I have been perimenopausal for about 2 years now (looking back) but the last four months have been the worst yet. I now get a light period every 2.5-3 weeks, and for about 2 days before it starts up I get the night sweats, hot flashes, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, headaches that just won't quit, eye balls that have been sandblasted etc, etc. and this time it is dragging on, my period finished yesterday but I'm still nauseated. Thank goodness I have been on holiday for the last 10 days, but I have to go back to work in two days, and what is really scaring me is what happens 2 to 3 weeks from now??? Has anyone else found that their symptoms are worse when they have their period? How do you cope? My Dr told me that I should come back when I haven't had a period for a year as until then I am perimenopausal and he can't do anything. (This was several months ago) Having been looking around for the last few days I now very strongly suspect that his brains dribbled away at some stage. From what I have read I suspect that I have low eostrogen levels, surely I can get something to bring them back up?? I really don't think I can cope with this for another 8 years:( (Mind you it was that same Dr that told me that the menopausal process takes 10 years, I really hope he is wrong about that)

Good grief! I hate when doctors say things like this. He should have said it could take up to 10 years. It's not a given that it will take that long. For many women, the process is much shorter than that. Please try not to worry and welcome to Power Surge We'll help you through every step of the way.

I have posted in the past with the same issue that you are dealing with. I started symtoms around 3 years ago, I have had them all. I have noticed lately that my symtoms are at there worst during my period and for about 3-4 days after I bleed. I have periods every 21 days and truly dread when my period starts. This month I have had the worst case of the dizzies. As far as dealing with this, I cant find the answers. I felt as if I was low on estrogen but I dont know if I will ever find out. Hang in there

Thank you Mary it is good to know that it probably won't take that long. Periweary, I'm sorry you are not getting any help, I'm hoping when my Dr gets back from her holiday that I can start getting a jump on this. I have not spoken to her about this b4 bc of what my old Dr said, but as I said, I don't think he knows what he was talking about.

Maree---I just had to comment on your post stating your doctor's brains must have dribbled out at some stage....... I must say you made my day with that line--I haven't stopped laughing for 10 minutes! We must have the same ex-doctor.

KiwiGirl: I'm with you on the symptoms -- pounding heacache, nausea, symptoms like I'm getting a period but have nothing to show for it. The headache, etc. are beginning to interfere with my "quality of life" .. I feel like *%&$ most of the time! Have you found any ways to help alleviate those symptoms?? Redhead58

Hi, Redhead! Welcome to Power Surge! There are lots of suggestions on how to alleviate meno symptoms on the Recommendations page, as well as many areas of this huge site. Dearest has provided lots of articles for us. For example, there are some basic introductory articles, such as Power Surge's Menopause Survival Tips, and What's A Hot Flash? and About Your Hormones and a simple explanation of menopause in the Menopause Primer, Midlife Sexuality, Relationships / Vaginal Dryness and many, many others including, of course, Being The Best You. After you've looked around the site (there's way more here than these message boards!), you'll be able to find most anything you need. One of the best new areas is called Educate Your Body and that includes info on all kinds of topics of interest for us at this stage of life. Again, welcome

Oh my! Now I had suspected that I was quickly approaching menopause, but my doctor did a blood test and told me that I wasn't. Then she added that hormones fluctuate so much that it really is difficult to tell. Sooooooo... why did we do the blood test? It wasn't until March 2004 that I had the worst PMDD in the history (my history at least ) of PMDD. I felt so detached, dizzy, rapid mood swings, brrrrr...chills, felt like crying 24/7, depressed, happy, sad, depressed, happy, sad, irritable, tired, tinnitus intensified, allergies intensified, memory lapses that seem more like persistent total brain fog, spacey, spacey, spacey, did I say spacey? It was at this point that I began surfing the net trying to figure out what exactly was going on. I've been on antidepressants for two years for anxiety disorder and the antidepressant wasn't working at all the week of March 15. That's when I learned a new word "perimenopause". What a godsend there was a name for what I was experiencing!!! Like the other ladies who have posted I also dread the approaching period. The week before is the worst. I'm not posting just to get confirmation that others experience intensified peri symptoms at this time of the month, but to hopefully learn what I can do to help myself. Believe me prayer and the ladies at sites like Power Surge have been the best medicine anyone could prescribe.

As a fellow PMDD sufferer the work before menses is HELL!! When I had periods every 3 weeks I was a basket case chronically. PMDD sufferers are at higher risk of depression through perimenopause. JOY OF JOYS. I had every symptom of PMDD. Day 3 was once magical in offering relief, now I'm all over the map. I was far from happy in the PMDD phase, however.

work, I'm sorry I meant week, although that week is work to maintain a shred of sanity. Oh, the antidepressants stopped being as effective in peri. I'm starting to see a very faint light at the end of this insane night.

Chriscarol, so you have also noticed that your antidepressant doesn't seem to work at this time? My doctor an I had been playing with various dosage of antidepressants an I only received minimum relief. I was wondering if I as the most difficult case around, until March 2004. That's when I realized that my symptoms had to be more than anxiety disorder related not just because of the symptoms I listed in the above post, but because the Wellbutrin didn't seem to help. For two week out of the month Wellbutrin seem to be my "friend". Doing almost what it was intended to do...then a couple of days before my period it would appear to stop working completely. Anyone else having the same reaction? I've been seriously thinking about dropping Wellbutrin and doing Sarafem. Yes, I know that it's just a fancy name for Prozac, but I only need something two weeks out of the month. Oy!!! I'll think about that tomorrow:).