Okay - just a run-down of some symptoms and what's going on with me. Oh - and thank goodness I've found this site!!! I don't know why I didn't look before. I've belonged to a PCOS website for a couple years - was diagnosed with that about five years ago (I'm 36) and now I've been trying to get a handle on what's going on and just naturally assume it perimenopause - but with pcos I can't quite tell as some of the symptoms are the same.

Nausea - either before period, during, after - whenever
nasty moods - getting real mean, real quick for no reason whatsoever
headaches whenever
more insomnia
hot flashes (got these before my period in the last couple years - now having more whenever)
and some of my pcos symptoms are worse (facial hair, weird period this time etc)
and just a general tired fatiguey feeling
with constant PMSy like feelings - mostly the nasty moods mentioned above

The doc (an internist) recently did blood work and all was "normal" - which is skewed because of the pcos - according to all my readings over the last few years fsh levels are "normal to low" in women with pcos

My question besides "Am I nuts to think it might be perimenopause also?" is:
Aren't the docs supposed to check your fsh levels several times during your cycle?? He's referring me to a gynecologist which is fine with me - but I'm hoping this next guy can do something for me. The pcos I've been managing without meds - but if these mood swings dont' get under control (without losing my high sex drive - the extra testosterone with pcos does this wonderful little thing for me) soon I may be living in a padded room watching Sesame Street!

Thanks
Suzy

Hi Suzy,

Well, you've maintained your sense of humor!

It must be very confusing to compare the symptoms you've had with PCOS with those of perimenopause. In both instances, swinging hormones are wreaking all kinds of havoc! Testing hormone levels is kind of iffy, as they are so changeable. Some doctors do this; others don't feel it's worth the trouble & expense. They are more focussed on the symptoms you're having.

It is possible you're in the early stages of peri. We've had other newbies recently who are in their 30's, seeing early signs of this. I started at about age 39.

It's good you'll be seeing a gynocologist - hope he'll be helpful. And Welcome to the "Surge!"



Jacquie

Hi there Suzy - Welcome to Power Surge...

It's good your going to see a GYN...I hope it's a good one. You could absoulutly be going thru peri-meno... and if your nuts - well, then I and many ladies at Power Surge are nuts too - what great comfort to know that your not alone . As far as the blood/lab work... according to my GYN... you could do the blood/lab work in the a.m....and it may show "normal"...and that very same afternoon -you could have the blood/lab work done ..and it may show that your peri-meno... or vice versa... the hormones fluctuate so much during peri-meno... I had the blood/lab work done so many times over the last few years - and it always showed "normal"...and then finally last year - it showed peri-meno...and I knew gosh darn well I was peri. since I was in my 30's.. I'm 45 now... So Suzy - you know your body and you know the symptoms - you probably are peri-meno... Best Wishes..
Blessings,
Stacy

joliejacq - Yes I've kept my sense of humor thankfully - however some days it's mixed in with a dash of smarta** and just a touch of what I label as "not able to keep my mouth shut to save my lifeitis" :) :) But other than that yes - sense of humor intact (sp?)

I will say that I've been thinking I'm nutty, or pregnant or whatever - but after bloodwork (not pg) and searching and searching stuff up on perimenopause and finding out nothing - I decided to "Google" and typed in perimenopause message boards and VOILA! Thankfully! :) I'm so glad too - now I KNOW I'm not nuts. I knew I wasn't alone - just was in good company at the funny farm! :) It truly is confusing with pcos and perimenopause - so many of the same symptoms - and the doc just laughed because he was sure I was pregnant - had me believing it for a minute or two - until the bloodwork came back - Who is laughing now?? :)

But I really think this is what it is - and most of it I can deal with - however the supreme nastiness - well that's another story. I now know why the play is entitled "Annie get your Gun" :) :) :) :) She was a menopausal woman - had to be!

And SugarNSpice - good info on the bloodwork - hadn't known all that before. It just amazes me what doctors dont' tell you. I've had several people tell me - go see a woman doctor - but that's not an answer - I think if I see one who is used to doing "chick stuff" like a gynecologist - well then it will help a lot.

Is anyone just doing herbals alone?? And not going the anti-depressant/anti-anxiety and hormone replacement route? I'm going to try just the "natural" way for a while - then I'll get out the "big guns" so to speak if I need to.

I'm so very glad and thankful (isn't it great when you are in a lovey dovey type mood swing where everything is rosey?? :) to find this board - truly - I actually feel much more peaceful now. :)

Thanks - I'll be reading all weekend I'm sure :) Lots of great info too! You guys are awesome

What, we have another smart*** on the board! Do you say things that you think are really funny to be greeted with a face like thunder (like I do)?

I'm one of the many trying to go the natural route without anti-anx meds. I take passiflora to help me stay calm, Bachs rescue remedy for flashes of anxiety and a Sealeg when I'm desperate (like benadryl I suppose)

For the meno I take a good multivit/ multimineral and a hormonal tablet which consists of zinc, magnesium and B vits. B vits help anxiety I understand.

HRT has been pushed my way by helpful "friends and family" who think it's a cure all but I've stayed away as I've heard nausea can be a side effect (I hate being sick) and I'm seeing quite a few people lately who took HRT (synthetic) who are now being diagnosed with breast cancer, which scares the heck out of me.

"What, we have another smart*** on the board! Do you say things that you think are really funny to be greeted with a face like thunder (like I do)?"

Yes - another smarta**! And what other reason is there to be a smarta** other than that?? Glad to know I'm not the only one - although you are "across the pond" and all.

Sealeg? If it's like benadryl then it might make you more anxious. At least that's what benadryl does to me - if I feel the need to totally chill and go nighty night - then I take it - but I find if I take it two many nights in a row - whammo - supreme anxiety stuff.

Luckily one of my sisters told me what worked for her. She said soy, soy, soy, soy, and more soy! I'm going to go to Costco (huge warehouse store - not sure if they have anything like it in the UK) today and get some. She said she takes several caplets several times a day and no nastiness, no crying, no ickiness whatsoever. I figure what have I got to lose? My mind is already gone

What I'm taking so far for all of this is : multi-vitamin, flax seed oil caplets, b-6, b-12, magnesium, calcium, evening primrose oil (which you don't just take in the evening - odd name I think:) and now soy soy soy. Now I need something natural to help with some weight loss - but I think if I can get some of these symptoms under control - then I can shift my concerns to the weight and get moving again Just haven't felt like myself for months and don't feel like moving around sometimes - just so darned tired.

Hopefully I won't have to go on any other "real" meds - I too don't want breast cancer - or to worry about it every time I take a pill. But if I dont' see a difference in a few months time - well then I might have to go that route. I'm keeping my fingers crossed - and trying to have a "dont' sweat the small stuff" attitude - although when I'm in supreme nastiness mode NOTHING is small stuff!

Thanks for the reply alice3 - your weather has jumped the pond to the east side of Washington State by the way - it's very "UK" like outside - rainy, and chilly. We had 70 degree weather the last couple weeks - thought we were done with "yuck"

Suzy

Just cold here today!

Soy can also give you wind. Perhaps that encourages people to stay away!

alice3 - like the wind beneath my wings? lol - yeah hopefully on the days I'm with my "boy"friend I won't be "windy" - I'll just have to take some phayzyme or something - he's about the only one lately I DON'T want to run off.

Anyone else have food cravings? I swear - this is why the doc just assumed I was pregnant - this and the nausea and all of it. He just assumed I was "too young". Silly doctor! Some days I want some types of food so bad (and not just the chocolate or salty thing either - like steak or veggies and fruit) and then when I actually get it - I'm totally disinterested. It's weird.

Speaking of which - I need to unpack my groceries (gee grocery shopping while being in a bitchy mood swing - fun fun fun! and get some stuff done around here before I eat dinner later

Thanks
Suzy

Right now I'm seriously craving avocados.

I could eat 6 a day! (but don't).

Must be in need of some natural fats.

When I was pregnant, it was CHERRIES. Fortunately, the bulk (so to speak) of my pregnancy was in the summer months, when they were available.

Avocados? Hmm - only like guacamole Of course then you have to have chips - then margaritas - well it's a downward spiral after that!

I've just been craving either hot dogs with onions, fruity pebbles cereal - or anything lemon - juice, pound cake, meringue etc etc etc.

Of course last month before my period I craved chili-cheese fries (hate the things normally) and cinnamon rolls - don't like those much either LOL - very weird. I usually just give in to one little craving a week - so I don't gain any more weight - but it's hard to not give in sometimes

Suzy

[FONT=Arial]**update**

I had my gynecologist visit today. It didn't go well at all. I was basically made to feel like a "silly woman". He informed me that I'm NOT perimenopausal because I'm too young and also because my sisters weren't this young when they went through it. And I probably don't have pcos either.

Then he said he would put me on yasmin (I need birth control anyway) to help with my mood swings and pcos symptoms (Wait...I don't have this do I - he just said.........) and also my mood swings aren't caused by hormones most likely. "Women have the tendency to blame their moods on hormones".

I feel like an idiot - and I feel about 10 sizes smaller than when I went in and I'm only 5'2" to begin with!!!

He didn't want to update my pcos testing - and he mentioned a couple times that if I wanted to get pregnant he could help with that and it was also mentioned that he needn't see me unless it was urgent - for a year. No follow-up to see how the birth control is going for my moods - nothing!

I'm angry, sad, disappointed etc etc. I didn't need to be RIGHT - I just needed to be heard. You know?? This is the second Dr. I've been to in three weeks. My sisters said to go to a female next time. But I've had good luck with male docs before.

I'm more confused than ever. I tried to explain to him that my periods have always been iffy - but that they have NEVER just stopped suddenly. And I mentioned the luck I was having with the soy and other supplements (great luck with my anger and other issues - still itchy though, but might be allergic to the primrose oil) and I feel fantastic and my "boy"friend and co-workers have all noticed the difference.

Write back - don't - it's okay. I just needed to vent again before I hit the hay.

Night ladies - thanks,
Suzy

How does that song go "Tell me the old, old story..."

And I can tell you that none of the lady doctors were any different!

This has been my experience as well. No different than a man. I have found a wonderful male doc who I love and is helping me the best he can.

alice3 and dicannon - thank you I didn't figure a woman would necessarily be better than a man dr. - I just figure it's a matter of finding a Dr. I'm comfortable with and who listens to me. That's all I want.

I've known there is a chance my pcos is worse - or contributing to some of these symptoms. Fine. Not a problem. But if a Dr. truly thinks that neither of these is the cause - then DO NOT shove a pill of ANY kind at me (Yes I do want to go on the pill - but I would like more discussion first) without talking WITH me and not AT me. Tell me WHY you feel a certain bcp is the best etc etc - and test me if there is a possibility it can be ANYTHING that might be detrimental to my health. That's all that I ask.

I work as a data entry clerk in a hospital billing office - and I know from talking to the medical coders that 1 - Dr.'s who deal with OB patients make tons more than just your routine gynecological visit - and 2 - Docs who order test after test only get the visit level coded higher - they dont' get anything extra. The lab gets the extra $.
And I do know that pharmaceutical reps are always pushing the latest and greatest "new" pill of any kind on the docs - so they load them up with samples of what they want them to give out. Which is why I was given Yasmin - at least in my opinion. I should have asked for a different pill and just asked for a scrip for it.

Oh well - I'm going to rebound from this and find a Doc that talks to me and listens to me and we can work together. I do know one thing - it's my hormones that's contributing to the mood swings.

Thanks again ladies for responding
Suzy

suzyhomemaker-
Just adding my .03. As most of the ladies have mentioned, it doesn't matter if your gyn is male or female; go to your exam as informed as possible and continue checking in on Power-Surge!!
Your latest experience reminded me of one conversation I had with my female gyn. Two years ago (at age 49) I suffered from many typical peri-menopausal symptoms. Anyway I asked her opinion on bcp (to lessen the peri symptoms). With a straight face she told me that I didn't have to take any...I'd probably would not become pregnant! Boy or boy, did I laugh! No way am I taking any chances!
Hang in there!

Rmg
That is SO funny. I wish I could have seen the look on your face.

My 50 year old FEMALE gynocologist wouldn't write me a script for bio-identicals. She said she feared them dangerous, and offered me a script for Premarin.

Oy Vey

And about that whole "too young" diagnosis??? That just amazes me. I started peri in my mid 30's, and I haven't had a period since last December, I'm 45. If peri lasts between 10-13 years, then I'm right on schedule for menopause.

I'm feeling pretty balanced these days, I'm eating right, taking all my vitamins, drinking my soy drink, so I think I will just go it alone for now, without using hormones. Of course if I start acting like Linda Blair in the Exorcist, I might reconsider

I learned with my first panic attack, that landed me in the ER, that I wouldn't be able to count on anyone understanding my peri symptoms. THAT IS UNTIL I FOUND POWER SURGE!

rmg is soooo right. Stay as informed as possible.

You ladies have a great rest of the week!!

Suzy, My advise to you is find a naturopath. The first visit i had with mine , she immediately recognized every symptom and agreed with me that it was all hormonal and peri. and wrote me a Rx for natural progesterone cream and also set me up with a daily regimen of vitamins and some herbal remedies. The validation was the greatest relief. It seems like every time i call her with a new symptom , she knows exactly what to do to help. Going to her was the best thing i ever did. susan