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| Doctor, am I experiencing Perimenopause? | ||
| Question: Has there been any links between perimenopause and fibromyalgia?
Symptoms get worse before and during period. Answer: Little is known about fibromyalgia and menopause. I have only found one article from Postgrad Med Journal, 1986 Sep 15;80(4):165-7, 170-1. Fibromyalgia and menopause Examination of the relationship by Waxman J, Zatzkis SM. From the article: "Women predominate at all ages among patients diagnosed as having primary fibromyalgia. Of 100 patients reviewed, the average age at onset of fibromyalgia was 46. Of 65 patients in whom menopause occurred before diagnosis of fibromyalgia, the average age at menopause was 42, and most of these women had menopause related to surgery and insufficient estrogen therapy. Estrogen deficit is, thus, a prominent promoting factor in the majority of fibromyalgia patients and is likely to have an effect on sleep, mood, and anxiety state. These emotional responses may subsequently be somatized as pain. Therefore, estrogen therapy should be added to the treatment armamentarium for fibromyalgia in selected patients." |
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| Question:
I am a 37 year old women.
I believe I am experiencing perimenapause. My periods are very
short, 1-2 days. I now experience severe anxiety, sweating,
sleeplessness, memory loss and difficulty concentrating. I also
experience depression. What should I do? Answer: Maybe the diagnosis has to be anxiety disorder and not perimenopause. Consult your doctor with the suggestion of an anxiety disorder. |
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| Question:
I am 48 years old and am
experiencing severe insomnia every night unless I take ambien. I have
just been placed on prempro to help with this situation. But it isn't
working as yet. I am at my wits end. Are there any gyns who specialize
in perimenopausal women? Answer: Insomnia is not a typical perimenopausal complaint. It occurs often in combination with hot flashes and estrogen therapy like Prempro will improve sleeping usually. But when your problem not react on hormonal therapy, it is likely that one has to search for other problems. In that case, it is not a matter of a "perimenopausal gynecologist". A specialist in sleep disorders is more appropriate. Discuss this with your doctor. |
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| Question:
I am a 46 year old female
and was wondering about menopause. I have been having a pain in
my left breast for some time now. I have no lumps. It
seems that when I press down on my nipple, it really hurts. Is
this tenderness a sign of menopause? Answer: Breast tenderness can occur at any age. It is often seen in the second half of a normal menstrual cycle. It is also a complaint of women after starting HRT and then it is a sign of a relatively high dose of estrogens. In perimenopause it can also be a symptom of relatively high estrogen level. Such is seen in anovulatory cycles. Tenderness of both breasts is usually caused by hormonal changes and not a sign of cancer. |
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| Question:
For the past four years I
have had a myriad of symptoms which include: hot flashes, acne, severe
kidney and bladder infections, increased bladder usage, heavy
irregular crampy mentrual cycles, achy joints and extreme weight gain,
thinning hair, memory loss. My gyn says I am in menopause. He only
tested my fsh which was 74.4. and a urine which showed blood but he
said it wasn't enough to be worried about. The dhea was normal.
Meanwhile my g.p. says I have developed osteo arthritis and he doesn't
think Ii am in menopause, it is only stress. He didn't run any tests
even though I asked him to. I am taking naproxen, prefest, allergra,
rhinocort, 250 mg. daily of aspirin. Should I just quit and accept
that menopause is the cause? I am just so tired of hurting and being
tired.
Please check-out the OBGYN.net Urogynecology Section for more information about your question. |
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| Question:
My periods have become
extremely painful, last about 20 to 30 days, very heavy, and I'm
experiencing other symptoms such as sweats, migraines, cramping
between my periods, and such. I've since moved and the doctor I'm
seeing now says there is no cause for concern. Why then would my old
doctor have thought it a problem? Could I be starting menopause? I am
28 and most women in my family have gone through the change between 30
and 35. Should I get a second opinion? Answer: I can not diagnose anything with these data. At your age perimenopause is rare but not impossible, especially with a family of premature ovarian failure. And with a discrepancy in the opinion of two doctors it is wise to consult a specialist. |
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| Question:
Last month I turned 48. I went into perimenopause at 45, having
periods roughly two months apart. My last period was five months ago,
and it was fairly strong. Two months ago I experienced my first
hot flush. I have been extremely stressed since my last period because
of a new job. My doctor ran hormone tests recently and told me I was
in menopause. Does he mean perimenopause? Can I still get pregnant? Is
there a fertility drug I could take to increase my chances of getting
pregnant? I have chosen not to take HRT because I'm holding out hope
that I might still be able to have child. My doctor is a GP and says
he thinks there is no way I could get pregnant. But he said also he
doesn't know anything about infertility treatment. Answer: Menopause is diagnosed after 12 months of amenorrhoea from the last menstrual period. Your doctor will have meant perimenopause. The possibility exists to become pregnant for every woman still menstruating. But the changes are very small. And no one can improve that when FSH is high. |
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| Question:
I'm 45 years old and the last 6 months or so of my periods have
been quite regular. I have occasional mild night sweats, but am
fighting extremely hard to lose a few pounds that I just put on, and
my short term memory is getting worse every month. Is this
perimenopause? And if so, are there recommended vitamins or
anything I can do to improve my metabolism and memory? Answer: You have still regular cycles and only mild night sweats. So there is no reason for therapy. Weight problems is a common women's problem especially at this age, as you know. Weight problems have no connection with ovarian hormones. |
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| Question:
I have been on Estrogen for 3 months and some symptoms have improved,
like hot flashes and vaginal dryness, however, I have been having
problems with mood swings, heart palpitations and severe anxiety
attacks. The Dr. checked my blood sugar, it was OK. He suggested I now
have my thyroid gland checked. Is this related to menopause? Do other
women have severe anxiety and depression? Answer: I am not sure that your mood swings and anxiety attacks are menopause related. Usual the perimenopausal mood swings improve with estrogens. When not, you have to look for another cause. Anxiety problems can have serious psychological causes. |
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| Question:
I am 51 believe I may be going through menopause, periods are light
and don't come every month. Perhaps every other month.
Then a period for 5 days, the blood is bright red, it's not slowing
down at all. What could this be? Answer: This is possibly a so called anovulatory bleeding an d not unusual in this phase of life. When it is staying for long it can be stopped by taking progestagens. |
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| Question:
I was wondering if i was going thru menopause I am 41 years old and I
had my period the last week of July and got it again the first
week of August. I am very irritable and tired and cant remember
certain things and sometimes I feel like crying? Answer: I do not know. It is not possible to make conclusions with one missing period. Wait and see what happens. maybe this is the start of permanent irregularity, maybe you will have your usual cycle again. |
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| Question:
I am a 49 year old. Last year I began to have periods only every
other month from January to November. Then in November, December
and January of this year I had a period each month. They were
fairly typical for my type of flow pattern. I had not had a
period since January and then in July I had one again (typical flow).
Is this within the range of normal or should I let my physician know? Answer: This is perfectly within the normal range of the unpredictable irregularity of perimenopause. |
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