I'm 49 and still have regular periods and have not yet experienced hot flashes. However, for the past 5 years I've had so many other symptoms that make me feel lousy most of the time....should I assume this is peri-menopause? It initially began muscle twitches, anxiety, light-headedness, stomach problems, bowel problems, periods of frequent urination, headaches, and brain fog. I kept going to my doctor thinking I had MS, then diabeties, then thyroid problems....but all tests came back negative and I was given a clean bill of health. Not once did my GP indicate peri-menopause. And my gyno never mentioned anything either. Would progesterone cream help me? If I'm having all these symptoms now....I hate to see me when hot flashes begin!! Help!

Hi Boston! By your name, I'm assuming you're a New England gal, too??

Welcome to Power Surge. Sure sounds like you've pretty much been in perimenopause for the past five years. I've had every single symptom that you mentioned, the most recent being the bowel 'stuff'. It's funny because most doctors seem hesitant to mention the big "M" to women our age. Not sure why. I'm lucky, my GP is WONDERFUL and he is VERY supportive of my peri. I thank God that I found him! I, personally, have found nothing to help my symptoms other than alleviating unnecessary stress (WHEN at all possible), eating better, sleeping better (AGAIN, when at all possible!), and all of the other 'good for you' things that I never paid attention to in my younger years. I wish there was a simple solution to all of this, but I've yet to find it. I tried progesterone a couple years ago and didn't notice a bit of change. But each person is different. I would ask your doctor what he/she thinks about trying the Prog/Cream. I'm sure it won't hurt!
Good luck to you and I hope you find Power Surge as helpful as I have!
HUGS!

Hi Boston!

You might want to check out the "Recommendations" section here at PS. There are a lot of natural remedies you could try. You might also want to have your hormone levels tested, perhaps at your doctor's office or at a compounding pharmacy (they can do a saliva test). You can also look for links to "Ask the Pharmacist" here on PS for info on how to contact Pete the Pharmacist. His pharmacy does the saliva test, and yes you can do it long-distance.

You may want to look for a doctor or gyno who treats meno and peri with bioidentical hormones, which are natural and readily absorbed by the body (as opposed to the synthetic ones).

There are also some good books out there with info on natural remedies.

Let us know how you are doing!