16/07/2025
🍃This is my story!!
Please don’t suffer in silence!!
My Peri-Menopause journey started when I was 36 or possibly earlier as I went through years of failed pregnancies. I was alerted to this as I was declared infertile and was advised I needed to go down the IVF path as my ovarian count was very low, possibly due to illness and autoimmune diseases.
I was only told these three words ‘Your in Peri-Menopause‘ but that is it! No guidance, no advice, I had no clue. My mum never spoke of it, my nanna never spoke of it, my friends hadn’t yet experienced it, so I was on my own.
I suffered in silence for years with an array of symptoms and incorrect diagnoses. GP’s often recommended anti-depression, anti-anxiety meds and would do regular blood screenings, often coming back as normal or advising that this are normal for a women in your age group.
The symptoms creep up on me and I didn’t just fit in to one category which makes a diagnosis very difficult if you don’t know what is happening to your body, not only physically but emotionally and mentally.
My symptoms started with fatigue, exhaustion, anxiety, sleep deprivation, severe migraines, chronic sinus infections. Brain fog and forgetfulness. Irritated and mood swings would come on quickly. Sometimes I didn’t even recognise myself.
It was so overwhelming at times and I felt like no one understood me, I felt very alone and felt like I couldn’t explain what was happening to me.
This all started happening before I started my IVF journey but some symptoms eased during this time and some were very exaggerated.
I had a regular period from 12 years old to 47 years old (At 48 I was advised I was in full menopause which is 12 months of nil cycles) and only had noticeable changes towards the end. My periods were so heavy by my last few years, sometimes even becoming hemorrhagic. I was constantly low in iron and had to have several iron infusions.
After visiting GP’s, specialists, gynaecologists and fertility drs, still no one spoke of supporting me through menopause or providing any information on HRT.
The symptoms grew and were so diverse that I always walked away from drs etc with no answers and feeling completely lost.
The symptoms ranged from;
Exhaustion
Fatigue
Lightheaded,dizziness
Vertigo
Thyroid imbalance
Frozen shoulder, elbow
Severe anxiety
Social fears
Brain fog
Depression
Body pains (Fibromyalgia)
Gut inflammation
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Migraines
Dry eyes or irritation
Leg cramps very common
Mood swings
Feeling misunderstood
Feelings of isolation
Spotting throughout the month
Heavy periods
Sleep Apnea ( diagnosed at 39)
Restless leg syndrome
Chest pains
Heart palpitations
Nausea
Skin crawling feeling
Severe allergies
Hair dryness or loss of scalp hair
Dry skin, irritability, moodiness, reduced s*x drive, or vaginal dryness is a tough one.
Hot flashes x 10 a night were intolerable some nights. I felt like the walking dead some days.
Sensitivity to Chemicals in the home or things I was putting on my body, caused irritation.
Heavy metals in the foods causing sensitivity and poor gut health, causing cramping and bloating.
Weight gain was happening without any change in diet.
The Night sweats were the last thing I experienced before doing my own research and finding a GP who finally listened. At 49 I finally started HRT. Initially I was told I couldn’t have Estrogen as it can affect my clotting disorder but I just couldn’t cope with these ongoing symptoms. What could I do? I was desperate. It literally felt like torture every night.
I followed women supported podcasts and educated myself on the different types. I found I could use a topical Bio-dentical Estrogen gel which did not absorb into the liver and a Progesterone tablet is needed if you still have your uterus to protect against your lining building up.
It’s been a year since starting HRT and I have adjusted and changed so much about my life and routines.
I’ve recently started exploring testosterone cream as part of my menopausal support. It’s helped with energy, mental clarity, and that flat feeling I couldn’t quite shake. For me, it’s been about feeling more grounded, focused, and like myself again—stronger in ways I didn’t expect.
I cannot even come close to expressing how different I feel. I monitor my health and wellness on a completely different level to I once did. I have managed my diet around this, adding more protein, cutting out sugars as much as I can etc. I have to factor in certain dietary restrictions but it seems to be working in my favour.
Regular exercise, lifting weights and getting stronger and daily mindfulness techniques, grounding, getting out in nature are super important. This has changed my life in so many ways. Looking back, I just didn’t recognise or see the enormous array of symptoms creeping up on me. I haven’t lost the weight I initially gained but I now look at myself as stronger and healthier.
Looking back it is actually really scary to think how close I got to thinking this was my life and I just had to suck it up and deal with it and suffer in silence because I was a women and everything I was experiencing was just classed as ‘NORMAL’!!
Please reach out if you have any questions, keep searching for answers and never give up and settle because one dr tells you these things are just normal.
“I didn’t expect this part of my life to hit so hard… but here I am, learning to meet myself in a brand new way.”
You are not alone in this…..
🤍With love, Nadine x
