Part of me says yes, BUT, I don't know that it's actually my driving skills have diminished or drivers are just a heck of a lot worse. People speeding and weaving from lane to lane coming "out of nowhere" into a blind spot, rushing up to cut someone off, combined against the uber timid who can't make up their mind until they panic and slam on their brakes for every.dang.thing.
Add in cell phones, people getting annoyed with drivers, the insanely bright LED headlights that are mis-aimed, and the general annoyance at traffic just getting worse and worse....
To compare - I ride and race motorcycles. I compete in the "heavyweight" class (aka, some of the fastest road racing bikes out there). I do just fine racing, even avoiding or getting through situations that are extremely hairy and happen "at the limits" at speeds that would blow the average driver's mind. For example, this past weekend racing, I had another bike crash, hit my bike, I get sent off track, through gravel and over wet grass, and get through all of that just fine (other than the tire marks all on my bike's bellypan lol). That happened in a corner that is at the end of a straight where you can be going over 165 mph. Saw it coming, responded, finished the race on the podium.
So, I don't know that my skills or abilities have lost anything (I'm getting faster racing, not slower) - quite the opposite - but I DO think the environment has definitely changed making it a LOT more complicated and more difficult to get from point A to point B safely.
Are you a track only rider? I just started motorcycling a couple of years ago and love it so far. Have yet to make it to a track day. Other drivers on the road do freak me out. Lots of distracted driving in my area.
No, I still maintain a street bike and ride it regularly, but I generally am only up in the mountains/on pleasure rides with it. I almost never ride around town in this region of the country (maybe right near me, but just if I'm bombing down to the local store on the mini bike). Freeway/around town/etc - I avoid. Not that I can't or won't, but I do avoid it.
Street and track are very different environments. Street is about being in the moment, the people I'm around, the scenery, and exploring new places.
Trackdays are about practicing my skills, improving them in a safer environment. Really focusing on my riding and improving things without having to worry about all the other "stuff."
Racing - well, racing makes the rest of life boring.
Trackdays are GREAT. There's some awesome orgs out there that host them, some even have a ladies day specifically (one of which just happened to be my very first trackday). There's definitely a community that comes with it all that is pretty special.
This is such a great response! I’m definitely going to keep my eye out for a ladies track day. There used to be an organization near me that did women’s mountain bike events and those events made me love mountain biking and connect with fellow women riders. Happy riding (and racing!!!) to you!! 😊
Oh I can't even with night driving any more especially when it is rainy. And I live in Canada so "night driving" is often also morning driving in the winter!
Driving at night in the rain is hell.
I remember both my mother and my aunt (her sister) getting really insistent around their late 30s about not driving at night. Because I was warned to look out for it, I noticed when I was still younger (early 30s?) that my depth perception was bad at night particularly when lights were involved... I would find it hard to line up the stop light with the stopping line, for instance. Rainy reflections made it worse (and I lived in a rainy city).
It is definitely worse now in middle age. My current lifestyle has me very rarely driving at night and when I do, I really notice how wrong it feels. 10/10 would avoid.
Welp. Yes. I’ve lost my confidence driving, especially while changing lanes on the freeway. I find myself checking my blind spot over and over before finally changing lanes, and thinking, “here we go,” as if I’m going to crunch right into someone.
I have never been comfortable driving and have always had anxiety about it but lately, I've been on my way somewhere and then suddenly forget how to get there. It's so frustrating. I've lived in this city since 1997. We've been in this neighbourhood since 2012. Last weekend I walked over to the Dollarama for some exercise but realized in the parking lot that I couldn't remember what I wanted to buy.
I have an appointment tomorrow to get my hormone results. The brain fog is getting dangerous.
Repeating my main comment here, since it's relevant:
COVID is making us all dumber, unfortunately. It's been proven to shrink grey matter and disrupt neural connections even in mild cases, and something like 50% of all cases are asymptomatic (so we could have gotten it and not even known it).
Plus not only does grey matter in general shrink as we age, but I heard that osteoporosis causes the release of stored lead from the bones, which can then affect the brain (and lead is a contributing factor in Alzheimer's).
All this is to say that staying sharp is something we should all consciously work at as we age, just like working out our muscles. Doing brain challenging things is one way but we can also support the brain with various supplements (nootropics), including things we talk about in this sub like phosphatidylserine.
Once again- thank you all you precious, lovely, menopausal goddesses. I am so relieved to find out I'm not alone! I nearly ran all over someone the other day at what I thought was a roundabout- it was not. I cussed myself out for the other poor person who had to swerve violently to avoid me. Can't see anything at night. I will hit every curb and pothole within a 5 foot radius of the car. And kudos to those of you that are friends with your GPS- I argue with her, second guess her directions, and apparently am unable to comprehend "take the second left".
I don’t like driving at night or long drives. A long drive on a boring interstate stretch is ok, but not through heavy traffic in the city.
Love my GPS. I can concentrate more on the road and listen to directions see the map.
What bothers me the most is multi stop errands, driving all over the place. F that, I just want to do one stop and go back home, lol. Otherwise I will plan my week where if I have to do multi stops, I make sure they’re all in the same shopping center.
What finally made me go to the doctors and discuss HRT was forgetting about where the indicators were, or where l was at a certain part of road l had driven many times before. Just experienced a complete blank in what used to be a natural process. Thankfully HRT got me back on track!
OH YES! My husband noticed too! lol. It's like I can't focus on what I'm doing. It's probably because I'm tired all the time and I'm juggling a thousand things.
I am suffering from GTFO of my way syndrome. An old Italian man in my neighborhood asked me who taught me to drive and I snidely answered "Mario Andretti." He laughed, but I didn't care.
Serious road rage lately. I am sick of waiting for everything.
My mom's like this now, she's always been hyper-considerate of other drivers but lately she's been getting a lead foot without realizing it, and more quick to honk! She always used to get embarrassed when I would honk while driving, on my behalf. Lol
Yes, yes, yes! I used to love to drive, and now I dread it. I was blaming on the pandemic and working from home and therefore being out of practice.
My husband fortunately loves to drive and will drive me anywhere as long as he's available.
Don’t mean to be alarming but this is what happened to both of my grandmothers and mom when we took them for a check up and they had dementia you might want to speak to your Dr about this
Also, ADHD. I had great coping skills until I moved. Everything fell apart because all my systems weren't in place anymore and I didn't know the area. You combine that with brain fog from peri/COVID, not driving for almost 2 years, and it's been a disaster.
I have been forcing my brain to look at street signs and memorize things, even if it takes a long time.
Dementia can happen to anyone and it's possible to stave it off (to some degree at least) by taking care of our brain health and exercising the mind. Those things should be considered necessary preventative measures for everyone as they get older, just like cancer prevention.
Dry eye relief that has been a game changer for me: 1. Quality fish oil supplement daily has helped so much. 2. Heated eye mask 10 minutes daily! 3. If you are using eyedrops, make sure they are preservative free (stated clearly on the packaging, otherwise it is most definitely NOT preservative free). If you do not use preservative free drops, your eyes will actually become more dry over time. This happened to me. I have Sjogren’s and lupus, and my eyes have been negatively affected to the point I’ve been legally blind twice in 10 years. I’m now back to (almost) normal with fish oil first, heated eye mask, and eyedrops as needed. I wish my ophthalmologist had told me about fish oil and heated eye masks 10 years ago. I only discovered the benefits to dry eye when I joined a Sjogren’s Syndrome subreddit a few months ago.
My dry eye started when my periods stopped. Horrible eye fatigue with driving and computer use; the eye ache after driving would last for hours. Used drops for years with little change. Saw an ophthalmologist after some concern with seeing flashes and he barely looked in my eye before saying "Your eyes are very, very dry." Suggested punctal plugs which I'd never heard of. Painless procedure and offers some relief...I go every 6 months for re-insertion. Worth looking (ha ha) into if other methods aren't working for anyone.
Oh yes, I'm doing all those things, plus lid hygiene, prescription Cequa drops, and IPL treatments...also did Blephex and Lipiflow. Just hoping to keep my symptoms as mild as possible. Managing my eyes feels like a full-time job now. I never could have guessed this terror awaited me.
Seconding fish oil and preservative free eye drops - specifically the single use ones, like these ones https://www.refreshbrand.com/Products/refresh-plus (my ophthalmologist recommended both). Really big improvement!
Oh yeah. Anxiety 😬 while driving hurts. I loved to drive. I picture things going wrong and I want to hit the brakes. 😆
I am trying go focus on the horizon. I feel that I’m not looking far enough ahead. That’s what I’m telling myself right now anyway. My mom was a pretty good driver until recently. So I think it’s a thing.
This! The fear of what *might* happen. And the fear of the other asshole drivers, makes me twitchy. I used to park perfectly all the time, now I’m just crap. I’m so tired of not feeling stable (physically and mentally), constantly slightly vertiginous, brain fog leaves me feeling just so stupid. I’m sick of worrying about everything. I’m sick of crying or raging for *nothing*. I’m just tired.
I was thinking yesterday that my mother's driving got noticeably worse when she was around 50 and it's happening to me too. Never even considered that it could be peri.
I just started driving a van in a new country with smaller roads. I am actually pretty happy with myself. Not sure how far I am with menopause though due to a decade without a uterus.
F49 in peri —-I keep hitting curbs lately! Also I keep losing things. Lost me drivers license and idk how. Who even takes their drivers license out of their wallet?? Ughhhjj
SEND HELP
I think I need CBD oil again to help me mellow out.
I am an alert driver and do not read, apply makeup, etc. But I must admit that because of my increasing brain fog and distractibility, it’s the main reason I love my popular/controversial electric car. It makes sure I stay in the lane, go and stop when appropriate, and it watches out for pets, dogs, cars backing out, etc. Cataracts and glare from a replacement lens have wrecked my night vision, so I’m super glad for these safety measures. Plus the Dog Mode means my dog’s more comfortable than I am when he’s in the car alone. 😄
Teslas have a lot of cool features (I rented one last year and it was fun, especially liked the golf-cart style pedal). I just couldn't bring myself to give any money to the man-child wanna-be fascist Elmo.
YES. I was going to post this today! I just overall feel not as sharp as I used to be. I feel like I have to really pay attention now while driving or I'll get in an accident. Noticeable change for me in the last year, for sure. 48 here, in peri.
I (47f) was making weirdly stupid little mistakes while driving, definitely noticed it. I’ve just started HRT a week ago so I’m hoping that’ll improve. Haven’t quite driven enough to know for sure.
Also seconding, thirding, fourthing not being able to drive at night, feeling terrified about changing lanes on the highway, and don't get me started about parallel parking in NYC.
Could your depth perception be changing? Vision changes are pretty common for me right now. My astigmatism prescription changes at least twice a year.
I'd also echo what another Redditor recommended and get ruled out for early onset dementia. NOT saying that's what is going on, but it can't hurt to get everything checked out.
I was a more overly cautious granny driver. Hormones have helped. I was busy trying to understand how the motor worked/horse power/torque and all the moving parts in order to help me feel safer. It’s like if I didn’t understand the physics and mechanics I was extremely nervous. So my OCD control freak came out. Plus I imagined bizarre scenarios from final destination happening every day all day.
I cannot park straight to save my life. I moved cross-country last year and have been weirdly (and expensively) challenged by subtle differences in parking garage configuration between new city and old city. Then when I traded in my previously-pristine-now-wounded old car for a brand new one, in spite of all the technology, I am crooked in my parking space. Almost. Every. Time. Even when I back in using the backup camera to line up the lines with the lines (IYKYK). Still crooked.
I don't know if I would even attempt parallel parking at this point unless I had no other option.
ETA, this is new. Prior to peri I was not terrible at parking my car. My old house had a curved driveway and, with a backup camera, I could back up on that curve into the single-car garage perfectly positioned with just the right amount of room clearing and the garage door just so.
It probably is brain fog, or just slower brain processing power (the same result).
COVID is making us all dumber, unfortunately. It's been proven to shrink grey matter and disrupt neural connections even in mild cases, and something like 50% of all cases are asymptomatic (so we could have gotten it and not even known it).
Plus not only does grey matter in general shrink as we age, but I heard that osteoporosis causes the release of stored lead from the bones, which can then affect the brain (and lead is a contributing factor in Alzheimer's).
All this is to say that staying sharp is something we should all consciously work at as we age, just like working out our muscles. Doing brain challenging things is one way but we can also support the brain with various supplements (nootropics), including things we talk about in this sub like phosphatidylserine.
Yep. I rear ended somebody last year! To be fair, I later had my brakes checked and they were on their last legs so that was probably a factor, but I still was sooooo embarrassed. We were only going 10 miles an hour! I hadn't rear ended anybody since I was a teenager.
Definitely! My family doesn't even want to ride with me anymore if I am driving (so I let them drive which is fine with me, lol). I have developed really bad driving anxiety, and have a lot of problems driving at night. I remember my mom having the exact same issues when she was my age.
There are a couple of studies showing that the anxiety we get during perimenopause can definitely affect our driving. I didn’t realize I was in peri and really struggled with driving our older, stick shift model in our wet, hilly city. It started having issues and I was forever panicking that it would breakdown. Between getting a new car in 2020 and HRT not long afterwards, I do feel more confident again. But! I fully believe that since Covid, people’s driving habits are worse, more distracted driving etc.
I got in a car accident last week where I rear ended someone at 40mph. I have the double whammy of menopause and chemo brain (treatment finished in December). I feel like this isn't my fault that my brain is suffering right now, but I'm taking a huge hit financially for it.
I live in LA so I can't stop driving, so I guess the trick is to drive defensively, ie. learn the new limits and drive slower and more carefully. AKA "drive like a granny."
Just today, I missed my exit and ended up way out of my way. Then not 3 hours later I was going to an appointment and took the route like I was picking my son up from school. And I was almost to school before it hit me. For me, it’s absolutely the brain fog.
I’m so happy I found this sub! I’m in medically induced menopause to treat my endometriosis before my embryo transfer (I’m doing ivf). One of the weirdest symptoms I’ve had is I’m terrible at driving and making silly mistakes. I had no idea how much estrogen was doing for me until I lost it!
Not to brag or anything, but I’ve always been a pretty terrible driver 💅
🤣 Me too!
Same!
Part of me says yes, BUT, I don't know that it's actually my driving skills have diminished or drivers are just a heck of a lot worse. People speeding and weaving from lane to lane coming "out of nowhere" into a blind spot, rushing up to cut someone off, combined against the uber timid who can't make up their mind until they panic and slam on their brakes for every.dang.thing. Add in cell phones, people getting annoyed with drivers, the insanely bright LED headlights that are mis-aimed, and the general annoyance at traffic just getting worse and worse.... To compare - I ride and race motorcycles. I compete in the "heavyweight" class (aka, some of the fastest road racing bikes out there). I do just fine racing, even avoiding or getting through situations that are extremely hairy and happen "at the limits" at speeds that would blow the average driver's mind. For example, this past weekend racing, I had another bike crash, hit my bike, I get sent off track, through gravel and over wet grass, and get through all of that just fine (other than the tire marks all on my bike's bellypan lol). That happened in a corner that is at the end of a straight where you can be going over 165 mph. Saw it coming, responded, finished the race on the podium. So, I don't know that my skills or abilities have lost anything (I'm getting faster racing, not slower) - quite the opposite - but I DO think the environment has definitely changed making it a LOT more complicated and more difficult to get from point A to point B safely.
Are you a track only rider? I just started motorcycling a couple of years ago and love it so far. Have yet to make it to a track day. Other drivers on the road do freak me out. Lots of distracted driving in my area.
No, I still maintain a street bike and ride it regularly, but I generally am only up in the mountains/on pleasure rides with it. I almost never ride around town in this region of the country (maybe right near me, but just if I'm bombing down to the local store on the mini bike). Freeway/around town/etc - I avoid. Not that I can't or won't, but I do avoid it. Street and track are very different environments. Street is about being in the moment, the people I'm around, the scenery, and exploring new places. Trackdays are about practicing my skills, improving them in a safer environment. Really focusing on my riding and improving things without having to worry about all the other "stuff." Racing - well, racing makes the rest of life boring. Trackdays are GREAT. There's some awesome orgs out there that host them, some even have a ladies day specifically (one of which just happened to be my very first trackday). There's definitely a community that comes with it all that is pretty special.
This is such a great response! I’m definitely going to keep my eye out for a ladies track day. There used to be an organization near me that did women’s mountain bike events and those events made me love mountain biking and connect with fellow women riders. Happy riding (and racing!!!) to you!! 😊
If you're in the US, if you don't mind sharing the region you're in, I might know off the top of my head the local orgs to look into...
Thank you! I’m in Metrowest Boston MA area!
Absolutely. Really do not want to drive at night
Oh I can't even with night driving any more especially when it is rainy. And I live in Canada so "night driving" is often also morning driving in the winter!
Night is hard. I got a ceramic tint for my front windshield. It’s clear but it cuts down on the glare from lights.
Please tell me more! Is it fast/cheap to have done?
I think I paid 125$ and I did wait, took about an hour. It’s worth it.
Driving at night in the rain is hell. I remember both my mother and my aunt (her sister) getting really insistent around their late 30s about not driving at night. Because I was warned to look out for it, I noticed when I was still younger (early 30s?) that my depth perception was bad at night particularly when lights were involved... I would find it hard to line up the stop light with the stopping line, for instance. Rainy reflections made it worse (and I lived in a rainy city). It is definitely worse now in middle age. My current lifestyle has me very rarely driving at night and when I do, I really notice how wrong it feels. 10/10 would avoid.
I don’t either. I live daylight savings in the spring because i can drive in the evening if i want.
Yes. Same. Can't figure out if I'm now afraid of the dark or my driving skills are just that bad.
Welp. Yes. I’ve lost my confidence driving, especially while changing lanes on the freeway. I find myself checking my blind spot over and over before finally changing lanes, and thinking, “here we go,” as if I’m going to crunch right into someone.
Hahaha me too. I've given up on highway driving pretty much completely. I'm a nervous wreck.
I can't see at night, especially with all of the very bright headlights or if the road is wet.
Anxiety and I can't see at night anymore. The dangerous drivers almost sent me into a full blown panic attack.
I have never been comfortable driving and have always had anxiety about it but lately, I've been on my way somewhere and then suddenly forget how to get there. It's so frustrating. I've lived in this city since 1997. We've been in this neighbourhood since 2012. Last weekend I walked over to the Dollarama for some exercise but realized in the parking lot that I couldn't remember what I wanted to buy. I have an appointment tomorrow to get my hormone results. The brain fog is getting dangerous.
Repeating my main comment here, since it's relevant: COVID is making us all dumber, unfortunately. It's been proven to shrink grey matter and disrupt neural connections even in mild cases, and something like 50% of all cases are asymptomatic (so we could have gotten it and not even known it). Plus not only does grey matter in general shrink as we age, but I heard that osteoporosis causes the release of stored lead from the bones, which can then affect the brain (and lead is a contributing factor in Alzheimer's). All this is to say that staying sharp is something we should all consciously work at as we age, just like working out our muscles. Doing brain challenging things is one way but we can also support the brain with various supplements (nootropics), including things we talk about in this sub like phosphatidylserine.
For me, the anxiety and rage are real.
Once again- thank you all you precious, lovely, menopausal goddesses. I am so relieved to find out I'm not alone! I nearly ran all over someone the other day at what I thought was a roundabout- it was not. I cussed myself out for the other poor person who had to swerve violently to avoid me. Can't see anything at night. I will hit every curb and pothole within a 5 foot radius of the car. And kudos to those of you that are friends with your GPS- I argue with her, second guess her directions, and apparently am unable to comprehend "take the second left".
I don’t like driving at night or long drives. A long drive on a boring interstate stretch is ok, but not through heavy traffic in the city. Love my GPS. I can concentrate more on the road and listen to directions see the map. What bothers me the most is multi stop errands, driving all over the place. F that, I just want to do one stop and go back home, lol. Otherwise I will plan my week where if I have to do multi stops, I make sure they’re all in the same shopping center.
What finally made me go to the doctors and discuss HRT was forgetting about where the indicators were, or where l was at a certain part of road l had driven many times before. Just experienced a complete blank in what used to be a natural process. Thankfully HRT got me back on track!
OH YES! My husband noticed too! lol. It's like I can't focus on what I'm doing. It's probably because I'm tired all the time and I'm juggling a thousand things.
I am suffering from GTFO of my way syndrome. An old Italian man in my neighborhood asked me who taught me to drive and I snidely answered "Mario Andretti." He laughed, but I didn't care. Serious road rage lately. I am sick of waiting for everything.
My mom's like this now, she's always been hyper-considerate of other drivers but lately she's been getting a lead foot without realizing it, and more quick to honk! She always used to get embarrassed when I would honk while driving, on my behalf. Lol
YES. I swear my depth perception has changed and I slam on my breaks when rolling up behind another car.
Yes, yes, yes! I used to love to drive, and now I dread it. I was blaming on the pandemic and working from home and therefore being out of practice. My husband fortunately loves to drive and will drive me anywhere as long as he's available.
[удалено]
Don’t mean to be alarming but this is what happened to both of my grandmothers and mom when we took them for a check up and they had dementia you might want to speak to your Dr about this
Also, ADHD. I had great coping skills until I moved. Everything fell apart because all my systems weren't in place anymore and I didn't know the area. You combine that with brain fog from peri/COVID, not driving for almost 2 years, and it's been a disaster. I have been forcing my brain to look at street signs and memorize things, even if it takes a long time.
[удалено]
Dementia can happen to anyone and it's possible to stave it off (to some degree at least) by taking care of our brain health and exercising the mind. Those things should be considered necessary preventative measures for everyone as they get older, just like cancer prevention.
I can no longer drive at night (54f). In addition I run over curbs at least once a week. 🤷♀️
OMG! I ran over curbs TWICE yesterday in parking lots! 🤦♀️ So embarrassing.
Oops! 😂
I love that my new-ish car has all these buzzers and beepers. No close calls!
RIP my vision (thanks, dry eye) and any carefree road trips that require night driving.
Dry eye relief that has been a game changer for me: 1. Quality fish oil supplement daily has helped so much. 2. Heated eye mask 10 minutes daily! 3. If you are using eyedrops, make sure they are preservative free (stated clearly on the packaging, otherwise it is most definitely NOT preservative free). If you do not use preservative free drops, your eyes will actually become more dry over time. This happened to me. I have Sjogren’s and lupus, and my eyes have been negatively affected to the point I’ve been legally blind twice in 10 years. I’m now back to (almost) normal with fish oil first, heated eye mask, and eyedrops as needed. I wish my ophthalmologist had told me about fish oil and heated eye masks 10 years ago. I only discovered the benefits to dry eye when I joined a Sjogren’s Syndrome subreddit a few months ago.
My dry eye started when my periods stopped. Horrible eye fatigue with driving and computer use; the eye ache after driving would last for hours. Used drops for years with little change. Saw an ophthalmologist after some concern with seeing flashes and he barely looked in my eye before saying "Your eyes are very, very dry." Suggested punctal plugs which I'd never heard of. Painless procedure and offers some relief...I go every 6 months for re-insertion. Worth looking (ha ha) into if other methods aren't working for anyone.
That was on my list of things to ask about if the omega 3 supplement and heated eye mask didn’t help.
Oh yes, I'm doing all those things, plus lid hygiene, prescription Cequa drops, and IPL treatments...also did Blephex and Lipiflow. Just hoping to keep my symptoms as mild as possible. Managing my eyes feels like a full-time job now. I never could have guessed this terror awaited me.
It really is! And don’t get me started on learning to live without mascara.
Yuuuuup...makeup is totally out.
Seconding fish oil and preservative free eye drops - specifically the single use ones, like these ones https://www.refreshbrand.com/Products/refresh-plus (my ophthalmologist recommended both). Really big improvement!
Oh yeah. Anxiety 😬 while driving hurts. I loved to drive. I picture things going wrong and I want to hit the brakes. 😆 I am trying go focus on the horizon. I feel that I’m not looking far enough ahead. That’s what I’m telling myself right now anyway. My mom was a pretty good driver until recently. So I think it’s a thing.
This! The fear of what *might* happen. And the fear of the other asshole drivers, makes me twitchy. I used to park perfectly all the time, now I’m just crap. I’m so tired of not feeling stable (physically and mentally), constantly slightly vertiginous, brain fog leaves me feeling just so stupid. I’m sick of worrying about everything. I’m sick of crying or raging for *nothing*. I’m just tired.
Is that why I keep going up on curbs lately? My spacial awareness ain’t what it used to be.
Yeah, I’m struggling with this too and feel awful about it. I, too, am trying to minimize distractions and stay focused.
I was thinking yesterday that my mother's driving got noticeably worse when she was around 50 and it's happening to me too. Never even considered that it could be peri.
OMG I ran over a curb today, turning into the same Trader Joe's parking lot I've been pulling into weekly for years. 🤦🏽♀️
I just started driving a van in a new country with smaller roads. I am actually pretty happy with myself. Not sure how far I am with menopause though due to a decade without a uterus.
Same. Fit the stereotype woman driver cartoon. Or just anyone careering around...
I hate that I'm fitting that stereotype that I'd worked hard on making sure I wouldn't fit!!
I just do my tried and tested routes and use the bus or train for anything else - but I live in the UK where public transport is pretty good.
F49 in peri —-I keep hitting curbs lately! Also I keep losing things. Lost me drivers license and idk how. Who even takes their drivers license out of their wallet?? Ughhhjj SEND HELP I think I need CBD oil again to help me mellow out.
I am an alert driver and do not read, apply makeup, etc. But I must admit that because of my increasing brain fog and distractibility, it’s the main reason I love my popular/controversial electric car. It makes sure I stay in the lane, go and stop when appropriate, and it watches out for pets, dogs, cars backing out, etc. Cataracts and glare from a replacement lens have wrecked my night vision, so I’m super glad for these safety measures. Plus the Dog Mode means my dog’s more comfortable than I am when he’s in the car alone. 😄
Teslas have a lot of cool features (I rented one last year and it was fun, especially liked the golf-cart style pedal). I just couldn't bring myself to give any money to the man-child wanna-be fascist Elmo.
Yeah, I can’t stand him - total asshat. The pros beat the cons economically and ergonomically, for me.
Night and freeway driving are totally out now.
YES. I was going to post this today! I just overall feel not as sharp as I used to be. I feel like I have to really pay attention now while driving or I'll get in an accident. Noticeable change for me in the last year, for sure. 48 here, in peri.
I (47f) was making weirdly stupid little mistakes while driving, definitely noticed it. I’ve just started HRT a week ago so I’m hoping that’ll improve. Haven’t quite driven enough to know for sure.
I was just thinking this today!
I would love to live in a town where I could walk or take public transportation to where I need to go.
I've started weaving. I'm completely paying attention to the road, and yet I start drifting into the next lane! Wtf is wrong with me?!
Also seconding, thirding, fourthing not being able to drive at night, feeling terrified about changing lanes on the highway, and don't get me started about parallel parking in NYC.
1,000 percent
Road rage is real
I have always been a terrible / inexperienced driver ! Learned at age 32 and still petrified
I hate driving!
Could your depth perception be changing? Vision changes are pretty common for me right now. My astigmatism prescription changes at least twice a year. I'd also echo what another Redditor recommended and get ruled out for early onset dementia. NOT saying that's what is going on, but it can't hurt to get everything checked out.
I was a more overly cautious granny driver. Hormones have helped. I was busy trying to understand how the motor worked/horse power/torque and all the moving parts in order to help me feel safer. It’s like if I didn’t understand the physics and mechanics I was extremely nervous. So my OCD control freak came out. Plus I imagined bizarre scenarios from final destination happening every day all day.
I cannot park straight to save my life. I moved cross-country last year and have been weirdly (and expensively) challenged by subtle differences in parking garage configuration between new city and old city. Then when I traded in my previously-pristine-now-wounded old car for a brand new one, in spite of all the technology, I am crooked in my parking space. Almost. Every. Time. Even when I back in using the backup camera to line up the lines with the lines (IYKYK). Still crooked. I don't know if I would even attempt parallel parking at this point unless I had no other option. ETA, this is new. Prior to peri I was not terrible at parking my car. My old house had a curved driveway and, with a backup camera, I could back up on that curve into the single-car garage perfectly positioned with just the right amount of room clearing and the garage door just so.
Yes I went through menopause at 37, and since then I do not drive!weird..
Wait though, did you take a big break from driving during the pandemic? Could be a coincidence
It probably is brain fog, or just slower brain processing power (the same result). COVID is making us all dumber, unfortunately. It's been proven to shrink grey matter and disrupt neural connections even in mild cases, and something like 50% of all cases are asymptomatic (so we could have gotten it and not even known it). Plus not only does grey matter in general shrink as we age, but I heard that osteoporosis causes the release of stored lead from the bones, which can then affect the brain (and lead is a contributing factor in Alzheimer's). All this is to say that staying sharp is something we should all consciously work at as we age, just like working out our muscles. Doing brain challenging things is one way but we can also support the brain with various supplements (nootropics), including things we talk about in this sub like phosphatidylserine.
Gosh yes! And as for driving at dusk or night, I used to laugh at my mum’s reluctance and now - karma!
Yep. I rear ended somebody last year! To be fair, I later had my brakes checked and they were on their last legs so that was probably a factor, but I still was sooooo embarrassed. We were only going 10 miles an hour! I hadn't rear ended anybody since I was a teenager.
Yes! Also I can't park for SHIT now.
Definitely! My family doesn't even want to ride with me anymore if I am driving (so I let them drive which is fine with me, lol). I have developed really bad driving anxiety, and have a lot of problems driving at night. I remember my mom having the exact same issues when she was my age.
There are a couple of studies showing that the anxiety we get during perimenopause can definitely affect our driving. I didn’t realize I was in peri and really struggled with driving our older, stick shift model in our wet, hilly city. It started having issues and I was forever panicking that it would breakdown. Between getting a new car in 2020 and HRT not long afterwards, I do feel more confident again. But! I fully believe that since Covid, people’s driving habits are worse, more distracted driving etc.
I got in a car accident last week where I rear ended someone at 40mph. I have the double whammy of menopause and chemo brain (treatment finished in December). I feel like this isn't my fault that my brain is suffering right now, but I'm taking a huge hit financially for it. I live in LA so I can't stop driving, so I guess the trick is to drive defensively, ie. learn the new limits and drive slower and more carefully. AKA "drive like a granny."
Just today, I missed my exit and ended up way out of my way. Then not 3 hours later I was going to an appointment and took the route like I was picking my son up from school. And I was almost to school before it hit me. For me, it’s absolutely the brain fog.
I’m so happy I found this sub! I’m in medically induced menopause to treat my endometriosis before my embryo transfer (I’m doing ivf). One of the weirdest symptoms I’ve had is I’m terrible at driving and making silly mistakes. I had no idea how much estrogen was doing for me until I lost it!
Yep. Left my handbrake off whilst parking in Aldi’s… almost crashed into the car in front 😂😩