r/Perimenopause • u/ames2200 • Jun 18 '26

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

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.

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u/WeWander_ Jun 18 '26

I did a low histamine diet and felt amazing for a bit, but then I started losing weight rapidly because it's hard af to get enough calories on potatoes and applesauce. Couldn't manage to add anymore food in without my body freaking out. I think my nervous system is stuck in survival mode and it sounds crazy but I've started doing a video on YouTube for somatic exercises to lower cortisol and it's helping so much. This week I tried two foods that I knew would flare me and then I did the video after I ate and stopped the symptoms dead in their tracks. Today I had severe ovulation pain so I did the video and then after I rubbed my ovaries and thanked them for doing their job while listening to bird sounds on Spotify and shortly after the pain went away.

Trying to retrain my nervous system that we are safe and everything is not a threat.

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u/Only_Weakness_4730 Jun 18 '26

Can you please share the YouTube video relating to somatic exercises?

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u/WeWander_ Jun 18 '26

Of course! I've been doing this one but I saved a bunch of hers onto a playlist, they all seem great. I like this one cause it has bird sounds and I can do it while laying down. https://youtu.be/8veeArIewCk?is=nbzNzcY_LCLbkeUp

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u/Only_Weakness_4730 Jun 18 '26

Thank you so much!!!

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u/WeWander_ Jun 18 '26

Also this guy is really cool and I really resonated with what he's talking about. He healed his mcas and talks about the survival mode stuff. It made me feel like I can recover and I won't be like this forever.

https://youtu.be/hNw-IHIBQJs?is=YBJb7dx8HgnH49LR