Perimenopause?

[Jenny Wren]

I am 35 years old, about 8 years ago started getting migraine headaches, after 2 years of getting them, I started having facial tingling, it was only every once in a while, same as with the headaches.  Now in the past 5 years, I have the facial tingling almost on a daily basis, and the migraines are every month, during ovulation, and when my period starts.  I never had a headache before 8 years ago, maybe rarely on occasions, but nothing that a motrin wouldn't cure.  In the last 5 years, I have crawling sensations, like bugs crawling under my skin, only when wearing clothing. I have read that this can be something called "formication".  My mom went through menopause at 50, by her mother went through it at 39, nothing provoked this, just stopped having her periods.  Could this be in my case?  I heard that it skips a generation.  My symptoms now are, migraines, irritable bowel, low sex drive, vaginal dryness except during ovulation, and sometimes get a hot feeling up the back of my neck and head, head chills (feels like when your cold and you shiver, but only in the head), my periods are anywhere from 24 days apart to 30, they only last 2-3 days.  Do you think that this could be hormonal related?  Oh forgot also, heart palpitations, I do have a MVP, diagnosed at age 15, no problem with it until the past 3-4 years.  I am fatiqued some and have terrible anxiety worrying about this.  I had a normal thyroid test, Lyme normal, cholesterol normal, CBC normal, even had a brain MRI in April this year coz of the headaches, it was normal. Thanks for your time and comments! very worried

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

A. Many of your symptoms do sound like perimenopause: low sex drive, vaginal dryness, heat in back of neck and head, palpitations.  A blood test for FSH helps to diagnose perimenopause.  If it is slightly elevated, then the symptoms are likely do to that cause and are very normal.  If it is appropriate for your family and personal history, a trial of estrogen might be very helpful in relieving these symptoms. Discuss this with your doctor.

The sense of crawling might be something else. These are called tactile hallucinations. If the trial of estrogen does not make these things better as well, I would make an appointment to see a neurologist.
Machelle M. Seibel, MD

[Sweet Mom]

I am schedule to go for a complete gynecological exam on the 31.  Does anyone know if it is common for the doctor to test for thyroid along with the perimenopausal symptoms?  I had no luck with the regular doctor.

[Free Bird82]

My doctor (gyno) tested immediately for thyroid because alot of times when you are younger & miss periods, that is the cause.  At that time when he checked mine, I was at "borderline" hypothyroid.  My period were messed up, but I was not put on meds.  Low & behold, three yrs. later I am menopausal & hypothyroid & on meds for the thyroid.  Ask the doctor to please test you just to rule things out.  good luck to you

[KVB]

I'm 48 years old and have started having irregular cycles occur on occasion with very heavy bleeding and cramping. A couple days ago I also found a lump in my breast with soreness. I read that this could be signs of Fibrocystic Breast Disease, but went to my doctor to make sure. She ordered a mammogram and an ultrasound for my abdomen to rule out polyps, etc in my uterus causing the heavy bleeding. She talked about different options/treatments if this is perimenopause. Her suggestions were birth control pills (I've never used them!), progesterone pills, a procedure called endometrial ablation, or a complete hysterectomy. What are the side effects of all these and which one is most commonly used?

Thanks.