Hi Ladies, This is my first post, I'm 41, Married and We have 2 kids 9 and 4, I have been in peri for who knows how long, but This "really" started for me last July, It started with just a really sad feeling, I felt sick all over~~ I couldn't explain it, Then I got insomnia and my brain just wouldn't shut down, I would get maybe 4 hours of sleep a night, I would wake up with panic attacks and be shaking and scared, When I tried to go to sleep at night my wrist and inside of my elbows ached, (very weird). This went on for a week until I told my Husband "I have to go to the Dr. and see whats wrong with me, I'm not getting better" It was a Saturday so I had to go to a walk in clinic.. Before I went I talked to a friend that told me that it sounds like "Peri menopause" I'd never heard of it before.
When I got in to see the Dr. I told him what my friend said and He said "you just said the right 2 words, here is this little pill it will help the right side of the brain with the moods" He didn't tell me that it was an AD, I found that out once I got on line after I got home.. I really don't want to take them (Although I understand why some do) so anyway that put me back to square one, So I was still sick and even more lost because mow I've been checked and even a Dr. can't help me... So then I started researching Peri on line, What a GOD SEND you ladies are... So Sunday I'm just as sick and scared but I'm waiting for Monday so I can get in to see my GYN, So Monday I call but can't get in for days So I call every Women Dr. in the book but everyone was booked up for Months, I was just lost but then I thought the Health food store, So I call them and an older Lady gets on the line and tells me, "Come on down I'll have you feeling better by tonight". So I got my kids and I cleaned up and drove down, I cried all the way, just knowing she could help me.. Anyway I bought some Progesterone cream and really did feel better the next day, but then after a few days the mood swings started and I mean bad, fine one minute then swoosh down the next, and the feelings of doom and gloom were so bad, mind you I have 2 wonderful Children and great Husband to take care of I had no desire to live... That was scary because I have nothing to be down about, I have always been an upbeat mom and I love going out with my family, then all of a sudden to change so quickly. How can Hormones wreak such havoc.. Anyway, since then I've seen a bunch of women Dr. that haven't really helped but I did get blood test and an exam so I know that other things are fine, during this time I was still using the cream and I know now that I was using way too much and it was making my mood swings worse, I'm January I went to see a new Dr. (He is actually the Dr. that did the foreword in Suzanne Somers book) He put me on LDPC and I'm not really happy about it but I was will to do anything to feel better! I track my symptoms for 3 months before I go back and I do have a lot of good days now, so that is good...

Now for my Question~~ Sorry this is so long, Can anyone help me explain to my older sister (by 10 years) that Hormones and Peri symptoms are different then having a chemical imbalance, She thinks they are one in the same like some people can go schizophrenic~~Please someone tell me it's different and how do I explain it to her? At times I did feel like I was losing my mind!

My Mom had Hot flashes and blood clots, She doesn't remember the mental things like mood swings and anxiety..
I have 3 sisters, 2 are older with no problems so far, Oh why me??

Hi angpang. I don't know that it's not a chemical imbalance. A hideous term, yes. What I gathered in a nutshell was that the chemical MAO in the brain chews up your seratonin if it (the MAO) is allowed to increase. Lack of seratonin is what gives us the horrible symptoms. What keeps MAO in check is estrogen. If you're not making estrogen or being supplemented with it, the MAO rises. Pretty ugly.

BTW, pardon me for not welcoming you to this site. It's hardly a place anyone wants to be. That's my thinking. Not being unneighborly, you know.

Thanks for responding Nevermore, So that means that my sister is right? That is a scary thought! Has Women lost their minds from Peri? Please, please tell me no!!

Hi, and welcome

It's a little confusing, but basically, Nev is right: hormones are chemical in nature, and the brain is runs on electro-chemical changes. Some are neurotransmitters, some are hormones. hormones can operate v much like neurotransmitters , other times, not so much . Not much help, huh?

The real issue here for most of us is, what are the symptoms, what are the best options for controlling them, and how do we get our message across to others, ie, husbands and doctors.

And as we all know -- you will never get your message across to somebody who's not experienced what you're experiencing. Never ever.

I take estrogen, by the way, it's helped.

Nev,

In my mind, its analogous to red.

You can explain the physical phenomena of red to anyone, from wave lengths vs photons of light, to rods and cones, and maybe... maybe they'll get it.
But try to explain the perception of red, the experience of redness to a blind man, no way. Just no way.

I wasn't able to get thorough the whole post, but it could be peri...but you probably should have your thyroid checked out as well: blood tests for FT3, FT4 and TSH and the antibodies for autoimmune disease of the thyroid (meaning that you can have normal blood work but if you have antibodies still be suffering symptoms of throid problems). The symptoms are exactly the same peri and is a common condition in women, so it is always a good idea to check and it also does cause depression as well. As far as blood results go a TSH of 0.3-2.5 is where most folks feel the best and though everyone is different anything outside that is suspect....for more info on the FT4 and FT3 results you need to read up on thryoid problems, but for now just might be a good idea to get blood work. Joan (thyroid disease, Graves)

I'm so sorry my post was so long!! I'll learn. I didn't realize I didn't make that clear but I did have my thyroid tested and it came back fine..
Sorry!!