Hi everyone!
I'm new to the boards and I am so happy I found it! I'll be 39 this year and I have two children, 9 & 5. I started buzzing on my perineum almost a year. It was 24/7 for days. Went to see my doctor he said he thought it was a bulging disc in my back. Did an MRI and it showed I had one but with no major pinching. He gave me steroids and I went on my merry way. It continued for months. The BAM.....like a switch....my life changed. One day I started another twitch in my thigh. I FREAKED out beyond anything before. I thought is was MS! Went back to the doctor, he said well it could be another pinched nerve. Put me back on steroids again and I had nasty side effects!!! The buzzing/tingling/vib./ twitching started happening everywhere. Went back again...crying this time. He did a neurological test, said everything looked fine but ordered a brain scan for MS to rule it out. It came back fine, nothing wrong. But put me on anti-anxiety & depression meds, which I never took, didn’t feel that was the problem, although I do suffer with anxiety really bad now. Went to a Chiropractor which my insurance does not pay for. I felt better, but just not ‘normal’. The zips/zap and buzzing continued. Then the symptoms of crying, rage, hair thinning, dry skin, lip hair, darkening of my skin in some places, horrid scary dreams, my memory....what was I saying....Oh, I can remember anything, the buzzing/vib./twitching/ and this list goes on and on. Went back to the doctor and he then diagnosed me with peripheral neuropathy, which I believe I DON’T HAVE! I know my body and this is not it. I do however have 23 out of the 34 symptoms of Meno.
I think like most women, I feel I’m to young. Although my Mom started in her mid 30's and done and on the other side in her mid to late 40's. I feel there MUST be something else wrong they are not finding. I do have an appointment with my GYN on Friday so maybe he can shed some light the peri symptoms. Just wanted to say HI and any words of encouragement would help so much! thank you

welcome to peri- world , hold on tight it might be a bumpy ride !!!

Dear Mom,

Sorry to hear that you are going through this right now! It sounds like you are in peri to me...which means your hormones are starting to decline resulting in the above symptoms. If you are having rage issues, your free testosterone could be too high! I started in my 30's as well! Since you are going to see your doctor on Friday there are some tests that you should get in terms of seeing where your hormones are. Be prepared to insist because he/she will feel that you are too young to be in peri since you are still having periods (if you are)!

Please note where you are in your cycle. In the follicular phase (between days 1, 2, or 3) and in the luteal phase (days 19, 20, or 21) please have them test your estrogen, progesterone, and both total and free testosterone! Also, some women have thyroid problems at this stage so thyroid testing would include your TSH, Free T3, Free T4, and Thyroid Antibodies! Many of us have also found that we are low in iron and vitamin d so if you can get them to test those as well you are doing terrific!

By the way, if you are not near any of the above days in your cycle, ask for an order so that you can go to a lab or outpatient hosptial lab and be tested on those days so you won't have to wait 30 days or so to be tested! Testing on days other than those could come back okay because you weren't tested on the right days! Unfortunately, some doctors are unaware when to test and are also unaware of how to prescribe hormones properly! If you're not already on BCP, they will probably offer you that option. If so, please make sure that they give you a very high estrogen BCP with low progesterone...


Best Wishes,

TJ

Oh you poor thing to be feeling so awful with young children around. I dont' know how to get you to relax your mind and know that you've been tested and all came back clear. i, too, have been and I still keep insisting they missed something. How could you feel so awful and be fine. I really think these hormones stop our minds from thinking clearly. I mean, when you are buzzing/twitching, etc. how can you not be concerned? Please keep coming here and reading back to older posts and see you are not alone. Maybe a journal will help so you can look back and remind yourself of what tests you had when and what the results were and how you feel. I may give you some relief.

Your mom started in her 30's so you may be too. I have a cousin who was done by 45, so was in peri for years before. Please know I am here to listen and help whenever you need it. I struggle with health anxiety as well. it is awful and some months better than others. now I am in a bad cycle and am hoping to come out of it soon.

Good luck and I hope yo feel better.

Thank you for your kind replys! I just started my period this morning, so if I can get tested on Friday, that's good right??? This month was right on the 28th day. Last month was 2 weeks early and the month before that I was a week late. So they are all over the place. I am still having them but really never know when
Thanks again guys!!

I'd definitely go for the testing on Friday and see what happens. That would be day four and so you estrogen levels will just be starting to go back up again...so it will still give you a baseline! You can still get tested later in the luteal phase later on because all of your levels could be different during that time as well, mine were very different! Of course, the luteal phase is when things worsen for me!

Mine are starting to get longer too, wondering what that means....today is day 31 and still no period!


Best Wishes,

TJ

I am only 30 and having many of the same symptoms you ladies mention. Internal shaking, buzzing in my back, hot flashes, dizziness that I'm not sure now is just allergies, and creepy crawly legs...and surges in my legs. All these things cause me to be very anxious. I don't try to be anxious but panic just comes upon me like a storm sometimes. I just want to understand all this. If I can know what is causing these symptoms I think I can handle them (with God's help) but not knowing disconcerting. I am going to my GP on Monday for my annual checkup. I am quite sure he is going to put me on some sort of anxiety medicine and tell me I'm too young for peri- and then probably run me through the ringer with all sorts of tests.

Thanks for posting. It is nice to know I'm not alone. I feel like people think I'm going crazy. I feel that way myself sometimes

Welcome Andrea!

No, you're not crazy but get tested on Monday...not sure if I wrote this here but if you are still havinga a period make sure that you get yourself tested in the follicular phase (days 1, 2, or 3) of your cycle AND in the luteal phase (days 19, 20, or 21) of your cycle. If you are not near any of these days, then have them give you an order and go to the lab or outpatient hosptial lab and get the testing done during those times. Otherwise, the test results could come back stating that your levels are okay. Also, don't settle for a phone conversation telling you that you are normal or a letter, get copies of all of your lab results because even though they may tell you that things are "normal" if the results are borderline and you are symptomatic, you still could need supplementation.

Tests to be obtained would be estrogen, total and free testosterone, and progesterone. Also, thyroid testing should be obtained with the TSH, Free T3, Free T4, and Thyroid Antibodies.

Just a note, since you stated that you are young, they will probably recommend birth control pills but make sure you get the testing (so that you know where your levels are) done before settling for that option!

Best Wishes,

TJ

I agree with skee on not settling with the usual BCP script. Demand testing so you know where you are. Be aware that sometimes the tests don't show us having hormone problems. I highly recommend keeping a journal so that you can look back and see what was happening at what time of the month. This became a huge comfort for me early on in all of this. My biggest problems hit when I was 36 and I got the whole "you are to young and it must be a mental thing" for nearly three years. I have since found a fab doctor who did a blood test (no one else would do it) and have been using BHRT for nearly four months with extraordinary results. My progesterone was bottomed out, my testosterone was sky high, my thyroid needed dealing with, I was d3 deficient ....but according to three doctors I was just sufferering with panic disorder ! Just don't take no for an answer and don't be afraid to fire your doctor if they don't listen!

Dear 'Andrea'
A very warm welcome to this fantastic supportive Forum
All you have described sounds as if you are in 'Peri' and no you are not too young so do not any Doctor brush you off with that glib statement.Actually I have discovered 'Menopause-like Death-know no age.
You know your body and exactly how you are feeling.Get your Hormone levels tested and do not forget to have your Thyroid checked too.

Please keep us Posted
And let us know what the Doctor has to say.
If you feel you were not listened to or taken seriously get a second opinion.

Warm Wishes
'