O my goodness, sweetie! You are not alone! I have categorized my perimenopause symptoms into three categories - mental, physical and emotional. On any given day, I have at least one or two, but when I get all three at once, I'm a basket case! I've come to expect anything. No - you are not crazy!
I do such stupid things - like put on deodorant, go brush my teeth, then try to figure out if I put deodorant on yet! LOL! I poke myself in the face! (hand-eye coordination = NIL!) I walk into furniture and cupboards. And those are just the mental problems!
We are all going through this ... you have come to the right place! The best bunch of people I have found on DS! Welcome!

sweetie....may I suggest something. When I thought I was perimeno....I took it upon myself to go on something some people had said worked so well for them. It is called "estroven with multi vitamin" and it has been a god send to me! Helps my MAJOR mood swing and night sweats and even my hubby can tell if I have missed just one pill!

My doc did blood work and I am full meno, but I am still having my period every month on the 18th like clock work, but my mood swings were HORRIBLE before I started this...it is only $10 at walmart and I love this stuff! Me and several people on here started it at the same time and the women I started it with still swear by it just as I do!

Good luck

Dear MOMMMER - I must laff, because I do this, but also I have neuro problems so I've staggered for so long I wouldn't know how to NOT walk into things, bang my head and there are days I use a ton of deodorant because I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I PUT IT ON! ROFLOL

At the local "health fair" you could put on glasses to simulate what you saw if you were drunk, then attempt walking a straight line. I did it for fun and the cop told me "If you drank, you could do this perfect." How frightening is that that my balance/coordination IMPROVED with the drunk glasses?!!! ROFLOL

Dear DAZEDANCONFUSED - Can't take the estrovan, altho considered it, due to the soy in it. Which stinks as I've read that soy is so beneficial.

Dear DAZEDANCONFUSED - Also, thanks for your input. Just goes to show, maybe menopause (and other issues) are not text book. You having a period for example but still in full meno. Go figure.

Since I can't have soy, that's why I went with the Black Cohash. It helps but Lord please, I'd rather do labor....it only lasts for 20-22 hrs for mine.....wouldn't that be lovely? 22 hrs and bye bye?

I've actually had health professionals tell me, "there's nothing you can do about it, you just have to get through it." I have a hard time with that. There are too many women suffering with all of this stuff for people in health care to dismiss us.

There is so much information out there and so much of it is from people/companies/even medical professionals who are trying to make money on certain products. It's hard to sift through it all to find something that helps with our symptoms.

I have tried pretty much every natural supplement for depression/mood and none of them have helped significantly (I can't tolerate prescription medicine). I have the same kinds of feelings you are talking about and I can't make sense of it because I have so many blessings and am grateful for so many things in my life. I also find myself just trying to get myself through the day with so much heaviness and depression. It is so bizarre.

5-HTP, Sam-E, St. John's Wort, Evening Primrose Oil, DHEA, Bach's Rescue Remedies, magnesium, and the list goes on... You might find something holistic that can help take the edge off.

Take care,
katy

Dear KATY - Thanks for your input. Yeah, I'm sick of this. I'm not sure if I need an anti-depressant (can't take any of those due to my seizures), a padded cell, a quiet place with no one around, or maybe I've just in massive stress mode? I don't know because these "symptoms" could be any of the above or menopause.

Dear FIC: I have asked myself 2-3 times a day these past 2 years if I am going crazy. (I am on antidepressant) I finally linked it to perimeno when periods started real heavy and long last summer--now have lightened up and irregular and shorter in length. I find the mental/ emotional anguish to be the worst.
Never have I felt so fragile, vulnerable before than these past 2 years.
I guess we just have to try and find the rite mix that works for us as individuals. Take the medicine, creams, herbs whatever and who cares what people think--it's about getting ourselves back on track.
Some days I feel almost like the old me, then bam feel as if I could die and it would be a relief. Then, that passes too. Very hard with kids ages 10 and 11 and a less than understanding hubby. good luck to all! Glad this site exists. It has helped me.

I am really glad to hear that i am not alone in how i feel. My husband would have me believe that it is me and i should be in complete control 24/7. Nice to hear from others that are going through the same things.

I think we all need a vacation!

Hi FIC! I just read your entry and it was surprising how much your symptoms are like mine! It's so good to know that I'm not just crazy, and neither are you. And...apparently after reading some of the other entries, we aren't alone in this. So glad to have found this site! Good luck sweetie and know my prayers are w/ you!

Dear Ijud - Yeah, I think we'd enjoy insanity MORE because we wouldn't know we were insane and it would be others pulling their hair out. LOL I can go from normal to nuts in the blink of an eye. LOL

Wow!!! Have I found the right place to go to know that I'm not a crazy lunatic. I am in full menopause too. I'm 53. I have panic, I have nervousness, I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm happy, I'm sad, I go to sleep no problem, but up like clock work 4 hours later and then back to sleep for another hour. I wake up with my body inside shaking. Finally, I get up and drag myself to the shower. After that I leave for work and pretty much do ok throughout the day. Sometimes, it will hit me and I need a 1/2 xanax to calm me down. I take 20mg of Prozac per day and have been on that for 2 months. I know it has helped some but GAH, for some reason, I just can't seem to get back to my "normal" state. Whatever that may be!! I'm so sick of this that I think I will never enjoy anything again!! I love this site. I read the posts and think YES, there is someone like me and I'm not alone!! Hope to talk to many of you ladies from now on.

Hi, I am new to this site. I can remember hearing my mom and grandma talking about going thru "the change" and I always thought that did not sound so bad. But I can tell you now that whatever I am going to "change" into I wish it would hurry up. I take estradol and I take cymbalta also and that helps. I still get weepy and for no reason just cry. As long as I can sleep I can handle the rest of it, I think. And having someone to talk to that is going thru the same thing helps, alot
Fic, I am not sure any of us will ever be "normal" again, but at least we don't have to go thru it alone. Good Luck and holler if you need anything.

Dear Dazedanco,

I am 52 and still getting my period every month..I always thought that meant it was 'perimenopause'..but after reading your post I'm not so sure! Don't you have to go one year w/o a period to be in full menopause. So confused!