Ok so I am new, joined yesterday, been reading other ladies stories and honestly I am so freaking out here. My goodness if doctors dont believe you then what? The scariest thing for me, would be my doctor telling me, "ohhh its just stress, relax it will pass" and then for me to keep experiencing symptoms, that would leave me feeling so alone. I dont want to loose my mind with peri, and my own doctor who is female, asked me, whether I had missed periods and i said no, and she said "well your not going through peri then." Your too young. Im 38.

Is there a test I can have done, and is it accurate?

thankyou for listening to my ranting.

sylvia

Hi and welcome to Power-Surge! Please feel free to come here and rant all you want!
I was just curious as to what your symptoms are, but maybe you posted before and i just didn't take time to read.
You say you are still having periods, are they regular?
There are blood tests (and saliva tests) for hormone levels that you can talk to your dr about (FSH. LH, Progesterone, Estrogen, just to name a few)

Well I have anxiety and ocd, so I guess its hard to know what is what. But 8 months ago, I had a kind of breakdown (I call it). My anxiety levels got out of control, and this was all triggered from what someone had told me about my symptoms. I was having hot flushes, visual disturbances, freaking out, felt like my legs were jelly, pain in my chest. Feelings of falling. Hard to know whether its just anxiety or peri. But the hot flushes I have had for atleast 4 years. At times I had to turn the fan on and sit infront of it as I was burning up. Also during my break down, I would wake up sweaty and clammy and also with tremours. The tremours had started months before my break down. Just walking around with a foggy head, feeling very open, disociating big time. It was scarey, I am on zoloft and took risperidone for my high anxiety levels. This has helped with the symptoms, although I still feel very hot. Again it is hard for me to know what is what, but I know that I too, will have to go through peri and menopause and it all sounds so scarey. My periods are regular, although this month i think they were late. What makes me think its something more than just anxiety is , the way i freaked out and how bad my ocd and anxiety and depression has been. I have never been this bad before. Also I had noticed that at times I had this really happy feeling which was warm, where I felt my life was going to change and then I would feel down or experience terror.

thankyou for listening

sylvia

Sylvia, I don't remember if you said you had hormone testing done...it won't hurt to have it done if you have not had it done before. Doctors are clueless really when it comes to this, they don't like dealing with perimenopause, only actual MENOPAUSE. Heck, some don't even believe in PERIMENOPAUSE. You don't have to miss periods to be in perimenopause, especially if it is the early stages. Perimenopause is a stage that slowly leads to menopause, your body goes through that change slowly and some of us are more sensitive to those changes that others. I know you have not missed any periods but have they changed in any other way such as how long they are now lasting, or are they lighter, heavier. I have noticed over the past 3 or 4 years a change in mine, although I have never missed one. They have gotten less in frequency and less in days, and also they have gotten more spotty. In other words, they do not flow constantly like they used to for 6-7 days. I have a constant flow now for 3-4 days, none at all for the 5 day, and then a spot for the 6th day. That for me is different. I also am having some hot flashes also. I noticed my first one 3 years ago, but they were not frequent at that time.....now they are becoming more frequent. I believe peri is strongly exacerbating your mental issues. Just my thought. Trust me when I tell you, I was also scared when all this first started happening that I would not be my old self again....and that within itself threw me for an anxious depressive loop...I feel I had my own little "breakdown" when I was 40/41. It was hell because my body was going through something that I did not understand. It is still going through it but I guess my body has gotten somewhat used to it, but it is still sad....I feel it will one day get better and that keeps me going...Feel better...Once again, you are definitely not alone on this ride....

Just wanted to say welcome and that you are not alone. I am 41 and going through peri. My symptoms come and go and change. My biggie right now is insomia. But I do the anxiety thing too. I'm reluctant to talk to my regular doc because I'm pretty sure he'll just want to give me some "pills". I don't want that. I want to know why I feel this way! Am trying lots of natural alternatives. Some work or, but no magic pill yet! Anyhow, I come here most often just to read and sometimes to post. It is VERY comforting to have a place where people really understand. Welcome, but I wish you didn't have to join us. Hang in there.

Sylvia, are you my twin?? I am 40 and just recently bit the bullet after 6 years with no insurance to go get my female exam done. He said it was pretty much useless to do hormone testing right now because they fluctuate so much but I am having a thyroid, cholesterol and thorough bloodwork done on Tuesday to rule out other things. He was very understanding which I am not used to and does recognize peri in women which is an extreme plus. He said he could just hand me some meds, but wanted to check out everything else first to make sure it is not thyroid since it can mimic peri. I am feeling so much like you right now..... My anxiety is through the roof and I also suffer from OCD too. mine is mostly with moving furniture. Now for a funny story, my hubby and I have been married for 21 years and he always hated that I moved furniture around so much. We remodeled our house about 6 years ago and he sure did fix me, or hurt me, not sure which cause now I have no release. I didnt realize what he was doing at the time, but he made it to where I couldnt move any furniture the way we remodeled. Now I am very bitter with him because that was my way of releasing stress. So..... I have figured out how to move certain things but not enough to get that release. Hopefully when we get new furniture in the future, I will be able to move things more. I know he doesnt understand but he needs to. He is learning though as we go along. I think I am in denial as far as admitting to myself that I could be a bit depressed. I need to address that. So much has happened in the last several year, Major life changing things. I guess I am afraid to admit it. Not sure why. I wish you well and if you ever need to talk, pm me. Hang in there.

Hugs,
Kim

Also forgot to mention that just today, but not for the first time, I have also had the jelly legs and dizziness, fogginess, and disassociation. I have those the most on top of the extreme anxiety. We'll get through this together!

Thankyou all for your replies, so much appreciated. No I havent had any testing done as of yet, apart from some tests in the beginning, to do with thyroid etc. I will ask doctor again to give me a peri test and hopefully this time she will listen.

Thats all for now and thankyou once again

sylvia

I don't have a problem with docs defining peri as the time when the cycles become irregular. Peri is not well-defined.

I do however have a big problem with docs who blow off common peri symptoms to other causes. It is well known, and should be known by all docs, especially gyns, that women in their mid to late 30's start having anovulatory cycles which, IMO, is the start of peri. The hormones get out of whack and that causes all sorts of other problems. Why they don't acknowledge this is a total shame. All of the women who think they are going nuts, who think their hearts are giving out, could be helped by this one key piece of info.