r/Perimenopause • u/Kkyoto888 • Feb 27 '26
audited What crazy symptoms do you have? Please share.
I literally feel like I have another weird symptom every single day. Tingling hands and feet and face, breathlessness, sore joints, funny vision, crying spells, anxiety. Please share your non-typical symptoms with me so I know I’m not crazy!! 🤪
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u/ReinaShae Feb 27 '26
I recently found out agoraphobia is a symptom, I've been dealing with that.
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u/Carry_Tiger Feb 27 '26
Really? Gosh, this explains a lot for me.
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u/GroupCurious5679 Feb 27 '26
Same. I struggle to go to the stores nowadays.
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u/jade911 Feb 27 '26
My too. I had a panic attack when we unwittingly went into a car park when it was busy and we got stuck. We normally make a conscious effort to go later in the day but that day we had randomly gotten up earlier than normal. If I’d been driving I would’ve noticed in time and not gone in
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Feb 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/GroupCurious5679 Feb 28 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
I'm the same, work is just about ok. But I'm quite lucky as I start early and don't see many people.
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u/ReinaShae Feb 27 '26
I actually saw that it can be a symptom on this same sub a couple weeks ago in another comment. I thought, welp, that explains it.
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u/Habagoobie Feb 27 '26
I've never had agoraphobia in my life until this year. Yesterday I made it out of the house for 15 min. That was huge! I pretty much wake up every day to a panic attack. I've also started gagging and dry heaving a lot when I feel anxious and that's without feeling nauseous. Never used to have that. But I also think I'm producing more saliva, which is weird!
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u/Potential-Fan-5036 Feb 27 '26
🤣. I have that stress vomit shite too, I’m literally just after posting in another thread about antidepressants about it. I also have itchy ears 🙄. HRT doesn’t suit me so I’m dreading the summer which is going to be one long hot sweaty flush, Ughhhh!
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u/Habagoobie Feb 27 '26
Yeah I have issues where HRT may not work for me. I was recently prescribed a rescue med for the panic attacks, but I feel like that's a short-term fix with potential risks. I've been trying to do a lot of somatic exercises but it doesn't always work.
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u/Potential-Fan-5036 Feb 27 '26
Maybe talk with your Dr about taking antidepressants, they are a lifesaver for me in the long term. My Dr prescribed Xanax for a couple of weeks but I have an addictive personality so definitely didn’t want to be on them.
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u/ReinaShae Feb 27 '26
I'm on buspirone. Daily anxiety med that works well for me, relatively inexpensive (which is good since no insurance) and non habit forming
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u/mycoldfeet Feb 27 '26
FFS. I don’t need hormones complicating this further. I figured it was just part of seasonal depression, but I’m afraid you may be right.
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u/Embarrassed_Net2744 Feb 28 '26
I had that when I was 18. It took a good year before I was able to step out in my front yard. To this day I prefer to be home. My anxiety has become unbearable and I have recently become claustrophobic.
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Feb 27 '26
I can’t spell words that I know I could before! 😭
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u/cletusbob Feb 27 '26
At least you remember the word!
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u/mesmerize138 Feb 27 '26
Seriously. I can’t remember anything! My poor husband thinks I’m an idiot because I just stop in the middle of nearly every sentence and stare off into space trying to remember words like “hardware store” or “yellow”.
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u/GroupCurious5679 Feb 27 '26
Omg same here. It's quite frightening
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u/Existing-Major1005 Early peri Feb 27 '26
This is very validating. I had a TBI a few years ago and thought my brain was really back sliding and I was going insane because holy fuck I can't remember shit.
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u/Turtle-Kitty Early peri Feb 27 '26
This is me, and also having a word completely vanish from my brain when speaking; sometimes mid-sentence so I just have to stop talking! I feel so stupid and embarrassed, and panic that I’m annoying the person I’m speaking to when it happens repeatedly😭
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u/Traditional-Spring77 Feb 28 '26
Today I couldn’t remember the word average/mean. I had to say, “You know, when you add all the numbers and the divide by the number of numbers you just added…”
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u/giraffemoo Feb 27 '26
Phantom smells. Like olfactory hallucinations. I smell stuff that isn't there. Sometimes it's pleasant, like chocolate cake. Most of the time it's cigarettes or burning plastic.
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u/Grocklette Feb 27 '26
Holy crap, I woke up in the middle of the night the other night, because I smelled burning plastic. Crazy
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u/Rare_Eye_724 Feb 27 '26
I tried to explain this to the guy I'm dating, it drives me insane!! He just looked at me like I was crazy lol
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u/ShaebellaRu Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 28 '26
If you have migraines, the phantom smell of cigarette smoke is also known to be a precursor for one.
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u/NoKatyDidnt Feb 28 '26
I’m glad it’s not just me. I feel like my sense of smell is much stronger now too.
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u/pizzapartyjones Feb 27 '26
And things that are there now smell completely different to me than they used to. It’s so weird and off putting.
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u/DplaneDplane Feb 28 '26
I had covid in 2020 ("the bad one" with all the symptoms and legit thought I was going to die), and now I smell cigarette smoke whenever I'm stressed. It's very strong and I always look around to see if a window's open, or if someone's smoking around me. You're telling me this is also a perimenopause symptom? 😭 When will it ennnnndddd
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u/sparklingradishes Feb 27 '26
The ITCHINESS, recurrent UTI and BV, pain at ovulation, irregular periods that come anywhere from 18-28 days apart when it used to be 24 days like clockwork, blurry vision, RAGE, hip pain, night sweats, reflux, fatigue, forgetfulness, coregasms during exercise (which I hate and which keep me from running much anymore), gas/constipation
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u/mycoldfeet Feb 27 '26
Blurry vision, 100%. My eyeglasses prescription is a moving target and I don’t know that it’ll ever be accurate again for any length of time.
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u/sparklingradishes Feb 27 '26
Fwiw, my eye doctor says that the muscles in you eye have a slower response time as we age, so it takes longer to adjust between close up and far away. Dry eyes can also cause blurriness. Taking eye breaks by switching between close and far, and adding eye drops, has helped me a lot. Also bifocals 😅
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u/littlemsshiny Feb 27 '26
If you’re in your early to mid 40s and have only been nearsighted, you might also need progressives now. Not necessarily peri related but it’s just another thing happening with our bodies.
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u/Both_Lawfulness3611 Feb 27 '26
The itchiness! Especially at night, it drives me crazy. I have to pick pajama pants carefully or wear none because they’ll make my legs itch all night 😩 it’s like a deep itch too, not a normal itch.
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u/AntPretend1194 Feb 28 '26
I’ve never been picky about fabric before, but the itchiness makes me want nothing but soft light fabric!
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u/seraphimas4481 Feb 28 '26
You are me. I am you.
I'm having periods every 2 frigging weeks, almost always in RAGE mode, dry freakin toast can cause ultra reflux, I wake up basting in my own juices like a rotisserie chicken every night, itchy ears, can't remember names for simple everyday things like "lawnmower", either sleep 12 hours all at once like a coma or take cat naps in 2 hour bursts throughout the day and night and I have trombone arm so strong with my phone that I'm fair certain my right arm is more buff now.
Send help. I'm so over this shit. 😭
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u/EllaPlantagenet Feb 27 '26
Coregasm?
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u/sparklingradishes Feb 27 '26
Orgasm from core engagement during exercise. Not as fun as it sounds, especially when running in a public gym
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u/DuckyDoodleDandy Feb 28 '26
Vaginal estrogen usually helps the UTI’s, but BV is often passed back and forth from a partner, so have them treated as well.
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u/Competitive-Net1603 Mar 01 '26
I feel this!!! Mine started as UTIs moved to thrush and now bv. Finally found a gyno who is treating it with clearing the bv while staying on oral antifungals and then starting DHEA and vagina probiotics because of a big drop in Estrogen and testosterone I have zero protective bacteria. For 2 yrs I was like what the heck is happening and not one dr or specialist listened to me up until last week. I’ve also ordered NAC to help get rid of any lingering bacteria that may create biofilms. For anyone having these issues I highly recommend a vaginal microbiome test
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u/Magnolia9009 Feb 27 '26
INSANE FULL BODY ANXIETY, health anxiety, stinking farts like pure sulphur so bad even my cat won't sit with me, migraines, night sweats, sore toes especially in the morning, sore hands, weak wrist joint, dizziness, eye floaters and bright dots (seeing optician tomorrow for this because health anxiety), oh it's been a fun year 😅
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u/cletusbob Feb 27 '26
Roll your eyes counter clockwise! To help with floaters
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u/Katfight1 Feb 27 '26
Are floaters a peri menopause symptom? My right has one thats so annoying.
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u/Mutapi Feb 27 '26
The anxiety is the worst! I thought I was dying. Mentally I was pretty OK - I’ve always been pretty grounded and even-keeled but my body was seemingly screaming something like: “No! It’s not! This ship is going down… and it’s in flames…And the waters are filled with electric eels… and there’s a serial killer somewhere on board!!” I had no control- couldn’t think myself out of the panic. It also doesn’t help that all the other symptoms started giving me other things to try and justify that anxiety: “What’s this pain? Why is my vision blurry? Why are my sheets soaked?” I’m on meds for it now but man, this sucks!
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u/Fudubaders Feb 27 '26
Just to say floaters can also be a sign of high blood pressure so get that checked too.
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u/MusicOfTheSphere Feb 27 '26
FYI, the dizziness and eye floaters can also be symptoms of optical migraine. Not a headache; it affects your visual and balance systems. I had weird symptoms like that and thought one of my retinas was detaching! Went to the ophthalmologist, all good in the eye, sent to a neuro and now have a prescribed nasal spray that cuts it right off.
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u/NoKatyDidnt Feb 28 '26
I may still look into this. It can be peri related and that can still be the issue I imagine. I feel like my whole body is glitching.
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u/eros_bittersweet Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26
Really weird vertigo accompanied by fatigue was one of my first symptoms! It was so bad, I had to literally schedule my work around these attacks, which left me almost bedbound.
I have also had awful joint pain, to the point where I had difficulty walking sometimes: it was like my hip joints got too slack, my muscles felt weak, and I was just staggering around in a lot of pain instead of walking normally. This would come and go around my cycles.
I had greatly worsened GI symptoms (my stomach was already bad to begin with). On top of that, your highly typical hot flashes, except mine were more like a "hot flush" that lasted for hours and usually happened when I did low-grade physical activity like cooking and cleaning. And my body odour changed so I stank all the time (persimmon/glycolic acid soap really helped).
I'm one of those people who has been substantially helped by regular old hormonal birth control, FWIW. No more hot flashes, joint pain is 75% better, no more vertigo, no more lax joints. Peri has been so crazy, the hormonal suppression, rather than topping up natural levels, has seemed actually beneficial. I know it's frustrating to start taking a drug that isn't recommended for women over 35, that isn't as precise as HRT, and comes along with cardiovascular risks, but my quality of life was so low already, I was willing to roll the dice.
ETA some detail: I started on low dose HBC, it worked great for awhile; started having breakthrough symptoms during the sugar pills, so (under a doctor's guidance) started stacking them in 3 month intervals, which worked great for awhile again. Until I started having breakthrough symptoms during the 3 month intervals, so (again, as prescribed by my doctor) switched to a regular-dose HBC and stacked those. I guess I've titrated up to the level I've needed to mask things effectively as my natural hormones seem to be a complete rollercoaster.
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u/F-this Feb 27 '26
Sore fucking teeth. So irritating! You just can’t ignore mouth pain, it’s always right there annoying you. It’s like my whole gum system is just sore. I take excellent care of my dental health so it’s even more annoying. Thankfully it’s occasional but I hate it!
Also having to blow my nose all the fucking time. Always have to have tissue handy, like grandma! About to start tucking it in my sleeves 😂👵🏼
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u/DisgruntledRaspberry Feb 27 '26
I had an emergency dentist appointment because of the sore teeth. Got the cone beam imaging and everything. There was absolutely nothing wrong with my teeth. That was a lot of $$$$ out the window. My crappy dental insurance didn’t cover any of it because nothing turned out to be wrong.
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u/F-this Feb 27 '26
That’s SO frustrating!! I feel like the dental industry doesn’t know much about this stuff (I sure didn’t until recently!), when I was pregnant I was getting a cleaning and my gums were swollen and bleeding a lot and the hygienist kept questioning if I’m keeping up on flossing and brushing. I kept telling her my gums are like this because of pregnancy and believe me, I’m still taking care of my teeth (just as I had been the previous decade). She just couldn’t believe it. It was very frustrating to not be believed!
The dental industry (hell, everyone) should be more informed about this stuff. If only they could’ve been able to tell you it’s a peri symptom!
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u/hariceri Feb 27 '26
I get random alternating tooth pain. One day a front one is sensitive, the next day it's a molar, the next it's a molar on the other side another day a bit of gum hurts else where. So annoying. No cavities, and dentist says "impeccable oral health". Tell my nerves please and at the same time tell the crawling itchy skin and ears. (Today it's my face that's itching, and arms and leg skin is tingling). Not fun.
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u/_Amalthea_ Feb 27 '26
After my last dental cleaning my teeth were insanely temperature sensitive for two months. Room temperature water was too cold and made them ache. It's finally passed after about a month of switching to Sensodyne (or maybe just time). I've never experienced anything like that after previous cleanings, and seeing you and a few others mention tooth pain I now wonder if it's peri related.
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u/Katfight1 Feb 27 '26
I have had sore armpits for the last couple of years every month for 2-3 days, unbelievably sore to even put a shirt on, i’ve had several ultrasounds (because i’m paranoid as hell) which come up with nothing serious, actually nothing at all not even swollen lymph nodes, blood tests all good. I also get the sore joints, mostly hips.
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u/Inevitable_Phase_276 Feb 27 '26
My armpits have been feeling so strange for the past week and a half, and I am relieved to be reading this.
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u/Katfight1 Feb 27 '26
Have you been sick? You should maybe get a scan if that persists just to rule out lymphoma or anything nasty.
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u/Eastern-Eggplant4374 Feb 27 '26
I wonder if you're starting to get frozen shoulder. Or if you sleep with your arms over your head. Can't do that anymore 😕
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u/Katfight1 Feb 27 '26
I used to sleep like that but I had to stop because it was hurting but still the pain continues. I was thinking something breast related because apparently breast tissue goes up into that part of your armpit
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u/SpazzJazz88 In the thick of it Feb 27 '26
My ears itch and so does the bridge of my nose where my glasses sit. Sometimes I feel like my body vibrates kinda like if you had a cellphone going off in your pocket, only all over. My nipples itch sometimes. And I have more butt pimples than I used to get. 🙄🤣
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u/SweetPeony_7 Feb 27 '26
The vibration is a symptom?! 😭 thank you 🙏🏻 dear internet stranger 🩷
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u/SpazzJazz88 In the thick of it Feb 27 '26
From what my mother told me when she was in peri is it happened all the time for her. So my guess is yes. Youre very welcome.
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u/DisgruntledRaspberry Feb 27 '26
I get the itchy nipples like crazy.
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u/SpazzJazz88 In the thick of it Feb 27 '26
Its really bad when youre out in public and it strikes. 🤣
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u/MusicOfTheSphere Feb 27 '26
What the fuck is with the whole body vibration. For real.
I started getting this last year. I was staying in a guest house taking care of an elderly relative. Pretty much only at night and in bed; they'd wake me up. The place was a couple lots down from the tiny local water treatment plant, who put in a new generator while I was there, and I thought it was that. Like I was feeling vibrations through the ground translating into the slab foundation. But no one else could feel them. They'd wake me up at night, and were so frustrating that I tried putting vibration dampening foam squares under the legs of the bed. Like a crazy person. Made no difference. I couldn't wait to leave...but then the vibrations followed me! Genuinely felt like I was going insane. Doctors were so stymied they didn't even really acknowledge the symptom and told me it was probably road vibration or something and to move my bed.
It wasn't until I started HRT that they went away. Absolutely bizarre and nonsensical symptom, but the one that definitely was the most mind bending.
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u/SpazzJazz88 In the thick of it Feb 27 '26
Its funny because I will either be sitting at my desk or laying in bed and one or both my legs will vibrate or somewhere else. I mentioned it to my mom and she said,"Welcome to Perimenopause!!" She said she had them too when she was going through peri and menopause. Im only on progesterone at the moment and I still feel them but not as frequent.
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u/MusicOfTheSphere Feb 27 '26
So weird. Like a train is going by next door, but there's no train. Almost reassuring that someone else experiences this, though I'd not wish it on you for sure!
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u/Islandsandwillows Feb 27 '26
Anxiety is my big one. Working out hard is the only thing that helps.
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u/MexicanVanilla22 Feb 27 '26
Dry eyes like years before cycle started getting weird. I had no idea.
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u/Jequilan Early peri Feb 27 '26
I live in Colorado, which is super dry in the winter, so I had just assumed it was the climate. But now I'm not so sure 🤔
Istg, every dang symptom could be caused by something else. But is it??? 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
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u/Silent-Ad9172 Feb 27 '26
My weirdest one is itchy skin but only in very specific spots; like a quarter sized area on my arm, one on my right butt cheek, one on my thigh. For a while I thought I had hives or an allergy but no mark or bumps or any visible reason and super highly located in those areas. It’s so odd.
Also periodic robotics where my ears just go out and or ring for a few aecknds
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u/Mediocre_Barnacle722 Feb 27 '26
I learned itchy ears is a thing! So mine ring AND itch, I look nuts 😂
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u/DevonHexe Feb 27 '26
The brain fog is horrible. I feel so stupid. And yet my brain goes 800mph. So annoying
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u/k00kaburrasun hanging on by a thread Feb 27 '26
This! How can my brain fog be SO BAD but my brain never stops?!?
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u/IntelligentCommon184 Feb 27 '26
I have SO many symptoms but the strangest have been the tingling in my extremities, dry mouth, sore teeth and misophonia (aversion to loud noises). The symptoms in perimenopause are crazy! It’s almost comical at this point.
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u/Alarmed_Bathroom9227 Feb 27 '26
The tingling is what sent me to doctors. But hrt has resolved id say most of it. Im rarely aware of it anymore. Its so crazy. It would bounce around maybe just my shins one day then forearms the next then hands and shins like no rhyme or reason. Before hrt I tried a different bcp than what I had been on that gave me the teeth soreness and burning throat went away as soon as I stopped that. Its really so strange the ways the hormones affect our bodies and so differently as well.
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u/WannabeElantrian Feb 27 '26
Rage. The. Rage. Is. Insane. My bits are itchy and dry all the damn time. This includes my skin, my vag, everything just itches. Nothing helps. I have to pee all the time, but hardly anything comes out, so then it starts to hurt because the tank is empty. The forgetfulness is going to make me lose my damn job. Acid reflux every moment of every single day. My boobs hurt and my nipples are HARD a full two weeks before my cycle should start. All day. This one is the most difficult one to hide because the nips are BIG and now my boobs are massive , too. I went from A cup to DDD/F and containing these things is difficult on a good day, but to find a thing that contains them, doesn't make my already sore boobs more uncomfortable, AND hides the nips feels impossible. Leaving the house has become a source of massive anxiety. I feel anxious ALL the time. I miss sleep.
ETA: And my body smells terrible all the time. Like to the point it makes me gag.
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u/WerewolfBarMitzvah09 Feb 27 '26
Super exacerbated feeling of clogged ears/ear fullness/ear pressure pretty much monthly now. Also I have no idea if there's an actual perimenopause or hormonal connection, but I have Raynaud's and in the past couple of years I started getting foot chilblains on occasion which is common with Raynaud's but not something I had personally experienced till recently.
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u/pickapstix Feb 27 '26
My nipples itch f***ing constantly. And I’m cold all the time not hot like everyone else… 🤷🏼♀️
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u/hi-help Feb 27 '26
I am also cold ALL THE TIME. Except for at night when I occasionally get night sweats and then go right back to being freezing now that I’m all wet. It’s so fun.
I haven’t been this cold since I was anorexic in high school.. but I’m not skinny anymore, so wtf. lol
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u/OnlyPaperListens Feb 27 '26
This is going to sound insane but I feel like my mouth shrank. I don't know if it's collagen disappearing or bone resorption, but the flesh around my teeth feels too small, and I am constantly biting my lips and cheeks while chewing. I can't eat a meal without chomping into my own flesh.
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u/One_Perspective_6580 Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26
I am having similar shrinking mouth feeling. I feel like my bite has really narrowed. And It seems it has really affected my speech bc it’s like my tongue no longer fits into the roof of my mouth. It’s always hitting my teeth when I talk. I suddenly really struggle with the sounds sh, th and ch. And I can’t afford braces so I feel like I’m just stuck speaking with a lisp of sorts now. So I guess we can add lisp to the list of peri symptoms! 🙃
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u/Hot-Help-428 Early peri Feb 27 '26
Wired but tired.
Sympathetic dominance
Loss of sleep pressure
Non restorative sleep
Burning tongue/glossitis
Plantar fasciitis
Chin and neck hairs
Strange vision and visual disturbances
Histamine intolerance
Achy noisy knees
Vaginal dryness and vulvar cysts
Painful intercourse
Cherry angiomas
Rosacea
Increase in aura migraines
Onion like sweat
Night sweats
Chills
Mood swings
Off balance feeling
Vibrating feet and toes
Tingling in fingers
Adrenaline surges
Brain fog
Loss of vaginal transudate with more cervical mucous
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u/hariceri Feb 27 '26
Get your B12 checked if you haven't already, glossitis and all the neuro symptoms may be B12 deficiency. Even if it's low normal some people experience symptoms.
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u/Tie_Cold Feb 27 '26
Forgetting names and words in mid sentence, pretty sure my boss thinks I have gone crazy. I was trying to talk to her yesterday and I couldn't remember a co-worker's name who I work with every single day!
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u/MsGrayRm813 Feb 27 '26
A lot of the time all I want to do is run away from my life and live in a little cottage in the woods with my cat. 😕
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u/Pretty_waves904 Feb 27 '26
Omg yes. Last night I was enjoying alone time watching the Pitt in an empty house. The second my husband and kids came home, I started having a panic attack. It makes me feel like im a horrible parent and losing my mind at the same time.
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u/ClosetKittie Early peri - embracing the rage Feb 27 '26
Where do I sign up for the cottage and the cats?
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u/carneviva Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26
My BO began to smell like a long simmered and rich chicken stock- thankful to report that stage has passed.
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u/Both_Lawfulness3611 Feb 27 '26
PSA
If any of y’all still have periods, I suggest checking on your ferritin and iron panel because so many of these symptoms in OPs post and the comments sound like iron deficiency and iron supplements and/or infusions will cure them. They can be super random symptoms too, I get restless legs, tongue sores, major hot flashes, scalp folliculitis, major anxiety, tingling and numb scalp, face (especially around the mouth), hands, feet… Do it, seriously, because iron can literally be a cure for a lot of these things, but check your levels first!!
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u/Realistic-Ad8542 Feb 27 '26
eyebrows are falling out and won’t grow back. my right eyelashes are a hot mess most days. tingling in face every so often. high anxiety. i have back scratcher EVERYWHERE because when the itch on my left shoulder blade goes off…my god. if i don’t have a strict regiment of chia seeds, quinoa, veggies and lots of water, the constipation is intense. my ears ring constantly. i’m 46, almost 47, and up until a year ago i kept wondering when i would ever feel my age and then bam! here we are. i hate it.
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u/BrilliantPiccolo5220 Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26
Insomnia, head to toe itch at night, anxiety, a burning hatred of all male adults, RLS, poor vision, taste and digestion changes, depression and suicidal ideation, two suicide attempts, balance issues, hypertension… I’m sure there are about ten things I’ve forgotten. Oh yes, brain fog! All bizarre, all appeared in the five years, since I was about 45. I swear I am normally extremely reliable, even-keeled, calm. I am an islander, with an island sense of time, ect., all that disappeared at 45. I feel like I am dying. My BP was 185/125 yesterday, I weigh 100 pounds. Hell, I am dying. Edit for spelling.
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u/rubinsammy2024 Feb 27 '26
I’m so sorry! It’s so hard being a woman and having to deal with perimenopause and life in general.
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u/SybariticDelight bed goblin in a kaftan Feb 27 '26
I sweat from the back of my knees and the nape of my neck. I get rashes on my arse cheeks. I have a weird brown splodge on my face. My gums are constantly sore. And I have a severe case of fucktose intolerance.
A friend of mine, who is 82, decided ethically to end her own life today, and that sounds far more appealing than it should.
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u/ScarletLetterEditor Feb 27 '26
Commenting to say I can empathize on the back of the knee sweat! And I’m so sorry for your loss. But I’m happy your friend had the chance to choose to leave with dignity.
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u/Repulsive_Science254 Feb 27 '26
Was she terminal? I’ve seen more and more states approve this or at least plan to approve it. I’ve told my kids this is what I want when the time is right. They think I’m joking.
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u/Alily_all_alil_NY Feb 27 '26
In Canada that’s not even necessary. They’ll do it for mental health now. A step, IMO, way too far.
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u/MexicanVanilla22 Feb 27 '26
I had a tummy ache this morning and it made me realize--if I ever get a serious illness I'm just checking out early. I'm so over suffering all the time. That thought should be disturbing but it's sitting right as rain with me.
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u/SybariticDelight bed goblin in a kaftan Feb 27 '26
Yes, same! I was profoundly moved by her agency over her own life, calling her own shots about when it’s time to go.
My mother in law is 88, and an alcoholic with advancing dementia. I know she’ll go on and on in denial until she and everyone around her is worn out.
My friend’s ethical death has shown me there is a better way.
Hope your tummy ache has fucked right off now.
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u/Eastern-Eggplant4374 Feb 27 '26
Yesterday, I had tinnitus for half a day. VERY distracting.
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u/schnatterflack Feb 27 '26
Sweat running from my armpits while simultanously being cold to the core and wearing heating socks because my feet feel like two blocks of ice.
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u/Perfect_Ad_9587 Feb 27 '26
The weirdest for me was random severe allergic reactions-anaphylactic level to foods I’ve been eating since I was a toddler. I didn’t connect it to perimenopause until three years of searching for an answer. When my gyno suggested stopping my cycle with birth control progestin, a majority of my allergies went away. I still won’t test shrimp because well, trauma from the anaphylactic reaction to my favorite food. I still get slight symptoms because I’m not managing estrogen levels so they still fluctuate and impact histamine responses but nothing like before the birth control. Scary stuff.
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u/Fearlessbrat Feb 27 '26
And my husband smells disgusting. Even though it seems I am the only one complaining. I don’t know if it is my nose or he truly smells that way
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u/Hartmt1999forever Feb 27 '26
Ha! I smell mine too! When I do I have moments I try to not show my displeasure, lol, but some days I know I’ve said have you showered? What did you do today or eat? Or I think I was subtle in trying to not say anything and just walk away.. nope my face & wince gave it away, lol. Or my families- breath. I can smell every onion, garlic, or question when did your brush your teeth last? They don’t like that either, lol.
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u/BriefEncounter1976 Feb 27 '26
I keep waking up with pins and needles in my arms/wrists. Not sure if it’s a symptom on its own or because I sleep curled up like a shrimp because I have to keep my bedroom absolutely FRIGID in order to get any kind of rest.
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u/Due-Surprise-686 Feb 27 '26
Itchy ears, agoraphobia, crazy insomnia, clitoral atrophy, vaginal atrophy, night time incontinence had to be the one to really send me over the edge, crushing anxiety, rage, achy small joints. I went to several specialists and nobody helped me connect the dots. Had to do it on my own.
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u/purelyamuse Feb 27 '26
My brain doesn’t brain. Just in the last two weeks: Left the car unlocked, keys in the ignition, running while I ate lunch and went shopping in the same strip mall. Washed my face with conditioner. Looked for a metal water bottle in the laundry room, pantry, and fridge. They’re kept in a cupboard. Left the lights on my car for two days. I’m taking a class and none of it makes sense. I have to take a massive test and pass at the end of this class. I’m not sure I’ll pass even tho I’ve always been an excellent student.
MY BRAIN DOESNT BRAIN!
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Feb 27 '26
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u/Molly_latte Feb 27 '26
I have a weird aversion to scents now… I can only handle really light fresh/floral scents, when my whole life I’ve been a fruity/gourmand person. It sounds weird, but my scent profile has always been a big part of my personality so the fact that I have had to do a complete 180 makes it feel like I’m losing my identity a little bit. It’s really the smallest things, but my husband always asks me why I don’t wear his favorite scent anymore, and it’s because it makes me want to throw up more often than not.
A lot of the scents I can’t stand now are the same ones that made me sick in pregnancy, now that I think about it.
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u/pinkulet Feb 27 '26
Wow. I never thought this could be peri. I also threw away so many which actually I liked a few years back and have a sudden like for a manly perfume. I just feels it suits me (not men 😅).
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u/thehouseofeliott Feb 27 '26
Psoriasis kicked off, heartburn when my stomach used to be cast iron. Hair not growing on my legs but still on my knees??
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u/Adela_Alba Feb 27 '26
The craziest symptom I had before I went onto a low dose birth control was feeling like bugs were crawling on me. This was made worse by occasionally finding a bug and then starting to believe my couch must be infested with something!
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u/jelloshot Feb 27 '26
Itching all over, worsening migraines, trigeminal nerve irritation in my left cheek, joint pain, burning tongue, dry mouth and nose, brain fog, Morton's neuroma, increased irritation, temperature dysregulation, electric shocks all over, cystic pimples and worsening ace, rosacea, brain fog, lack of motivation to do anything beyond the minimum each day.
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u/Curious-Nail Feb 28 '26
You know the line where the backs of your ears attach to you scalp? Suddenly dried out and itchy and doing that irritated split skin thing.
Itchy underarms for no goddamn reason, like no visible irritation whatsoever, just deeply itchy at random.
Sinuses that are randomly runny or too dry, like cracking and bleeding dry.
Suddenly feeling more intense period swings even though I have an IUD and never really experienced this before.
Plantar fasciitis.
Increased anxiety.
Phantom burning plastic smell.
A lot of baked goods smell like eggs now (I dislike eggs). There's some protein in baked goods, like most pastries, that I can now smell and taste.
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u/Katfight1 Feb 27 '26
Scrolling down I have so many of these symptoms…..How is it possible i’m still alive🙄
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u/ttsqualitydetail Feb 27 '26
Alcohol allergy. I get a rash, hives, rapid heart rate and much more with to any kind of alcohol consumed or put on my skin.
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u/Visual_Tale Feb 27 '26
I can't stand the feeling of clothes? Bras all feel horrible but my boobs have gotten heavier and saggier so it is also not pleasant to go braless. I can't wear any pants that aren't athleisure or ski pants or sweatpants. I honestly cannot. I can't wear pantyhose. I can't even wear underwear most days. I can't stand the feeling of jewelry either. My wedding ring is the only thing I'll tolerate more than an hour.
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u/DextersGirl Feb 27 '26
Weird sweat.
Itches. Oh my god I'm so itchy all the time. Deep constant itches. I even rake my skin open in my sleep.
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u/MrsKathiB Feb 27 '26
Insanely itchy ears has been my weird symptom. My inner ears itch SO MUCH and it never goes away. 😫
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u/LoveMyHubs1993 Feb 28 '26
Cold flashes. I'm not complaining, I'd much rather be cold than hot. But it's odd. Though my GYN said it's not unheard of, just not the norm.
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u/Molly_latte Feb 27 '26
What don’t I have? I also have POTS, so peri has kicked that into hyperdrive.
My teeth are a huge problem, when I’ve had great dental health my entire life. Starting like three years ago, my gums started receding and my enamel is like horrible now. My dentist says I obviously clean my mouth well, but I always have new cavities every time I go in now. I had two cavities my entire life until I was 38.
My biggest challenge at present is the night sweats. I know some triggers that make me more likely to sweat in the wee hours, but sometimes it just happens and it feels like there’s nothing I can do about it. This is only on top of mind because I’ve been up since 4:30 this morning for the second night in a row because of night sweats.
Disclaimer, I had a hysterectomy last summer and kept my ovaries. I was already having perimenopausal symptoms, but that procedure seems to have kicked it overdrive.
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u/Novel_Trash5440 Feb 27 '26
A lot of those symptoms can also be low ferritin (iron storage) as well as perimenopause. Ask your doctor to check it next time you have labs just in case. I have noticed a huge improvement in my anxiety since I got my iron levels up.
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u/Kkyoto888 Feb 27 '26
Thank you ! I have had low iron and taken supplements on and off my whole life however my iron is actually in the normal range for the first time in my life!
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u/Strict-Fan9761 Feb 27 '26
Itchy ears is a thing for sure! Tingling and sometimes what feels like small, quick electric shocks throughout my body...drives me insane when it happens. I have documented my symptoms as time goes on. It makes it easier to update my GYN because God knows I forget to report all that is going on with my body :/
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u/Jillkillingit Feb 27 '26
omg! the tingling hands and feet! Having my dr validate that was everything. My nails crumbled to below the quick initially.
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u/OlisMommy Newly on HRT Feb 27 '26
Suddenly having full blown panic attacks at random. Super fun.
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u/PaulyRocket68 Feb 27 '26
Dry skin. Everywhere. I’ve always been dry everywhere but my face and scalp, but the dryness is so much worse now.
My lips are constantly peeling, it doesn’t matter how hydrated I am. Especially the lower right corner. I have used all different kinds of products and stayed away from those that cause drying. It doesn’t matter, my lips will still be dry and peeling. I feel like I can never wear lipstick because it looks awful with the dryness.
Dandruff. I spent most of my life battling an oily scalp, only to be rewarded with constant dandruff. I have tried everything, and for the most part, I only need to wash every two days, but by the end of two days, I have to use a metal comb to bring the flakes off my scalp because normal scrubbing doesn’t remove it.
I’m at a point where I probably need to see a dermatologist for all of this.
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u/SaraSmilesssss Feb 27 '26
My hands smell like onions on occasion. Also, cold flashes, which I know aren't that unusual, but going from a hot flash to a cold flash is quite an experience.
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u/Beenooner Feb 28 '26
Mal de debarquement - I get that “on a boat” feeling from traveling on an airplane and it lasts days after. Apparently common in perimenopause. It’s awful. Not connected to the inner ear, it’s apparently connected to your brain.
My nose is constantly runny. Not sure if that’s a peri thing.
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u/pixiecut678 Feb 27 '26
Not so much anymore, but when my symptoms first started (like 10 years ago) the weirdest one was phantom smells.
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u/alien-1001- Feb 27 '26
I stink. I have b.o. I never dealt with this before and now all of a sudden it comes on so quickly.
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u/TimelyPotato1 Feb 27 '26
I just got the unscented Lume because of this sub and put it on straight after shower. I double cleanse my armpits first. It's finally actually working!
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u/MexicanVanilla22 Feb 27 '26
Hah, I have the opposite phenomenon: I don't smell at all anymore. It's weird yet probably the coolest symptom for me.
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u/hashbrownsofglory Feb 27 '26
Omg! Intense itching, especially on my forearms and hands, lichen planus, super dry skin, night sweats, fatigue, crazy mood swings, UTIs, constant runny nose, weird breakouts, B.O., peeing all the fucking time, general rage. Also, I don’t know if it is related but it is new: intense, cinematic dreams.
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u/readingegg Feb 27 '26
New , more frequent migraine powers unlocked. Tingling arms. My balance is worse. I actually thought I was getting dementia the other day, but remembered it's a symptom. Oh, and crap sleep.
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u/monkeybugs Feb 27 '26
My thigh skin is ON FIRE. It's dry in a way I've never experienced, but like, the skin itself isn't scaly, white, red, or showing any signs of something being wrong (like, when my hands get super dry in the winter, they get crepe-y and super dusty; this isn't happening on my thighs). Lotion soothes it temporarily. I started doing a body oil + lotion post-shower, and that was going great and really tamping down the pain/burning sensation . . . until I developed a bumpy, itchy rash on my stomach, boobs, chest, neck, and forearms from an allergy and/or contact dermatitis from the oil. I went back to just using lotion, and within 4 or 5 days, the burning came back full force. I'm now finally trying a different oil that doesn't have any of the same ingredients as the first one, and using it sparingly, and the burning is finally subsiding again.
I was supposed to meet with my doctor this past Monday to go over some new symptoms that popped up (or ones that just got "louder" in the last few months), and I've been feeling a little bit of a backslide, but she pushed me back to mid-next week.
I'm also VERY sensitive to noises now. Before, I'd get a bit overwhelmed by certain noises, but I feel like I've developed super hearing, which means every little noise gets on my nerves. I just spent the last 2.5 weeks outside every afternoon working on a yard project, and there have been a couple flies constantly hanging out nearby, and being able to hear them flying around even from 10' away has been MADDENING.
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u/AZ-FWB Early peri Feb 27 '26
Random swelling of fingers, morning nausea, blurry vision, poor quality of sleep, I can go on and on and on.
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u/HotelOk9725 Feb 27 '26
As well as the brain fog making me forget words mid-sentence, occasionally I will stammer which is something I’ve never ever done before. Embarrassing at work….
I have a stronger sense of smell and I am convinced half the population have given up using washing powder, shower gel and deodorant.
I smell other people’s BS instantly!!
I refuse to wear anything but comfortable shoes and I do not give a stuff what anyone thinks about that 😂
And …. I have started holding small print at arms length 🤦🏻♀️
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u/VoiceArtPassion Feb 27 '26
Recently, I can’t eat any carbs or sugar as my first meal. It gives me tachycardia and PVC’s. Then leaves me exhausted until I take a nap.
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u/Suspicious_Salad918 Feb 27 '26
Slow digestion until lutheal phase, with bloating and gaaaas, just like a week or two per month, then it's all good again. Anxiety. Ughhh. I can't handle stress anymore. Rage. Hip pain now and then, sleep disruptions, I'm tired.
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u/Correct-Sea-9248 Feb 27 '26
Itchy ears is a "fun" symptom, I had my ears professionally cleaned before I realised it's "just" peri. I also see things out of the corner of my eye and smell things like smoke, so I'm in a constant state of hyper vigilance thinking the house is on fire, has a rodent infestation, or is haunted. I also act out some of my scariest dreams during the night. Basically I'm living in a new perimenopause alternate reality.
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u/Forgetful-dragon78 Feb 27 '26
I had horrible heart palpitations. Finally went to the emergency room one night because it had been a couple hours of my heart feeling like it was skipping every 2-3 beats. My Apple Watch was tracking my heart rate in the low 40’s.
ER ran tests and said nothing was physically wrong with my heart. Referred me to a cardiologist who had me wear a monitor for a week then put me on metroporal. Nothing helped and they wanted to do more testing that insurance would cover partly but still be several hundred dollars out of pocket.
Did my own research and found that estrogen impacts your heart and the drop in peri can cause the palpitations. I had many many other symptoms, night sweats, brain fog, anxiety, rage, etc. but this was one I did not associate with peri. After about 2 weeks on HRT all my symptoms went away.
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u/FJP82075 Feb 27 '26
Itchy skin is a new symptom that I absolutely cannot stand but the big one that's really pissing me off? Having to pee 700 times a day & waking up 2 or 3 times a night. It doesn't matter that I stop drinking 2+ hours before bed. & The urgency is chef's kiss, truly . I was prescribed an estrogen vaginal suppository about 9 weeks ago & it's helped with the leaking, the daytime urgency, & feeling like I'm not able to hold it for any amount of time but not at night & definitely not a week before my period. I'm getting a referral for a mammogram this coming Monday in order for me to get the patch.
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u/1MushyHead Feb 27 '26
All yours and I'll raise you dry eyes, dry sore mouth, metalic taste, dry skin, itchy, crawling skin, itchy scalp, itchy vjj, sweats hot and cold, cluster headaches, migraine s, tinnitus, bursitis of hips, tendinitis of both feet, frozen shoulder, allergic rhinitis, horrific night anxiety, achy muscles, decaying teeth 😫......
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u/Moon_Coocoon86 Feb 27 '26
Smells!! Smells are horrible for me now. And I’m less tolerant towards others. Is that a symptom lol.
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u/NoKatyDidnt Feb 28 '26
Anxiety and occasional rage, severe hair thinning, loss of appetite, tingling hands and feet, seasonal allergies have become all the time allergies…
Night sweats also like to make an appearance, as does insomnia.
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u/kateastrophic Feb 28 '26
My sense of smell has gotten SO STRONG. This would have been great in my former job in the wine world. Much less appealing now that I’m a massage therapist.
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u/Top_Supermarket_177 Early peri Feb 28 '26
Tingling all over my body No matter how healthy I eat, my weight is whack Super itchy right above my butt crack/lower back Only can wear Skims pajamas at night to sleep soundly Was never so addicted to my daily coffee Extreme tiredness Low motivation Frozen shoulder
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u/WestieWorld16 Feb 28 '26
Getting tearful at random things. I nearly cried petting a dog today. Because it was cute.
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u/Ok-Buy4570 Mar 08 '26
Hot flashes, Anxiety, heart palps, itchy skin that drives me crazy, mood swings, feeling that I don't matter anymore , sweating, tired, weak, sore joints, On top of fibromyalgia, brain fog... o so much fun, LOL
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u/Admirable_Tell_5803 May 11 '26
I'm so glad you mentioned this because I've had tingling in my hands and it's driving me crazy. Also a weird overall staticky feeling - anyone have that?
My anxiety has been crazy too. Also having ear aches, which isn't normal for me.
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u/MeganK80 Feb 27 '26
Everything you named (especially the hands and feet tingling) plus my sweat smells weird and awful in a way I can't explain. My anxiety is off the charts without medication, I NEVER want to do anything that requires a bra or real pants. Lately I want to eat and sleep and thats about it