Actress Martine McCutcheon has explained how she's feeling loopy, tired and achey and think she's "peri menopausal" in an open and honest Instagram post.
The English actress, most well-known for an extended stint on EastEnders and for playing Natalie in hit romcom Love Actually, took to social media to open up to fans about the symptoms she's been experiencing in recent weeks and how she "just can't get my shizz together".
Sharing a wide-eyed frowning selfie, Martine wrote: "Todays vibe 'Oh sh*t, b*gger, b*llocks and every other naughty word on the planet!' I've had the worst stomach bug and I just can’t get my shizz together the last week or so …
"On top of the Lyme [lyme disease] and Fibro [fibromyalgia] etc I definitely think I'm peri menopausal too… Oh Joy! I'm having symptoms for two weeks of the month and it's getting worse!"
Back in 2011, Martine, then-34, was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a condition that causes long-term fatigue and flare-ups after accomplishing even small physical or mental tasks, and she was later diagnosed with Lyme disease, a condition that can causes rashes, fever, headaches and tiredness, in 2017.
She also suffers from fibromyalgia, a medical condition that can cause chronic pain and cramps.
This is thought to be the first time she's spoken about being "peri menopausal," which the NHS explains as the time when women experience symptoms a few months or years before their periods stop.
Martine joked that the phrase "peri menopausal" makes her think of "peri peri chicken" from Nando's.
"I keep wanting to say peri peri chicken (As in Nando's) Anyone else? Or am I the only classy lady making that link?" she joked. "It's such an individual thing and I feel it's time for me to address it for sure!
"At least I managed to get some slap on today! This loon is off! See you later alligator!"
Martine's post, which has been liked more than 5,000 times in just four hours, also includes the hashtags "feeling loopy," "tired," "achy," "my best look yet" and "next chapter" as Martine attempts to poke fun at her symptoms.
She shared a link to the post on her Instagram story, with the backing track of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy to further joke about her "crazy" feelings as she experiences the peri menopause.
Martine's post comes just a week after she and pal Denise Van Outen stepped out in gorgeous dresses for a live show of The Masked Singer in Sheffield.
Rocking a gold disc minidress alongside Denise, 47, in a silver fringed dress, guest judge Martine looked happy and relaxed as the pair posed for photos backstage before heading to the main auditorium to sit on the judging panel.
Martine paired her glitzy dress with simple nude stilettos and wore her hair in soft waves to complete her glamorous look.
She later thanked producers of the series for making her a "really cool mummy" to son Rafferty who felt "very proud" to see her judge the latest episode of the hit tv series.
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