I Am Late with My Periods... Premanopause.

Good evening
Technically, your period isn't late, it's that your cycle IS and will continue to change until Menopause.

I am 49 and have experienced many of the symptoms that you are experiencing.. There's a great book called by Elizabeth Vliet.. Called, Screaming to be heard... check it out..

In it, it discusses how as our hormones change , we experience things such as anxiety , depression, hot flashes.. etc etc.. I never considered myself someone who suffered from anxiety and or Claustrophobia, but once I started Perimenopause, both hit me and hit me hard..

For me, it was the sudden and with the first BIG initial drop in Estrogen, it caused me to feel more anxious. This happens in part because Estrogen is what controls cortisol (the stress hormone) and when Estrogen is LOW..... then cortisol levels can run amuck........ and IF you are already experiencing stress from let's say a tough job or whatever the case, the low estrogen level can make your stress even worse... hence, you may experience anxiety attacks..

What bugs me is that western medicine would rather give women a pill BEFORE even testing their hormone levels.... This to me is crazy...

Now, at 49... here's what I have done to help alleviate some of my symptoms which included, anxiety, moodiness, claustrophobia, over-eating, insomnia... the list goes on.. First, I got that book I mentioned above...and once I started to learn for myself what exactly was going on in my body, it helped because I knew I wasn't imaging all this..

two.... I chart my cycle every month.. this way, I have a better idea of what exactly is going on with me each month. the chart includes, my period, moods and feelings... this way, I get a good sense of how my hormones are affecting me.. example.. right before your period, your Estrogen drops to its lowest.. well no wonder I tend to feel down at that time each month...

it's knowledge like this that helps me to properly adjust my diet and exercise..
also... I do try to lay off excess caffeine and or alcohol.. for me, they make my symptoms WORSE.... this includes too much sugar.. I also meditate and this helps calm my nerves.. for the over-eating. I now attend am OA 12 step program..

Since learning more about my body and hormones, life has been so much BETTER.... knowledge is truly power... and empowering...
I think if you could check out that book, review your nutrition and cut out anything that might not be working for you and add in meditation, this alone could help....

your cycle is going to keep changing.. so don't let that bother you too much. .however, once you learn more as to why it's happening.. I truly think you will have more peace of mind..

keep us posted..
I wish you all the best

Please, go see your doctor. It could be premenopause, it could be depression, and it sounds like the Paxil isn't doing you well...and you're on a high dosage. Even 10 mg of Paxil (for anxiety) for me is too much...makes me sick, sad, exhausted, etc.

I hope you feel better soon, and my prayers are with you and your father.

Mom, go to your GYN and ask her to test your hormones to see if you are in peri-menopause. She (or he) can actually determine where you stand in this.

Once you have not had a period for 12 months, it's an indication of menopause. You can go through peri-menopause for YEARS. Mine lasted for about about 5 years before I moved into menopause.

I'm so sorry about your dad. Just know that feeling sad and anxious about a parent whose health is failing, especially regarding cancer, is very hard and you cannot expect to not feel this sadness. If the sadness becomes debilitating, you need to get back to your doctor to talk about a possible medication change.

Best of luck to you.

All good ideas so far. I would add that you may need a different anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication. I have to switch mine around every 1-2 years. They stop working for me and I have to find a different one.

To do so I see a nurse practitioner, who specializes in medications, every few weeks until we're sure what I'm taking is working. He also counsels me so that I learn ways to manage by feelings too.

It's better to work with someone who knows depression/anxiety and medications. A psychiatrist are helpful. Other social work related people can also help but they usually have to be working in an office with a psychiatrist who is able to write the prescriptions. I saw a social worker in an office with a psychiatrist for years.