Hi. I am soon to be 42 (in 2 days) and have really rode a terrible ride of peri, which my gyno swears I am not in. My periods were coming closer and closer together, had lots of anxiety, weepiness, could cry at any minute, etc. Sometimes I would cry all day for days on end. My gyno gave me BCP, but have switched to bios as I am not comfortable with the synthetics. The worst symptoms was definitely at this time last year. I have 2 kids, ages 13 & 11, and it was all I could do to keep up with them and their activities, keep clothes clean and work part time. Luckily I am blessed with a very supportive hubby and he helps as much as he can, but his job requires him to work a lot of overtime. ANyway, I am feeling better than I was last year at this time and just wondering if the worst is over or if I can expect more horrible symptoms to return. I was literally on the verge of a nervous breakdown! I am also taking Effexor and I think this has helped some, also, but I'm still not back to my old self. Will I ever be? How many more years can I expect this to go on? I know everyone is different, but this has been the most difficult years of my life. I probably started this at the age of 39. Thanks for any advice!
Karlene

It's possible that your symptoms are not perimenopausal in nature. How did your gyn determine that you were not perimenopausal ?

Are you having any temperature control problems yet ? Finding that you get too warm at night ? Or get abnormally overheated and have a hard time cooling down when you exert yourself or are in a hot place ?

Are you having palpitations or adrenaline rushes ?

Hi Karlie:

Welcome to PS. I am sorry that you are having such a rough road. I will not say for sure that you are going through peri but it sure sounds like a lot of my days and I am going through peri. I started at age 35 and am still here.

I have the crying, the fatigue, periods changed dramatically and sometimes near nothing at all, etc, etc. Read the information section here and it will answer alot of questiions for you.

I started zoloft when I was 36 and it has helped greatly with some of the anxiety and definitely the depression I was having then. I am not sure where I would be now without it.

Keep posting and let us know how you are doing.

Hugs to you,
Jeaninne

My gyno determined I wasn't in peri based on FSH, which I've been reading isn't very reliable during peri. I really seem to struggle the most in the a.m. I feel shakey, nauseated, tired, overwhelmed by the least little thing. I don't know if this is peri or something else. Do you think I should check my adrenals and see if that is an issue? I am so scared I will never feel myself again. Help!

In my early through mid 40s, I went through all the emotional stuff like anxiety, sadness, etc. That went away and turned to more physical stuff like heavy bleeding. I think the whole process can be 10-15 years but there are good days in between the bad ones. Your life will never be the same, but it just might get better. The shaky, am nausea part sounds like thyroid stuff. Anemia can also cause all sorts of weird symptoms.