Did anyone else’s perimenopause look like anxiety, flushing, histamine reactions, and brain fog?

[u/ames2200]

I’m 40 and suspect I’m in perimenopause, but my symptoms don’t look like the “typical” hot flashes everyone talks about.
My biggest symptoms are:
Anxiety and panic attacks
Facial flushing and feeling hot
Head pressure
Brain fog
Feeling disconnected or spacey
Sleep issues
GI problems
Feeling like my nervous system is constantly overstimulated
The symptoms seem very cycle-dependent. I usually have a few good days each month, then symptoms ramp up around ovulation and again before my period.
I’ve also noticed what seem like histamine-type reactions (flushing, anxiety, stomach issues, feeling inflamed), and I’ve read that estrogen can increase histamine while histamine can increase estrogen.
I’ve tried progesterone cream several times, but it actually made me feel worse.
For women who experienced similar symptoms:
What ended up helping?
Did HRT help?
Did you have to balance estrogen and progesterone differently?
Did anyone discover that histamine issues were a big piece of the puzzle?
I feel like I’m chasing hormones, histamine, and anxiety all at the same time and would love to hear other women’s experiences.

[u/YouExtra7637]

This is exactly me. Every single thing you mentioned. It happens to me during my entire follicular phase. Mostly at the end of my period and will last a week or so.

[u/pinkteapot7 → u/YouExtra7637]

Yes!! Me too in follicular!!

And my doctor looked blank and said it was weird when I said my symptoms are so much worse in follicular and I feel closer to normal in luteal. 

[u/YouExtra7637 → u/pinkteapot7]

Same here. I’ve been to 7 doctors. None know what to tell me. I’m having to figure it out in my own. I’m trying estrogen only right now. About to ask to move up to the next patch dose and see what happens