Hypoglycemia is a condition where blood sugar levels drop below the typical range, leading to symptoms such as nightmares, crying out during sleep, lack of coordination, chills, clammy skin, sweating, and tingling or numbness of the mouth. It can cause both short- and long-term complications. The most common reason for low blood sugar is a side effect, and consistently low blood sugar levels can be dangerous as they impair brain function. In severe cases, it can cause coma or death.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, crying spells, forgetfulness, trembling, racing heart, and dizziness. In infants and children, symptoms may include lethargy, abnormal crying, decreased feeding, jitteriness, and irritability. If someone you know is experiencing a hypoglycemia episode and is slurring their speech, disoriented, or unconscious, do not give them food or liquid.
Hyperglycemia affects the body by causing shaking, sweating, blurred vision, and mood changes. People with low blood sugar may feel suddenly anxious, lightheaded, or have a hangry sensation. Hyperglycemia, or higher blood glucose, has historically been associated with anger or sadness, while blood sugar dips. Some people describe this sensation as “hangry”, combining “hungry” and “angry”.
Low blood sugar is rare without diabetes and can sometimes be caused by conditions like malnutrition, Addison’s disease, or growth. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, crying spells, forgetfulness, trembling, racing heart, and dizziness. It is essential to recognize and treat hypoglycemia symptoms to ensure proper functioning and prevent potential complications.
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Are you perimenopausal and feel like you’re dying? You’re not alone! In this video I talk about the true impact of menopause on a …
What can be mistaken for low blood sugar?
Low blood sugar symptoms, including dizziness, sweating, and headache, can be triggered by various health conditions, including heart problems, hyperthyroidism, certain medications, dehydration, and mental health disorders. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can also occur in people without diabetes due to certain medications, severe infections, or other organ-related issues. Hypoglycemia is a condition where blood sugar levels are too low, and it can also occur in individuals without diabetes due to other underlying conditions or excessive alcohol consumption.
Can low blood sugar make you act weird?
Mild low blood sugar can cause various symptoms, including hunger, jitteriness, nervousness, sweating, and cold skin. Moderate low blood sugar can cause short-temperedness, fear, confusion, blurred vision, and difficulty walking. Severe low blood sugar can lead to seizures, coma, or death. Nighttime low blood sugar can cause tiredness, headaches, nightmares, and excessive sweating. Diagnosis involves a doctor’s physical exam, health questions, and blood tests.
Some tests may involve fasting and monitoring symptoms, while others may involve eating a meal that could cause low blood sugar symptoms later. The results of these tests can help diagnose the cause of low blood sugar. In summary, low blood sugar can lead to various symptoms, including hunger, jitteriness, confusion, and even death.
Why does sugar make me cry?
Studies have linked high sugar diets to depression, as overconsumption can increase inflammation, alter the gut microbiome, and disrupt physiological processes. Healthline offers products that are useful for readers and may earn a small commission if you buy through links. The team thoroughly researches and evaluates recommendations on the site, ensuring that product manufacturers meet safety and efficacy standards.
What are the warning signs of low blood sugar?
Hypoglycemia is a condition where blood sugar levels are below the standard range, causing symptoms such as paleness, shaking, sweating, headache, hunger or nausea, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and irritability or anxiety. It is often related to diabetes treatment but can also occur in non-diabetic individuals. It requires immediate treatment and is usually alerted by a fasting blood sugar of 70 mg/dL or below. However, individual numbers may vary, so it’s important to consult a healthcare provider.
Can you cry from low blood sugar?
The occurrence of hypoglycemia during sleep may be evidenced by a number of symptoms, including feelings of fatigue, irritability, or confusion upon waking, as well as the presence of perspiration on clothing or bed linens.
Can low blood sugar make you weepy?
Low blood sugar can cause signs of stress, including nervousness, anxiety, and irritability. It can lead to sleep disturbances, lack of coordination, chills, clammy skin, sweating, tingling, numbness of the mouth, blurred vision, headache, and confusion. Daily tasks and coordination can be difficult. Untreated, severe low blood sugar can be dangerous, resulting in seizures, loss of consciousness, or death.
Can lack of sugar cause sadness?
Sugar can have a significant impact on our health, leading to negative effects when we eat less or completely eliminate it from our diet. During the early “sugar withdrawal” stage, mental and physical symptoms such as depression, anxiety, brain fog, cravings, headaches, fatigue, and dizziness are reported. This can make it difficult for some to stick with a diet change. Although sugar consumption has been declining in the US and Europe, the basis for these symptoms is not extensively studied, but it is likely linked to reward pathways in the brain.
Evidence in rats has shown that sugar can induce bingeing, craving, and withdrawal anxiety, similar to other addictive substances. However, most research is on animals, making it difficult to determine if this is the case for humans.
What does a low blood sugar spell feel like?
Hypoglycemia is a condition where blood glucose levels drop below four millimoles per litre, causing symptoms such as hunger, trembling, sweating, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and even loss of consciousness. It can also occur during sleep, causing excess sweating, disturbed sleep, and tiredness upon waking. To correct hypoglycemia, individuals should consume sugar-containing foods or drinks like dextrose tablets or fruit juice. This immediate treatment allows time for correcting the condition and ensuring proper blood glucose levels.
Is crying a symptom of diabetes?
Diabetes and other health issues can lead to mood disturbances due to blood sugar fluctuations. Healthy individuals with refined carbohydrates and added sugars may experience sudden blood sugar surges and exaggerated insulin responses, leading to acute hypoglycemia. A 2017 study found positive associations between high sugar consumption and common mental disorders. Individuals with recurrent mental health symptoms may choose to rule out alternative causes before seeking mental health treatment or interventions. Lifestyle principles can help stabilize blood sugar.
How can I tell if my blood sugar is dropping?
Low blood glucose (Hypoglycemia) is a condition where blood glucose levels fluctuate, affecting the body’s ability to fight off diabetes-related complications. It is a common symptom in people living with type 1 diabetes or those taking insulin. When blood glucose levels drop below the target range, it is considered a low and requires immediate action to bring them back to the target range. This is typically when blood glucose is less than 70 mg/dL.
Regularly checking blood glucose levels is crucial for those living with type 1 diabetes or those taking insulin. If blood glucose levels go above the target range, it can be dangerous, and it is essential to discuss this with your healthcare team.
Can diabetes cause tears?
A deficiency in insulin levels can result in a reduction in tear production, while elevated blood glucose levels can cause damage to the nerves within the eyes, including those of the lacrimal gland and corneal nerves. These nerves are vital for the adhesion of tears to the eye’s front surface.
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Personally I think their should be menopause clinics, where woman can go and express their concerns and get the help they need wether it be by eastrogen, or being put on the correct vitamins, collagen etc .for all these horrible symptoms, should be physio if experiencing pain, too. Because some docters are just so dismissive. Always make sure you see a good doctor, talk to the receptionist for their recomendation, don’t give up till you get treated correctly
I’m 46 and haven’t had my period in over a year. I have seen a cardiologist, ENT, breast specialist, new primary care doctors etc. MRIs blood tests for cancer you name it. It’s been awful. I have lost a ton of weight so of course we all think it’s cancer. But after all these tests, if it is cancer well I probably would be dead by now. It’s menopause and not one doctor has even mentioned it. Not one. Thank you so much for your content. I spent the last 8 months thinking I was dying and have two young children. The stress from that alone has been awful. But now I am going to get the help I need. Love to all us out there suffering. ❤
I recently went for my yearly medical checkup with my NP. ALL my bloodwork was normal but when I brought out my list of issues and possible lab work I wanted, she actually looked at me and said, “well, it looks like you’re trying to be an endocrinologist”. Let’s just say that didn’t sit well with me….I mean how dare I be proactive with MY health 🙄
46 years old and fully menopaused. Woke up one morning at 43 and was so dizzy, I couldn’t get out of bed. Walked into walls for the next few days, but it eventually went away. When I spoke to my dr about it, who is a woman, she dismissed my theory of perimenopause because in her view, I was “too young”. Instead she sent me for neurological tests and brain scans, which of course came back normal. I am on HRT now, which for me, has been a godsend. But I had to fight for it bc my dr prefereed to prescribe me antidepressants. It is practically criminal how women are treated for this phase of life.
You are an angel !! I was getting terrified of my mental and physical well-being. I’m 48. I’ve had the 12 convective months without my period (next month will be a year) I’ve been having hot flashes, dizziness, heart palpitations, headaches, random pain…and just recently SEVERE panic attacks. I honestly thought I was losing my mind and dying!!! Not only during the panic attacks but in general. Seeing this article. Seeing all the comments from the other women experiencing this. Is EXTREMELY helpful ! I can’t thank you enough for posting and explaining. Subscribed. 💕
Thank you for this article. I am a perimenopausal woman in my early 40’s and have been convinced I’m dying of some terrible illness. I’ve self diagnosed myself with so many different diseases. This article was reassuring that I’m not actually dying and that all these wild symptoms are just perimenopause. I’ve been wanting to see a doctor but am hesitant precisely because I can’t handle them looking at me like I’m nuts. How you described all the symptoms and how they change and go away and come back is exactly what I’m dealing with. Sometimes it feels better, other times worse. I’m grateful for other women like you who put this information out there. We really need to support eachother with this because the medical system surely does not.
My perimenopause journey started with exhaustion followed by adrenal fatigue. Three years later I started getting uti’s, heart palpitations, pain (shoulder, hamstring, glute, traps, neck) Quit caffeine to stop the morning panic attacks. It worked. I already eat kale, avocados, make my own green juice, meditate every day, do yoga, get my steps etc. literally no fun at all and now I’m having vertigo, eye pressure, light sensitivity, and general discomfort on my computer at work. It suuuuucccckkkkssssss. Had a billion tests done last year. Nothings wrong they say. Waiting to see a specialist. Anyway just venting cause it feels safe to here. Thank you for these articles!! And for everyone who shares. It’s helpful to know we’re not alone or losing our marbles. ❤
I’m 39 and I’ve only started being perimenopausal over the past year (very irregular periods, severe mood swings and more frequent meltdowns, heart palpitations and increased anxiety with frequent panic attacks, hot flashes and night sweats) legit I’m constantly scared I’m gonna have a heart attack. I got dismissed by my GP and stopped going because I started to feel like he thinks I’m a hypochondriac. I’m so glad I found this article it actually makes me feel somewhat normal.
This is a article I should have seen 3 years ago. I was going from one doctor to another…none of them mentioned menopause… Even one 60 years old woman who was my neurologist didn’t connect my neurological problems with menopause…. . Thank you so much Kari Anne❤️ I went through everything alone, just with books about menopause❤️ your articles are helping me to realize that I was not crazy last 3 years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart🌿❤️
Im so happy to have found this information! Having fatigue, headaches, eye pressure, tingling throughout my body, brain fog, even felt like i was being shocked with a bolt of electricity, ringing in my ears, vertigo. The list changes day to day. Im 50 and honestly can feel like im dying from time to time, but this has helped ease my anxiety, which has been thru the roof! Thank you…Thank you
Omg, I am literally crying…relate to everything and for 2 years I was thinking I was having a serious illness – that triggered health anxiety, going to therapies, blood tests every 4 months, ECG test, addition to blood pressure machine at home, buying tests on amazon (urine, bowel) and even thinking of doing MRI of my brain. Finally, I realised through online research that it was perimenopause. Im thinking HRT because the unsteady feeling, walking like on the boat feeling drives me nuts plus fatigue, not being able to exercise as much. I recommend “Menopausing” book by Davina McCall. I have so much more clarity now.
Omg I’m just crying 😢 im 51 and i can’t take it anymore. I’ve been going through menopause since 37! I’m so weak, nauseous and hot flashing every 10 minutes. I can’t even continue doing my articles on my YT..I already suffer from depression, anxiety besides menopause! My god i feel for all women, I’ve been sleeping for days. Ihave every single symptom I’ve read on.
Kari Anne, this article and a couple others of yours have been a revelation to me. I knew I was likely suffering perimenopause starting in my mid-to-late thirties, but dealt with a doctor who told me I was too young to be going through menopause, apparently not hearing me when I said the “peri” part. He said my bloodwork, hormones, thyroid, were all normal, and I stopped focusing on perimenopause as symptoms worsened and multiplied over the years. Cut to now, I’m 43, and thanks to YouTube articles, I went to a doctor to get more bloodwork and at least now I can point to specific changes in my menstrual period that gets me more attention. But the nurse practitioner asked me if women in my family tend to “go through menopause early.” WTF? She doesn’t know that perimenopause can take anywhere from 1 to 15 years (or less, or more!) Same as the other doctor. They also don’t know that mammograms have been discovered to cause breast cancer, and she referred to the luteal phase as the “Lutheran” phase. The office has a big chart recommending that to eat healthy, “just make sure that half of your grains are whole grains”…plus a big poster slyly implying that if you had chickenpox as a kid you’re MORE likely to get shingles (when it’s the complete opposite) to sell the shingles vaccine (and several other ill-advised, risky and unnecessary risky vaccines), and what other helpful health information is located in the exam room? A fully-illustrated booklet showing a woman’s facial aging process (complete with the progression from 35 to 55, with the 45 year old woman already looking like a craggy witch), so that you can decide which injectables and cosmetic surgeries are right for you.
I don’t know how you do it, Kari. You always seem to make a article that is directly aligned with how I am feeling at the moment and I hear exactly what I needed. I feel so much better and stronger when you remind me that we are a community. I don’t know what I would do at this time without you and the group. Bless you!!
Kari, wish I could hug you. This is what my rant has always been. Womens health is not of interest to GPs . They forget that suicide in 51 to 54 year old in women is high too cos of menopause. It can seriously effect your mental health. I know of at least 2 women who have taken their lives due to this phase of life. Most GP’s are not interested and they receive little or no training in menopause. Women are marginalised. We are not important enough.
I realized that some of the elderly women are more healthy than me, I was ashamed of me. Soon I realize that I m going through this because of perimenopause, n I do not need to prove myself a super women. Now I listen to my body, when I feel tired I tell I m tired and done. I try to catch sleep as much as I can, if I don’t want to cook I do not cook, it’s mostly happens a week before periods begin. And periods are painful in 1-2 days now they are painful throughout. I rest I rest n rest.
Kari, thank you. When it hit me, it came with no warning and I thought I had the flu. Sweating hot flashes and then chills every 20 minutes. I think doctors dismiss women at our age. We are invisible. I think we are observed as no longer able to have children and no longer useful. I honestly don’t go to doctors anymore. The one exception is my osteo PA for a medication to rebuild my bones. She is female, my age, and a weightlifter too. My advice find a female doctor.
Watching this makes me feel slightly better and validated. I’ve been having random vague symptoms as well. Aches/pains, headaches, sudden bloating/burping, and had a random panic attack even though I live a fairly stress free life. I too am scared to go to the doctor and as a healthcare worker it scares me even more to imagine the rabbit hole if they find something. So I avoid it all and have actually googled “death with dignity”. But it’s all probably just perimenopause.
I am so grateful to you, saying it all outloud, and I do not understand this whole situation and why we have such a terrible attitude to our health. It looks like doctors are totally oblivious and ignorant of this transition. Even female doctors. It was shocking to me! She tried to explore and test almost everything but ignored me when I mentioned menopause twice (!!) It should not be like this bit it is what it is😢
Hi there, Jane from Australia here…🇦🇺 This is an absolute NIGHTMARE! It has almost destroyed me. I am 45 and like everyone else here, I have been suffering so so badly. Every test, every Dr. Even a stay in hospital. I am suffering from migraines that are SO SO SOOOO DEBILITATING. My breasts hurt, dizziness, vertigo, weight gain (I’m usually around 60kg, and now 89kg). Major sleep disorders, sweats, tummy cramps, body pains/aches, itchy dry skin (which is new to me), anxiety and doom and now the need to urinate more! ALL tests are fine and no one is listening. Thankyou for this article and to everyone in the comment section. We NEED one-another. I can’t believe there is no warning or more awareness for just how nasty this feels. I am at least 3.5 yrs into it, so hoping there is some respite soon. Good luck everyone 🙏🏼❤
Thank you Kari, I’m so grateful for your articles – so helpful! I’ve had such strong pain in my entire upper body but all over really, dizzy (I had no idea that was a symptom) and other stuff and had been getting scared that something was seriously wrong. You nailed it here, that’s exactly how I was feeling today, because I’m waiting to get my blood test results for my hormone levels and starting to get scared that it’s something else. But, you have described all my symptoms in this and other articles and I’m 51, so it’s likely perimenopause. My doctor, a guy, has not been helpful and just kind of shrugged his shoulders like he was saying “oh well”. However, I’ve recently found a female doctor who specialises in perimenopause and menopause – thank goodness – and she thinks she can help me. I’m so desperate!
This was an awesome article! We really do need to stick together! I’m 49 and I have health anxiety, so I’m beginning to adapt to certain symptoms. My newest symptom is the bladder issues or UTIs. But for me I found ginger tea to be very effective. Honestly I just use about a tablespoon of ground ginger and hot water it’s a big cup! I drink that a couple times a day and the symptoms have disappeared I also take align probiotic in the morning. As for my dizziness and vertigo, it seems to be affected by my ears, which an ENT told me about nine years ago there is a connection between hormones an ear fluid they just don’t know why? So now I just take Flonase every morning and drink a lot of water! I’m also very emotional, I cry almost every day, it can be something happy or a fear, either way I cry daily. It’s tough going through this alone, and not having anyone to talk about it with. So it’s nice to come here. Last week I started spotting for the first time in my life, that caused major health anxiety, but it’s websites like this that are very helpful when we have symptoms. I just can’t sometimes believe how much water I have to drink and God for bid you take a medication where you have to drink more water. I’m just glad I found this website a while ago♥️
I’m here right now at 39. I did a female hormone test at home n my dhea is at .2. It’s suppose to be at least a 10. My doctor n gyn both told me that’s life. Part of getting older n nothing they could do with no help with supplements or vitamins. N I asked tons of questions. I’m fricking 39!!! So sad women go through this.
I’m in hell. my primary says there is nothing more she can do for me but won’t refer me to an endocrinologist. I have adrenaline surges that cause heart rate spikes that make me feel like i’m going to stroke out or have an annuerysm. my neuro says nothing is wrong with me and it’s just migraine activity…..dizziness, head pressure, vertigo. i sit on my couch and my heart rate sits in the 100s. i have Gi issues….i feel like i’m dying. the perfect storm of perimenopause and possible long covid. been to ER twice…normal EKG, normal bloodwork, my TSH was high and then retested normal so primary won’t ultrasound my thyroid but something doesn’t feel right. i don’t kinow how much longer i can live like this.
I’ve been to my doctor several times asking for help and in response he said it was stress…I was even prescribed Valium which I didn’t take. He even prescribed a drug that lowers your blood pressure! My blood pressure is already low so that doesn’t work either. If it wasn’t for you I’d think I had cancer or something else and I can honestly say I thought I was going crazy. God bless and thank you for your articles ❤️
Thank you ma’am for this article. I’m 49 and i just started to have an unusual period. Many days of just spotting only followed by 2 days of heavy bleeding then slows down and stops. But a few days later, bleeding comes back again On and Off for days. I also have dizzy spells once in a while. I thought I have a serious reproductive health issue already. Thank you for educating us. Thank you for your time in making these articles about menopause. I thought menopause signs are just hot flashes and our period just stops or it just doesn’t arrive anymore. I never thought about Peri. You really helped us mentally. And other Ladies out there, thank you for sharing your symptoms as well.
Still having many symptoms and pain. However, if you are having pelvic pain/tenderness try eliminating dairy for a few months. If you start eating dairy and symptoms return it is the dairy intolerance. I have just recently accidentally consumed dairy and was quickly reminded why I stopped eating dairy products. I felt like I did in my teens and having my periods, the pain and tenderness were severe at times. With the help of ginger tea and Tylenol pain/tenderness mostly gone. Thank you for continuing your educational articles. They remind me that I’m not alone and most importantly NOT losing my mind. Dr. Mary Haver is an excellent starting point for educating ourselves on menopause. Take care.
“Oh, you’re fine! But if you still feel bad we can write you a prescription for anxiety”. Well guess what buddy! I have anxiety because I feel like crap! And heaven forbid we say the word ‘perimenopause because we get blown off. I would love to frolic through this change of life but I don’t see that happening.
I wake up with anxiety, blood work all checks out, have no appetite especially worse in the morning even though I force myself to eat, tired and weak, struggle with anxiety thru the day, hypothyroid is a little off and Dr readjusting I’m just glad to see this article because I have many of these symptoms so now I’m truly not alone!
I appreciate you! I saw you on Tik Tok and your humor helps. I struggle because I have mental health diagnosis and chronic illness. I have been to so many doctors because I have a true diagnosis of health anxiety and I don’t know what the hell is going on. Currently, I’m so exhausted I’m convinced I have cancer despite test after test. It’s so discouraging.
Thank you. I have been to the ER twice in the past 3 months. Lightheaded, palpitations, and scared out of my mind. Both times, I had an extensive blood panel and a EKG. Diagnosis; if I were any healthier, I’d be sick. I finally got my MD to refer me to a cardiologist. The cardiologist couldn’t hear or detect anything. I am now on my 4th day of wearing a heart monitor. If this all goes well I’m going to demand my doc tell me I’m post menopausal. I sailed right through peri and full on menopause with no issues. I feel like I’m in some cruel pergatory.
Thank you for this article❤ I personally ended up in the ER twice and I never go to the ER( couldn’t find anything wrong with me). I’ve been to doctors and specialists and they all give me a clean bill if health. I am 46 and suddenly every 3 weeks before my period and during my period I get palpitations, lightheaded, chills, some heaviness or tightness in my chest, heartburn and a list of other symptoms. I go through this before and during my period and then feel pretty normal for two weeks until it all starts up again. I do feel like I’m dying when this happens and it’s absolutely awful. No doctor including my female gynecologist will even entertain the idea of peri menopause. Does anyone get tightness in the chest and some slight chest pain along with the palpitations?
When you explain any of these symptoms, it’s just dismissed. We are not told about anything about menopause, because there isn’t a drug to treat it. We are left with more questions than answers and feeling like we are going crazy. I’ve watched more info about this and have felt validated. That’s all we want to hear, that we are not going crazy Do your research ladies, many doctors are quick to dismiss these symptoms as something else. Thank you so much for this information
I believe that now knowing that the cause of all these issues stems from peri-meno and meno is helpful to anyone, because it will help put the mind at ease that these symptoms are from a season of life, instead of some kind of death sentence. You give great insight and strategies to help relieve these crazy symptoms.
Just found your website. I have been in total panic for two months now. Random pains dizziness. My periods that used to be regular are all screwed up now. No one ever mentioned perimenopause so I went in. Search of answers. Everything you are talking about. Is everything that I am experiencing. I really needed your website right now I feel so alone.
I have a very close friend who has changed after the last two months. We were inseparable, did everything together. Then the anger started, followed by low, I am on overload, to highs of wanting to rule the world, then exclusion and no us. I have asked her if I have done something wrong, or said something wrong, she says it is nothing to do with me and she is having trouble coping and dealing with her hormones. How do us men deal with this situation to help and support when we are being pushed away?
Hi, Everyone I’m glad I found you guys I’m going to be 45 and I started pre-menopause at the age 38 around now I’m feeling so horrible there’s times where I feel very mellow but it doesn’t last long my period the last four months have been very different. I get hot flashes. I forget things get really emotional I get mad for no reason 😢 You guys can just imagine. I’m glad I found a support group here Thank you all for sharing.
I’m suffering so bad from bladder and pelvic pain. I have a dropped bladder and possibly endometriosis but these pains are worse than ever right now. I’m afraid to go to the Dr to be told I have cancer or something. And I believe most women are dismissed because most Drs are men, and men CANNOT possibly know much about women’s bodies!!
OMG, I just found one of your articles on another social media platform and laughed hysterically (as opposed to most medical professionals that deal with us at this time thinking we are hysterical). I could write story after story after story of various western medical professional’s approach/answers to my visits over a several year period of time. I have to go check out more of your articles now…I need a good laugh (that is if I remember what I was searching for…..).
So glad you’re talking about this. Sometimes women may not even realize what is happening during this time and it CAN be scary..Even some of the doctors don’t talk about this to us enough in detail. Needs to be more awareness so that we can understand and know some things to expect without feeling confused and lost.
Amen, I’m 51 just got done wearing a 7 day heart monitor and it showed PVCs 6 times in the 7 days. Dr. Said I’m fine it’s normal and I had a stress echo and showed no blockages in heart or arteries. Yet I still have headaches which is a new symptom last few days, still have flippy flop feeling in chest. It’s great fun to sit and get a haircut and then about jump out of the chair when I get the heart flopping feeling. Thank goodness my hair stylist experiences the same things and we laugh. But it’s no fun when it happens and I’m driving… causes pure panic and near fainting it feels. Ughh. Menopause can kiss my rear end.
Thank you for another wonderful article. I’m post menopause and not any better. Peri was awful. Post is terrible for me too. You’re correct about doctors. 22 doctors I saw were clueless about this issue. 22. You know there’s a major problem in world medical community when a highly sought after menopause internist with a10 month waiting list in Boston (a top medical complex in the world by the way), gets a 2 hours visit with you, and has no idea how to help AND seems confused about your symptoms, and gives a one size fits all suggestion. Menopause suffering needs to be shared And your website is an essential part of that.
I’ve worked in fertility clinics in admin & a doctor told me that doctor’s are taught mostly on male medical models in medical school & there is an appalling lack of information taught on women’s bodies. It was small wonder when I went to a new gyno with insane symptoms & major weight gain with a very healthy diet being followed, his answer was, “You’re getting older & fat is going to come there’s nothing for it. Your symptoms are just part of aging.” I haven’t been back. I do find the symptoms of heart palps with chest pain, acid reflux, & especially vein pain and back of legs pain, well, pain all over, to be seriously frightening. And the rage with crying jags-I cannot get a handle on my emotions, it makes me look immature, foolish, incompetent and totally out of control. I no longer have a family doctor as my doctor’s all retired during the pandemic so I’m stuck alone in peri-menopausal wilderness. Thank you for these articles they do help.
This article came at just the right time! I suffer from panic disorder anyway. A week ago I had such a severe panic attack that I passed out then went into shock. I can’t leave my house now out of fear. I was just thinking last night how my panic attacks seems to have gotten worse with perimenopause. Thank you for the validation!! ❤️
drs need to find a way to end menopause but not able to fertile.. seriously I don’t know many men that could /would go around feeling like what we feel like sometimes for years or the rest of our lives….. Seems that meno does not go along with modern life demands and modern medicine. before I get it, I do realize men go thru andropause but it seems Much More Gradual and less symptomatic. IDK prob depends on the person. As Kari said, some women sail thru both. so I assume that some men can sail through and/or maybe not even notice it much…. I wish I was in the category. !!!!! really sucks to have a relative and a neighbor who are natural meno and they have very few symptomsa or they are very mild. Have no idea what I’ve been talking about…
I went to gp appointment today I spoke to the doctor dizziness vertigo weakness and fatigue fainting spell anxiety headache off balance anger pain from no where my blood pressure goes brain fog doctor said is not perimenopause I’m in irregular period 52 years old thinking every day I’m dying telling my daughter that this symptom is not normal something is happening to me nobody is listening to me blood work come normal every time I go the er
2 years going back & forth to my doctor feeling like I was dying. Every test would come back normal it wasn’t till i got viginal atrophy that I was diagnosed with perimenopause that was nearly 4 years ago im now 47 years old . I’m having the most awful time with most debilitating weird symptoms. My health anxiety is through the roof . My heart palpitations & panics have subsided greatly after daily attacks for over a year so I’m very grateful for that as it’s truly petrifying😥. I think I’m now in late stages of peri. It took me 2 years to accept it all My periods only last 2 days & getting further apart. I’m just really tired & constant body aches. Or & my hair as changed from straight to curly the past 6 months🙄
Yeah, even if you have a prior joint injury may I suggest not having a joint repair surgery if you’re heading into that final stage and are experiencing the severe joint and muscle pain? I really wish I’d binged these articles last year, I thought I was just losing my mind and every joint in my body suddenly right up to when the hot flashes finally hit. over a dozen doctors and not a single warning.
Thank you SO much. How is it possible not even female gynaecologists have a clue about this? One feels so lonely and misunderstood! My GP also a woman insisted in giving me antidepresants which I flatly refused. God knows how many women are given them when all we need is information and understanding.😢
Try starting this hell at 37. I started with weight gain, ADRENALINE SURGES (thank you for mentioning that one they are horrid!!), stomach issues looking nine months pregnant with bloating, sluggish digestion, and hot flashes here and there. Now at 43 major hot flashes and only 2 periods last year. I finally found a NAMS gyno doctor and am seeing her but I have to wait until June. I’m gonna beg for HRT I need to feel human again and am way too young to feel like 85.
I live in Fl and thank the almighty I have found a gyn who leans towards the holistic treatment and bio identical hormones. I take bio identical compounded progesterone so my perimeno has been smooth sailing. Of course it has taken some adjustments to get me to the right dosage but it has worked. She is a wonderful Dr and I would definitely recommend her. Dr Catherine Zelner
It’s just my view so let me preface this ok? Menopause, for me, is a hideous DISEASE. I am indeed sick. I have a disease of one ovary being surgically removed because of a giant benign tumor. But menopause was wretched pre surgery. The debilitating life I’m left with in meno is a horrific nightmare sickness. I prayed HRT and super fit lifestyle would fix it, but nope. So ladies, if you feel meno is a disease or sickness you’re in good company
It’s awful… mine started at 37… scary night sweats and thin mega oily hair… im 41 and it sucks because my throat hurts all the time, my back hurts, im tired, have no energy on some days, dry eyes and blepharitis, high pitch tinnitus, … gosh… I feel I am collapsing and sometimes I imagine my funeral. Seriously! It’s so scary.
Thank you very much for these articles, they greatly relieve the anxiety of not knowing what is happening to you. I started with perimenopause symptoms at 40 years old, they came and went (nothing worrying) but at 47 I started to feel very bad and now at 49 I still have my periods on time but I feel very bad almost every day with hot flashes at night, palpitations, muscle pain and cramps, itchy skin, dry mouth, extreme fatigue, anxiety and depression. So far no doctor has given me an answer that I think is pretty obvious. Even when I am the one who says that it is perimenopause, they answer that what do I know.
53 still heavy bleeding, exhausted, dizzy, diarrhea, a.k.a. blowouts and severe panic attacks… I’m good though because I don’t have a 9 to 5 job and can pretty much make my own schedule. Sometimes you pay more to the government than you earn and then there’s income taxes. It’s better just to chill if you can.
Please find an OB who specializes in perimenopause and menopause. Get your hormones checked and ask if the can treat you BEYOND the test results. My progesterone were “normal” although in the low range on paper. My ob, who is highly homeopathic prescibed a low dose estradiol, progesterone, testosterone cream. After another panel, i found out that my t3 thyroid level was low, which feels like a slow death. She prescribed an animal based low dose thyroid pill. This changed my quality of life ! Cream takes a few weeks to work, pills help me almost overnight. Sending you love and light 🕯️
Thank you for this article, im early menapause, i hope i dont have anymore periods at all, the brain fog and anixety up and down hormones, panic attacks, fatigue, eating different, not on hmt, this not having enough enery like testrone is not up, strange, sleeping is everywhere, i appreciate your articles it helps me alot that im not alone or out of my mind, the hotflashes are nuz and night sweats too, i just wish of no more periods
OMG, Thank you so much for this 🙏 I honestly feel validated. I have felt like utter crap for sooooo long and have not known why. I have felt like I was just not tough enough or maybe too weak that the common ache or pain would take me out. Seriously though, I know I’m tough in my heart. I have been through so much. I was walking around when I was dilated to 6 and 90% effaced and in actual labor. I work through migraines when I don’t know how I could. As a nurse, you’re right. We need to do better for us ladies as a whole in society. I had NO idea that all of this was normal. I swear I thought something major was happening to me. Thank you so much for helping me understand❤ Thank you for letting me feel normal and less anxious. Thank you for helping me feel normal for once in a very long time🙏❤
I think I started on perimenopause at 36. Then at 37 it got so bad oh I thought time was standing still, panic attacks, bowel issues, hot flashes I ended up running around doctors until I went to the shrink. And that was at the height of COVID in my country so it compounded all anxiety I had from perimenopause. The panic attacks are something where you feel like you cannot breathe. Shrink kept insisting that I was depressed and I would tell him I got nothing that depresses me, next thing am on anxiety meds which spiralled the whole thing until I had to fight and calm my mind myself. The worst symptom for me is when I feel there is impending doom, i detest that feeling absolutely. Breathing exercises help and exercise in general. If I dont drink tea, or eat less sugar it seems to also help. Then lack of balance where you feel you are going to fall over even when seated, geez I need a solution for that. Even went to ENT for it, I detest that feeling absolutely. I wish someone had prepared me for this, I tell my daughters about my experience every day so that they are better prepared. Doctors/scientists need to find a solution for us, this hormonal imbalance is frustrating to say the least. It is life-altering and not in a pleasant way at all. You are doing a brilliant job, helping lots of us out there. Our voices need to be heard; we cannot go on like this we need a solution.
I was diagnosed CKD on dec 23, I lost 20kg in 8 months, but appetite is the same I just reduce protein for 3.month. I have cold flush in the middle of the night, anemia, low iron, urine protein and blood in urine 2+, went to petscan, ecg test, stress test, colonoscopy, endoscopy, and find nothing. Only need to wait for result of amyloidosis in few days. I also dont now why kidney disease in my age 48 still got period heavy 5 days these 5.months. I hope thenresult also good. I am scared. I hope my njght cold sweat in perimenopause symptom. I also stress when it happens 8 months ago..imsomania, over afraid and sensitive to bird sound. Dreams, many things. I hope it just menopause. I got chronic gastritis, blurping and gerd. OMG..still cant find out. Next to do kidney biopsi
I have had terrible eczema to the point where I have had to go on a prednisone taper twice. Lately I have had hot flashes and terrible anxiety. The good news is that I have been going to the gym and it has been helping quite a bit. I haven’t had a period in 8 months and that has been great too. I turned 54 this year and looking back the last few years everything makes sense now, thank you
Thank you for your articles. They are the most informative on social media. I have been struggling for months. In 3 months I went to the doctor 8 times, the hospital 3 times and they can’t find anything wrong. I’m having the worst of the worst symptoms. Periods for a month, tingling in head, ear feeling full, etc. Probably 80 of your 100 symptoms article. I’m 49 and I feel like my body has been invaded by aliens. Like I no longer have control over my own body. I’m on natural supplements. It’s helping but not 100 percent. Why didn’t our moms warm us of this? 😢
No single person has ever prepared me for this, and I never hear of anyone talking about it. I don’t know who I am right now. I have a brain blob, and I refuse to call it tumor. I was thinking everything I been going through is from my blob. However, I believe some of it is premenopause! I been suffering for years now, and all of it is scary. Ringing in ears, balance issues, fear, debilitating anxiety, electric shock feelings, invisible bugs crawling, pins and needles, body buzzing, burning, hot flashes, hot with goosebumps, diarrhea or not pooping for days, crying all the time. One minute, happy. The next sad, angry, mad at the world. Depressed! Pain in legs, arms, just everything. Hip pain, palpitations, smells are weird, taste buds are off, and I even had a burning tongue one time. Oh, and let me not forget the headache behind one eye I am afraid of everything! No appetite. Afraid of foods, afraid to go anywhere or do anything. I’m so confused. I don’t know if what I am feeling is brain blob, anxiety, autoimmune, or hormonal. Thank God I have not had everything at the same time, I don’t think I would survive it! There is no way any of us should have to go through this mess. And there is no way I want to be thrown a medication to see if it works or helps. I just want someone to tell me one day I will feel absolutely amazing and can live the life I deserve. I am so tired of feeling crippled. I am hopeful for all of us to just hang on tight that once this rollercoaster ride is over we will feel better.
For me, perimenopause wasn’t nearly as bad as post menopause. The hot flashes In perimenopause were really my only noticeable symptoms. But, in post menopause, I’ve had scary symptoms. Terrible anxiety. Heart palpitations. Dizziness. It’s awful and terrifying at times. Is this what the rest of my life will feel like? Ugh 😞
I feel lot of doctors are completely unaware of perimenopause symptoms. They order a whole bunch of tests to find nothing wrong. Mood swings, fear, anxiety, breast soreness, tenderness, throbbing pains could be in any pary of the body, burning sensation in legs, joint pain, muscle soreness, hair fall, dry skin, itching in belly, hands, back, even breasts, pretty much any part of the body can itch, numbing sensation in legs, hands …God have I missed anything. 😢 I am realizing now that it is perimenopause. People are so quick to associate hot flashes, missed or abnormal periods to be the primary symptoms of menopause. It is so much more than that. This is the first ever article I have come across that discusses all.these other symptoms. Thank you so much.
Hello, Kari. Do you happen to know by accident if the appearance of sudden gallbladder aches in the middle of the 40-ties (never have had such sort of pain there before) could also be related to the perimenopause?!!? And have hormonal changes to do with it? I would be very thankful for every answer, because I am highly stressed! These aches come and go for two years now and doctors are careless about my gallbladder, they seem just not willing to investigate it and only suggest endless useless gastroscopies (have already one done with normal result)…
I live in Colorado. I’m 49 in perimenopause. In the last year the doctors here includes a test for CO2 in the labs. The doctors have been saying my levels are high so want me to get a sleep study to go on a CPAP. I don’t have any other symptoms that come with high CO2. Finding out through my research I’ve finally found peace of mind that it has to be perimenopause causing the shortness of breath or feeling winded.
At 55, after what seemed like years and years, I had my hormones tested to see if I was any where near post menopause. Nope, my hormones were just fine. I immediately scheduled an endometrial ablation. My periods and monthly cramps had become unbearable. Had the ablation, it stopped my periods completely and my life began to calm down somewhat. I don’t think I became post menopausal until 60. I started all this mess in my late 40s. Your article really hit home. Thank you.
I just turned 50 it started having all these crazy symptoms that landed me in the emergency room, only for them to find nothing wrong with me. I’m currently experiencing weakness and trembling in my arms and legs and face. They checked me for stroke but said I didn’t have one. Has anyone else experience trembling and weak limbs. It’s sudden and I’m terrified it’s something like MS.
Im 36, It took me since last November to figure out what was going on. Started with nausea before period which wasn’t too concerning but then out of nowhere.. Severe anxiety and diarrhea in the mornings. Depression, derealization. Extreme nervous tension. Feeling like I’m in a brain fog and like my brain doesn’t get enough blood flow. Finally realized it kept coming on two weeks before my period, my period always comes early every single month. Told my women doctor my period comes early all the time and she doesn’t care. That’s a sign of perimenopause. Mid period I start to feel better. I had to get an emergency appointment for birth control. I’ve been doing better. Still anxiety in the morning but it’s getting better. I dont want to be on birth control forever .. if I get off it some day I’ll go crazy again. That’s scary.
Hi🤗🤗very happy to have ur content recommended to me yesterday and that I’ve was lucky enough to have researched before my first GYN appt in year’s to my new NP and I sharing the same diagnosis of being Peri Menopausal last year. So thankful to my doctor bc like u stated, I thought death was upon me. After months of different birth control shots, she referred me to the office Doctor who agreed with NP & I that surgery would be my next course of action this past April. And with all the hands in the air and singing HOORAY, I’ll be on his operating table come Mon morning for total hysterectomy. With all that being said, thank you for sharing and please continue to do so bc I needed then bt definitely grateful to have seen it now. Will save, discuss and share with other’s. Be well to any and everyone that may read. 🙂
My internist told me that he’s not giving me any hormones because he doesn’t want to be sued. The gynecologist who gave me a hysterectomy promised me HRT before surgery and then denied it afterward. The endocrinologist says he won’t give anything except progesterone, so he gave me that, and it hasn’t done a thing. 😢 😭
Because I have fibromyalgia, the list of female symptoms were regularly sluffed off. My OB/GYN retired about 12 years ago and I have gotten no satisfaction from a “lady” doctor. My bloodwork always comes out great so that caused the doctors to discount it. When my current doctor…a woman…and I decided that it was time to go off of HRT, there was no talk about symptoms experienced after hrt. I saw her about 3 months after getting off hormones and I was feeling good and through things were going good. Then 3 months later, everything had turned upside down and shook me! It’s the most radical thing I have ever experienced. I was ready to straighten out and just live the rest of my life as a post-menopausal woman. I had no ide what I was in for!!!
Thank you for this article …Feel depressed all the time..i am 47 yrs old.. Doc said i have stable Angina ..an high blood pressure ..after perusal this make sense i suffer with all the symptoms of perimenopause including dry mouth ..dizziness tired every day ..i hope when i see the cardiologists..it won’t be Angina heart ❤
Thank you so much for putting this article out there. I have been struggling for 3 years with health and worrisome anxiety, i get weird head surges like hot zapping pain feeling like I am on the verge of a stroke. Headaches daily for a year straight, numb arms and hands, and a ton of other very odd symptoms. I have had 3 MRI’s of my brain, 2 neck, and 1 abdominal MRI. Bloodwork has been taken many times, and all say everything is relatively normal. No doctor h as ever mentioned, anything about menopause.
I’m 39 and have everything you talked about going on. Went in for an annual woman’s exam and she said my testosterone and DHEA were high, especially testosterone but ovaries were fine so she diagnosed me with perimenopause, but my holistic doctor dissagreees and says PCOS. I guess 2 things could be true at once
That’s pretty much it,it’s always stress and anxiety they say,just like the undiagnosed congenital heart condition they didn’t find until I was 25.😖 Doctors definitely need to consider horomones as a factor in some ailments.Menopause being a big transition,you would think by now doctors/health professionals would know the difference and address it or at most refer you to someone who does.
Random pain all over, tinnitus in my ear for months now, my GI is horrible(I loss 35 pounds in a month in a half cause I’m scared to eat cause I’m in pain, sharp pain, gas pain, burning sensation)diagnosed myself with all kind of stuff. Since these symptoms I’ve been at the er four times three different hospital. Not one says it can be your age and your hormones. Test after test, aniexty, panic attack uggh everything you said in this article I’ve been going thru and listening to this I’ve now said maybe this is perimenopause or not 😮😅uggh(turning into a hypochondriac ) So happy you make these articles it helps a lot. ❤❤❤❤ will seek your support group, I need it cause this thing is driving me up and down and all around the wall 🥹🥹🥹
Omg thank you so much for your articles. I had lower pelvic pain and burning for over six months, all sorts of tests, went away. Then pelvic pain, lower left quadrant, no results. Then my second bout of Covid and a cascade of gastrointestinal issues, including malabsorption, reflux, and ulcers. I had to figure out the malabsorption issues on my own and treat myself spending a fortune on supplements. This is after doctor’s bloodwork and two trips to the ER showed everything “normal”. For the past six months I’ve had intense, unrelenting pain in my abdomen, pelvis, and hip, all on the left side, plus bloating and back pain, and so far nothing shows up on my tests and scans. It feels like it’s in my visceral- burning, stabbing, “gnawing”- and my anxiety is through the roof! I’m post menopausal, and it was at the end of perimenopause and since going into full blown post menopause that all this horror started. I honestly feel like I’m having a nervous breakdown, with no end to my physical or psychological symptoms in sight, no many how many doctors I see. Thank you for giving me a place to vent and letting me know I’m not alone. And if anyone has experienced similar symptoms, with or without resolution, please let me know. ❤
Started at 30 almost all of them and I am sure my drs think 🤔 I am a hypochondriac! 😢😢 Almost all the 100+ symptoms you mentioned 😢😢😢 38 lately i have needed 2 advil per day with headaches. A blood sugar machine has become a second best friend 🙄🙄….like almost being a diabetic…..I have to push myself to exercise now when few short years before I was a going concern….😢😢😢😢could tare a house apart clean and put back together where did I go too….😢😢😢this ovaries to the adrenals is no picnic ! Dying I have thought numerous times…..the dizziness is driving me nuts.😢 😢😢😢…….now my brain is turned off …..brain fog 😶🌫️😶🌫️😶🌫️
I’m 42 this year, i recently went to A&E a few days ago because i was struggling with a tingling sensation on left side of head which would cause a pins and needle sensation down left side of face and arm, this would send me into a panic which led me to feel like i was going to pass out, i had an ECG which was fine my bloods showed that i was lacking certain vitamins and minerals maybe caused of the lack of appetite i have and skipped meals alot. The doctor reassured me it wasn’t a stroke or bleeding on the brain. I still feel like im dying the anxiety is to much I’m convinced I’m going to die and the thought of leaving my little boy is crippling me. I hate feeling this way its driving me mad. I just want it to go away 😩. Maybe I’m at the start of perimenopause i just dont know.
I feel every single symptoms you said and more. My doctor tells me it’s all in my head, that it’s anxiety. No doctors are taking me seriously. They all think I’m crazy. Some days I really feel like I’m dying. I get those terrible heart flutters where I feel like my heart stops and won’t restart. It feels awful. And the sweats, I feel so hot I feel like fainting. I don’t see myself getting through this for years. This is awful.
Same here in the UK. To this day I wonder what they do during their extensive 7 years of medical training, because it seems they are told to pretty much ignore all of womens health and gaslight us into thinking we are going a bit crazy. I hope in the future this changes for women. The health sector is negligent and we have all been badly let down.
Kari, hello! Hope you and Pumba are well 🙂 (For the second time this year) I just had the most awful, excruciating menstrual cramping – just like labour. 4 Buscopan tablest plus dipirone to get some relief. I called my ex-doctor (female) every ugly name on the face of the Earth. If it weren’t for her close-mindedness, I’d have had partial hysterectomy yearsss ago, when all the absurdly heavy bleeding started. And istead of going to this other doctor (male), who many women say is great, I didn’t because he is my neighbour and I’ve known his wife for a long time. Very, very stupid of me. This ex-doctor would say “hysterectomy makes women grow older much faster and you are already in a pitiful condition”. (I’ve aged more than expected for my 49y/o due to a devastating situation a went through). So what? It doesn’t mean I’ll have to suffer (even more!) these million symptoms and not take action. I’ll age even more this way! After today’s pain, I’ll see that doctor. And find the courage to undergo surgery, which I lost in 2016. I wonder whether you suffered from horrible cramps too…?
I’m so upset right now. I have bad fatigue, dizziness. On and off. Blood work only showed low vitamin d. It’s such An awful feeling. I’ve had to cancel my annual Christmas party this year. I just have no energy. I only feel ok,when I’m Sitting on the couch doing nothing. I am so scared I have cancer ! I also have granuloma annulare. It’s exacerbated in the last few years. It’s a benign skin condition but it’s been flaring a lot lately. Menopause?
I’m in perimenopause since 7 years, but symptoms have increased the last few months drastically, and it was no fun the years before, too. Also had hormonal issues since my 20s, after my sons were born and long after… no doctor was able to help. I had to figure it out myself. I was doing pretty well since perimenopause started. But now it is almost unbearable. At the moment I am 29 days overdue with my period (has bern irregular for about ayear now, but never this long), I feel like I’m dying, and that in a very, verylow mood. Sitting here crying becauseI don’t know how to handle this anymore.
I’m 51 I had hysterectomy in May 2024 as soon after my surgery two months later I’m experiencing menopause it has took over my body physically and mentally. I when doctors office for blood work everything normal. I when to emergency room hospital did more blood work, head MRI, heart test everything normal. No one want to talk about menopause or help. I had taken every vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron pills nothing work. I do exercise now or meditation nothing still don’t work for me. I get very fatigued, weak, Brian fog, anxiety, fear. Not yet hot flashes. I also get numerous, nausea, headache. Omg can someone else relate to me?