I’m 52 and still not 
33 seems quite early although it varies a lot. Do you know when your mom got her menopause? That might give you a hint.
I agree with you, hormones, deficiencies etc are complicated stuff. The more Ive studied them the more confused I’ve become…
Over age 30 hormones start to decrease. I felt significant changes around 40 and hope the circus is now over with 49. A bloodwork on reproductional hormons can give you a hint how “productive” your body is. I make it at least once a year to identify changes and trends (declining). Thanks for the B12 information, interesting how similar symptoms can occur. Hope you feel better soon 
True dat, I must be perimenopausal since I had my youngest which was at 42.
@siand have you tried any kind of potassium supplements for your restless legs? I hope B12 will work fine too
I’m 43 and I’ve been told that any symptom I show up with to the doctor (or my Mom’s) house is probably perimenopausal. I used to have crazy mood swings and insane bouts of tiredness that I could not wake up from or sleep away. Now, sober, I haven’t had any.
A big problem with my alcohol use was an inability to control or work through ANY of my moods. I don’t doubt that I was messing up my hormonal levels. I’m 40+ days sober and the only hormonal change I’m noticing is that my period was shorter, I had a 21 day cycle not my usual 27. My Mom started menopause in her 40s and it lasted almost 10 years for her. She also had 5 kids under 18 in that decade to raise and care for, I chose no kids. Quitting drinking alcohol has brought out some very positive hormonal and mood changes in me. I’m not a person who is big on regret but WOW I spent a lot of depressed days in bed while drinking. 
Onward!! 
I also really like this chart. It was helpful for me to read along with my cycle app to see just which hormone was affecting me during my mood swings throughout my month.
If my last post made it sound like life was easy and a piece of cake please forgive me. I still sleep too much and have to stop and think about which emotion just flashed through my head and made me angry/sad/jealous for no good reason. Hormones and emotions are so tricky and have been a life long battle for me to understand. We are in this sobriety together! Lets be in the crazy hormone fight too! I wish you all days full of stable emotional responses. 
Oh I just came across this thread right when I needed it! I didn’t want to talk about this on a regular daily check in, but I have really been struggling this last little while with my moods wayyyy more than ever about a week before my period. Like today! I’ve been so short tempered, then teary, then honestly just completely almost suicidal thoughts (don’t worry I reached out) but seriously… I’m thinking “do I need meds or something?” This is not normally me. I’m 43. I think my mom went though menopause early… Maybe I should talk to my doctor? Maybe it’s just this whole getting sober process and lack of sleep on top of PMS. Whatever it is, it’s not fun and it takes A LOT of strength to keep it together 
I hear you on all of those points. I am having a tricky head day today, probably because I haven’t done much. Others are out there with similar struggles. I’m struggling today and I’ll struggle with you.
Where can I sign? I have all these mood swings including suicidal thoughts. It helps me writing them down among people who can handle them.
Side note:
Day 1 here of cycle today (1245 AF) and I completely skipped the mood swings. And reducing soy finally brought my cycle down to 30 days and is way better to predict my glycemia.
Thanks for replying and I’m glad there’s a thread so I can share when I’m going through thoughts that I know others have experienced.
I haven’t had any soy in my diet for years now as I actually have a soy allergy. I really hope cutting out the alcohol helps with the mood swings. I really think it will. I just notice it’s been getting worse and honestly I think my relapse was related to the PMS. Not trying to make excuses but I see the connection and I think that’s important to be aware of for sure.
No, no excuse at all. I think many of us experience these rough mood swings during their cycle and putting them down just as excuses is why the thread was created. Hormones are powerful little bastards.
I sometimes wonder if we just forgot or ignore how bad we felt in active addiction compared to being sober. Or of we now take more self care and acknowledge that we are not fine and our easiest way to numb is gone.
Haven’t tried anything for restless legs apart from getting up and having a good stretch! Fortunately I don’t have a huge amount of structure/ commitments through the week so it’s not a massive deal having all the interrupted sleep. I can lay in and catch up when I need to.
I am hoping that it is a sign that the iron supplements are starting to work and my ferritin is creeping up 
but will look into potassium supplements if it carries on, thanks! 
It is a minefield with all the vitamins etc. That’s without hormones in the mix 
But they are all connected. The thing I find frustrating about it is that everyone seems to be expert on one thing. So although lots of people seemingly experience iron, b12 and vitamin d deficiency at the same time, all the resources about them are separate and everyone has slightly different takes on what to do about each and thinks their particular vitamin/ mineral is the most important one. I haven’t even started looking at thyroid stuff…
A bit of a goal of mine, when I am feeling a bit better (although am MUCH improved from last year when I couldn’t stay awake for the day), is to try and pull a simple website or something together which summarises some of the key info and helps people get on the right track. Maybe campaign for some updates to medical guidance… Maybe that is too grand a plan but we will see. Would be a cool thing to try!
Have you tried Angus Castus supplements for regulation? They helped me through perimenopaise and are used for pms in a lower dose. The joys of being female! Good luck.
I stopped birth control (depo injections) a few years ago. After soooo long of having no periods, they went a bit mad to start with. And then settled on a 22/23 day cycle, which has recently become a bit less regular. I had also been on the wrong antidepressants for a while. But when I came off them my depression symptoms started to line up with my cycle. And then on the new antidepressants I found that it was only symptoms one week out of three, just recently that has reduced down to a day or two if at all. I’m not sure I’ve got all that timeline quite right my memory isn’t great!
It doesn’t make the feelings easier, but understanding them being linked to my cycle has helped me attach to those feelings less. I know they will pass. Maybe that has helped the symptoms reduce? Maybe I’ve just got used to them? Or maybe they have just changed!
I’m on Angus castus tincture (low dose). Not noticed dramatic changes otherwise than it lengthens the cycle 5 to 10 days. All welcome
It helped me a lot with painful breast. I’ve been taking them for many years now.
That is a great goal. I too have noticed that people have a variety of problems combined to deficiencies and discussions can be puzzling. As for me I’m balancing with my other health issues ( long covid, brain tumor etc) and cannot take every supplement suggested. Gone through many experiments and compromises to keep my ferritines up after infusion and to somehow balance my every day wellness.
Out of the topic: recent experiments to enhance my energy levels are bee pollen, nettle seeds and Pinus maritima. I believe bee pollen did good to my smell taste issues, but we’ll see 
Glad to hear that 
Doesn’t help me though, that’s how individual we are…
I think this is amazing and would help so many people. I know I’d value something like this. I also struggle with B12 and iron deficiencies as well as hormonal imbalance I’ve found it very difficult to easily find accurate and helpful information. And I have lost some faith in GP’s as they don’t seem to know…or care.
I feel a storm a’brewing. I best stay out of grocery stores and any public space requiring patience for a while.
Lol… accurate
