on you and give you more hell to play with.

So I sort of understand why many doctors will dismiss this as stress as it is probably the biggest 'catch-all' diagnosis to label sleepless nights, sweats, etc. I'm not defending them, but a doctor friend of mine told me that about half of the patients she gets in every day have true physical complaints which mostly originate from stress and depression. She says she can prescribe all the pills in the world but when they go home to abusive husbands, or get bullied at work, or get emotional blackmail from elderly parents, then there's little she can do. She also told me that most women would benefit from a two week annual holiday away from all this hassle and that the NHS (UK's National Health Service) would save millions of pounds in drugs and tablets if it offered these holidays to "women of a certain age". I am not sure how true all this is, but it's her opinion and I'd certainly vote for her if she was Minister of Health!

[mdasperling]

I'm glad to have found this site. I am turning 38 this year and have been having mysterious symptoms for about 6 years now. In the last year they are getting so bad I've started seeing doctors for answers but not having any luck. I've been taking PPI's for acid reflux and have regular panic attacks at night. Nux Vomica seems to help with these symptoms. For the past year I was starting to think there was something seriously wrong with me. From here I guess I need to find out for sure if it really is perimenopause. The last time I visited my GYN he laughed at me when I brought up the subject of hormonal imbalance. Maybe time for a new doctor? Just wanted to say I can totally relate and hope to find some answers here.

[Brighid Moon]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only person who started this "early"! LOL I appreciate you all so much!

[minniepauz]

Welcome mdasperling....you are on the right track about finding a new doctor if yours is not LISTENING to you. We have found that many women start showing signs of peri as early as 35. It IS hard to distinguish from PMS sometimes so we must give them a little leeway, but for the ones who insist that 38 or 40 is too young and then brush you off? Well, they need to go back to school because they're just not staying up with the times!

My periods just STOPPED at 40....naturally, no surgery, no female problems whatsoever. I'm now 60 and have never had another period. I've also had other signs of early aging, including cataract surgery at 41. My theory is that I didn't really take very good care of my body when I was younger and then we didn't have the kind of info available today so I would encourage you to do your homework and try to figure out what is best for you....sounds like that might mean a new doctor to start with!