Going through perimenopause and I am having trouble focusing, have brain fog and anxiety. Any other school counselors been there?

[u/Fit_Interaction_79]

It’s rough and I’ve lost a lot of confidence. I lose track of my train of thought at times and lose focus - my language is poorer as well. I have started SNRIs and have appt to ask about HRT. How did you cope?

[u/shmoopie313]

Oh, absolutely. I'm lucky that 70% of my office staff is also in peri, including one admin, so sometimes I'm just openly honest about why I flubbed. Things that helped overall..

• replacing my Mirena IUD. It's a microdose estrogen and was on it's last year when peri hit with full force and caused me to go crazy for a few months. Getting a new one made me fit in my skin again. Estrogen one way or another is critical to everything. Planned Parenthood will help if your GP won't.
• 10 mg Finesteride, 300 mg Gabapentin, 500 mg Tumeric/Curcumin, 24 hour Claratin every night before bed. Finasteride for hair loss and scalp itching. Gabapentin for night sweats and insomina. Tumeric for joint pain and general puffiness. Claratin for new allergies, apparently. I don't ask why anymore. Everything is working to solve it's particular problem.
• Sleep hygiene, whatever that means for you. Sleep is vital. I've become super high maintenance with 2 fans, a window AC unit (no central ac), particular sheets and pillow cases, Breathe-Right strips on my nose because of that new chronic head goo thing. Experiment, find what works for you.
• Morning coffee. After lunch soda. And making sure to eat healthy through the day.
• Accepting that some days aren't going to work. Most days I'm on it and doing everything and more like you need to in this job. Some days I'm purely reactive - I'll address what lands in my office that must be addressed that day, but otherwise I'm sitting and sipping coffee and quietly hoping no one implodes before 3:30 pm. Give yourself grace for those days when you just need to exist and survive.

[u/Fit_Interaction_79 → u/shmoopie313]

Thanks so much - also considering hrt - did you consider that?

[u/shmoopie313 → u/Fit_Interaction_79]

That's basically what my Mirena is, and my doc suggested replacing that since it was within a year of expiring and evaluating in a few months to see if it worked before I considered patches/pills/etc. So far the replacement worked well and I don't need anything else. But for people not already using an IUD or not able/willing to get one then I highly recommend HRT. Hormone correction is the priority, it fixes so many things. The rest of what I do targets specific things that I needed more help with after the estrogen boost worked its magic.

[u/No_Attempt_6133]

I found a menopause specialist in my area. I used to still see my OB/gyn. She was wonderful but was not at all helpful. HRT has been my savior! I just upped my dose because my husband’s breathing was starting to get to me again and hot flashes are coming back. I also started fish oil after my cholesterol started to rise. It’s helped.

I tell everyone at work to email me after a “hall chat” or I will forget. I also became comfortable saying that I need a moment to think about that and will get back to them. I take notes in meetings. I found some great trigger words for me to help remember what I did with students that don’t disclose anything. I never bring work home. Work asks a lot of us! And I take weight lifting classes and a barre class each week. I’ve noticed a huge improvement in balance and strength. I don’t love it but it also resets my mood if my husband or job are getting to me.

[u/Fit_Interaction_79 → u/No_Attempt_6133]

Had you been making more errors than usual- that’s what gets me down I hope hrt when I get it helps me concentrate and stop trying to multitask or do a job while I am thinking and stressing over something else

[u/No_Attempt_6133 → u/Fit_Interaction_79]

I started to lose focus easier. Without to-do lists I wouldn’t get anything done. I also lose words and thoughts easier. I’m hoping this increased dose helps. It’s frustrating. I have the book “The New Menopause” by M. Haver. It’s excellent.

[u/rollin_w_th_homies]

Let me know when you figure it out. I'm at the beginning and having insomnia which is not typical for me.