I don't know where to start.

I am 9 days into my cycle, a terrible heavy period, and I am very uptight, tired and cranky.
I have been on edge for the past 3 days but today I have been the worst. I am so very tired, but last night I went to bed at 9:45 and got up a 8:00! Thought I for sure would feel bit better. I am confused and so uptight. Don't want to be around anyone too much. I am not like this usually. I jumped all over DH today... now I feel so bad for it, lots of tears now.... I feel so stupid. I am 51. I have hot flashes and have missed one period 3 months ago. I feel like I am a bit crazy right now. I don't know what to do...

Isabel, I'm 51 too and have experience the exact same thing!
I dread having periods!
My last period lasted 3 days and I was shocked! First time!
Last year all I did was bleed!

Trust me I understand!
Your so weary and just want it to end, you wake up the next day hoping to feel a little better but feel worse.
I try and ride it out> come to P-S and whine-cry take ativan!

TG it passes and I get a little break!

Sorry I'm not much help >will just give you a hug!
((((Isabel))))

Thankyou Snowmoon56, your responce made me tear up...

I feel soooo stupid and forgetful and stressed out. I guess the heavy cycles can make you weary, huh. I am happy for you just having a 3 day-er. I can't be so tired... I have 2 daughters here that need me, ages 11 and 5.

Thanks so much for the HUG...

(((HUGS))) right back~

(((((((((((((((isabel)))))))))))))))

I have been having days like that too. I am sorry for all of us because of this but have no answers, only hugs to give.

Jeaninne

We ALL seem to get upset and cranky. I am awful and often ashamed of myself for being such a beeyotch. I am so very concerned about my total lack of concentration and memory. I am thinking I have Altzheimers.

Hi Isabel,

This is such a hard and confusing time of life for so many of us. Please know that you are among very good friends here. We all can empathize to one degree or another, with one symptom or another.

I found that the best way to approach my changing moods was to explain straight out to the people I am around what is going on with me. Do not under-estimate the people who care about you. My family has been wonderfully supportive, I believe, because I told them plainly that my hormones are running the show here.

I wish you speedy relief from your symptoms and an atmosphere of peace.

Very best,
Marcy

Hi girls,

I'm having one of those days too. Been awake since 5:00am , at work, and feeling like crap.

Oh what a day !!, hugs to all

Mozie

Thankyou for your responces.
I have talked to my family about how this peri is affecting me, my two older daughters 27 and 25 and my husband, they seem sympathetic but I do not think they believe how I truly weird am feeling. My husband I think, feels that all women go thruough this and maybe I am exagerating a bit. I used to love to have the older kids over with their husbands and make I would make big dinners. Now I dread it. Seems like everyone is having a good time but me. I get very nervous and feel so unable to do it right now. Overwhelmed is a great way to describe it. Is this possibly peri? I have noticed that the depression I have dealt with off and on has come back worse. I do not enjoy things as I used to. This is usually my favorite time of year and here I am a bummer to be around. What will I be like in Fall? Fall has been a sort of sad time all my life. I am feeling so old, forgetful, sad and pretty useless lately. I have 2 young daughters who I need to be well for. They are my main concern...
It is helpful to hear from you other ladies about how you are going through this time. I never imagined it would be like this!

Hi Isabel,

I know what you mean. I think my husband feels I'm exagerating as well. I've always be a very social person who loved to be the center of attention. Now I don't want to go anywhere or do anything and that's depressing in itself. I have a daughter who is 27 and she seems to understand my moods as does my mother. My mother is 70 and she started going through meno at age 52. She STILL has the hot flashes. I really don't think I can handle this that long. I'm very irritable, cry a lot, have panic attacks and like you, very forgetful and sad. I use to enjoy cooking and now if my husband wants anything to eat, he has to make it himself. I'm just so extremely exhausted all the time. I too feel so-oo-ooo old. I'm 50 but 2 years ago I didn't think I was old. My body is going through so many changes and I just do not like what I see. Do you understand what I mean? I don't know how old you are but what you're describing does sound like peri. Just know that there are many others out there going through the same thing and everyone here does their best to help. Good luck and hang in there.

Donna

Hi Donna,
Boy, it seems like we are having a pretty symptoms. You sound so much like me! Irritable, so tired, cry easy, stressed and worry about everything, confusion! I love to cook. But right now I could order in every night, but I don't...
On feeling old, I am right there with you on feeling sooooo old. I turned 50 last summer. I started having hot flashes when I was 38 but I got pregnate and the hot flashes stopped for about 5 years. But they returned along with many other peri symtoms. They have gotten so much worse in the past year. Your poor mom! I don't know if I could handle them for that long either!

Really my husband is wonderful. I think he has seen his mom and older sisters breeze through to meno already, (lucky them, their periods just stopped!), so. I don't think he gets how awful I am feeling. He trys... I love him so for putting up with my moods... I know that when I have been a crazy lady he stays.... comforts me and listens and listens and listens. If he and I switched places, I don't know how much of me I could take.

Usually I could handle things sooooo much better. YES, I totally understand what you mean. My body is going thru so many changes also. And my face seems like I have aged 10 years this past year! I don't know what to do.

Good luck to you too,

Isabel

referring to last post before...

You'd think after me being this way many times wonderful times, I could spell the word pregnant right...

Hi Isabel,

Hope you're feeling better today. I had a really good day 2 days ago but then it was back again yesterday. I just sat in the bathtub and cried about anything I could think of it seemed. Mostly, the sight of my body disgusts me. Like you, my face has really, really aged. I never get in the sun anymore but even my skin has gotten thin and even though I keep lotion on ALL THE TIME, my legs look like a lizard's skin. I suppose I just never really gave this any thought so I was totally unprepared for it. My husband does his best to understand as well but like you, if the shoe was on the other foot, I don't know if I could deal with me. It does help that he is willing to sit and talk with me about it though and he knows this is something I have no control over so we just take each day as it comes. He calls me every day to check on me and see if I'm feeling any better and I just wish I could have a few days in a row where I could say yes. I started taking Estroven (with Black Cohosh) yesterday but I'm told it takes awhile before any changes will be noticed. Have you ever heard of it? My mom couldn't take it.

Thanks for taking the time to discuss all this with me. It's like I found someone so-ooo-oo much like me.

Donna

Hang in there, Overwhelmed! Many of us are going through similar circumstances.

I'm 51 - and for some reason, turning 50 -- the number 5-0 -- seemed SOOOOOOO old to me. 49 was okay. I didn't mind my forties, at all . . . but when the number turned to 5-0, I began to feel old.

I really believe that we're so conditioned to believe that anything over 50 is old, that it depresses us to reach that point. IMO, our culture is way out of whack with that type of thinking. Everything is so youth based and doesn't include older people. --- 50 is not old. 51 is not old. Yes, I'm a little older than I was, but I'm not old . . . but still, so many people out there think that 50 is old and would consider me as being old. It's hard to fight that, when a culture is so engrained in its youth and believes that sex appeal and worth only belong to younger people.

We have to fight that - that absurd belief that reaching our age makes us automatically old. I will still buy sexy clothes, if I want to. I will not give in to that notion that I'm old right now. I'll have to be much older, before I change the way I treat myself - I mean, the clothing I like to wear, etc.

I'm not ready for stretch-waist pants and orthopedic shoes.

I hear ya! I still try to dress in sexy clothes also. Most of the time I have on very high heels. I've never thought of 50 as being old either. My mom is 70 and to me, she isn't old. She's in better shape physically than I am. Most of my friends are a year or two older than I am but none of them have started menopause yet and the other day I was talking to one of them about all the symptoms and she said, "Oh good grief! Here's a quarter, go call somone who cares". That blew me away because she has been my best friend for quite some time. I tried not to let it show that it bothered me but I really haven't heard much from her since then. No e-mails, no phone calls. I'm just so glad I found this place. It is very comforting to know there are others out there who feel EXACTLY the same way I do. Hang in there and keep up the youth!!

Donna

isabel, I feel like that a lot, too. I missed my period in March, April, and June. My periods have always been on the light to normal side lasting 3 days. What will this month bring? I dread if I would have a heavy period-it will scare me witless.
I feel old, cranky, tired, snap at my husband, feel lonely but sometimes it is better if I am alone. I think my own sister gets tired of me asking her questions about menopause, blood pressure, etc as she does not answer them in emails. I have been in contact with an old classmate via email. Same age but she doesn't seem to be having any menopause symptons outside of heavy periods due to fibroids. It does seem like a lot of us feel the same way and have the same symptons!
Hang in there gals! Pam

I don't think of myself as old alot of the time. Yet I feel so much older then I did just one year ago. My hair is just so dry and frizzed out. I use tons of conditioner, I am trying a flat iron and use all the treatments to slick it more strait, but it is not really working like I would want. Any hints?
For your friend who said the 'here's a quarter' comment. She certainly does not understand... I was complaining just a bit on how I was feeling with a good friend. And she seemed to brush me off, she is on anti-depressants. She told me to go get some... Maybe I should? but... I do remember listening to her at her tough times. It was a wake up call for me. I guess that maybe I was complaining to much to people? I did not try to. But maybe my friend thought so. I too am happy to have found this place to talk to others about this strange time of our lifes.