Perimenopausal mood swings

[Anonymous]

I was feeling suicidal around my period - stupid things would put me in a state of despair. I started estrogen and progesterone and it has gotten 99% better. I still feel the occasional down day before my period, it’s nothing like it was before going on HRT.

[Anonymous]

Yep. I get rage too.

[Anonymous]

The rage is real. Anyone know how to deal?

[Anonymous]

Have you considered seeing a naturopath who specializes in women's issues? That was a game changer for me. They can also run some tests to make sure you're not deficient in anything--b's, iron, d3 etc as those can affect mood as well. Mine gave me a tincture of Chinese herbs (no idea what they were) but it really helped with the mood swings. I feel like most doctors don't know/care much about women's issues, especially menopausal issues, so it's not worth the wait of getting in.

Yoga, meditation, and powerlifting have all been great for me. Occasional HIIT runs or longer walks/bike rides too, but keep moving, and keep limber. You'll thank yourself later.

Also, google menopause doula. I've been reading about those lately.

There's also a website called Stripes that I learned about from Naomi Watt's instagram page that has useful info. The book Menopause Confidential was very very helpful to me in the early days. There's an instagram page called menopause 101 with Auntie Carol that might give some good tips for managing symptoms as well.

Learn as much as you can--lots of women like myself have been there and are ready and happy to help by sharing what we learned as we navigated the perimenopause minefield.

[Anonymous]

PP here---one last thing. Eating clean for the most part will also help, especially as you start to feel this mood swings coming on. Pack the most nutrients you can into your body and it will help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The rage is real. Anyone know how to deal?

Prozac and/or HRT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have gotten to the point where I lose total control of my emotions around the time that I ovulate and again for the 4-5 days before my period starts. For a while I could stop, recognize it and get myself under control but I’ve been going through a stressful period and am weepy, irritable and angry. Not sure what to do. I wish I had dealt with this sooner. My PCP doesn’t have appointments until September and I’m not sure what to do.

First would be to find a new PCP or another provider. No one should be waiting 3 months to see their primary care provider.

[Anonymous]

My obgyn had me just continuously take my birth control pill so I wouldn’t get a period (and thus keep my hormones pretty level) and I found that really helpful.

[Anonymous]

The rage is real.

I started taking an SNRI, which helps. But recent bloodwork several doctors (gyn, PCP) have confirmed this is NOT perimenopause. I have been diagnosed with PMDD and both doctors really want to diagnose depression. But I’m not depressed - I am insanely busy. So far, what works:
SNRI
Daily intense, sweaty exercise
Good clean eating - lots of water, way less alcohol
Acupuncture
Massage
Therapy

[Anonymous]

That too long a wait. Sign up for one medical.I just did. I couldn’t handle waiting weeks for appointments. Good luck.