My personal synopsis of why Perimenopause Rips a Big One!
I wanted to put this out there because no one ever talks about this crap. Had someone mentioned how terrible this could be, I might have been better prepared and would have been less anxious about what was happening. I've done a lot of Googling and visited with my long-time Gyno a few times about this issue. I have been assured by him, and I do trust him by the way, there is nothing abnormal such as fibroids, cancer, structural issues, endometriosis, etc... This has all checked out. For this reason I am playing the waiting game to see if I can actually go into menopause naturally or hang up my hat and cave to the seemingly impending hysterectomy.
Let me start by saying I am 50 years old and have had perimenopausal symptoms for several years now. I could deal better with the issues that are occurring when I was a few years younger. However, things started to take a drastic turn when I was 48 years old. I had three jacked up menstrual cycles several months apart. In November 2015, I had a period that lasted 6 weeks straight, no relenting. Then it was somewhat back to normal except I skipped a month somewhere between November 2015 and May 2016. In May 2016, I had a 4 week straight period and then back to normal again except again skipping a whole month until the doozy finally hit on November 8th, 2016. The hubster and I were dining at a favorite restaurant. As we were waiting on the check, I felt it. I needed to leave in a hurry and tied my jacket around my waist as I was hurrying out. Hubby stayed behind and paid the bill while I waited in the truck. This began the decent into HELL.
Here are the symptoms that I have noticed that often fail to get mentioned due to embarrassment or TMI.
1. Large amount of blood loss, my #1 complaint. This makes it really hard to plan anything, or to have sex. There are times when I have been afraid to go to work or have been at work or out eating and had to leave. Some days its predictable but about the time it seems to be slowing down or coming to a halt, I get slammed again.
To explain this further, my options mentioned by long-time Gyneo to control this were:
a. D&C with endometrial ablation
b. Birth control, nope not at 50!
c. Hysterectomy, not really what I want to do
I chose the first option on December 28th, 2016. It did not work for me. Well, I guess I should say had I not had the ablation, I probably would be dead by now. While it slowed the bleeding considerably, here has not been a day since November 8th, 2016 that I have not bled. It is now July 12, 2017. To sum that up further, that is 8 month and 4 days of bleeding. Fun stuff. I understand my mom had the same type of issue at 49, according to my step-father. She is not here to ask as she passed away from a heart attack the same year.
2. #1 which lead to Anemia
3. Terrible and I can't stress terrible enough, all over the body muscle cramping. This is my #2 complaint. I also have EDS which is probably not helping this situation. Several times my neck and shoulders have gripped so badly that they don't release for weeks and last time it was right at 30 days before any relief.
4. Loss of libido
5. Occasional dizziness and loss of balance. A little scary when it comes out of nowhere and for no apparent reason.
6. Numbness and tingling in arms, hands, lower legs and feet. This happens sporadically and is a signal to me that I am becoming anemic again and need to get back on the iron supplements for a while.
7. Increase in blood pressure
8. Occasional heart palpitations but I also have HCM so that is probably not helping me in this area.
9. Worsening allergies. I had surgery in July 2016 for allergic fungal sinusitis. You can read about that here: AFS
10. More frequent headaches
What I have not experienced yet are some of the more traditional perimenopausal symptoms:
1. Hot flashes
2. Night sweats
I'll keep updating this as I can remember other symptoms or as new ones arise. Hang in there ladies, it must get better right????????????
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