Peri-menopause anyone?

Hi rubylady , you have my sympathies! I think I have been peri-menopausal for a few years now and with various changes along the way. Beginning about 6 years ago I went through a few years of really bad monthly migraines and heavy periods. For the past 2 years the headaches have eased considerably and I have begun to have intermittent monthlys. Last year I went for 6 months without a period and thought this must be it, but no - started up again last summer and then back to a regular pattern. Now I have missed two. It would just be nice to be through it all!
I have never sought medical intervention - I have taken the view that it is a natural, albeit it really bothersome process, but I am hoping I am getting near the end. If I am anything like my mother, perhaps I only have 18 months to go to be officially menopausal!
Sorry you are suffering. x

You are not alone rubylady. I have similar symptoms monthly followed by a couple of weeks when I feel great.I also feel grim mid cycle. I use an app to keep track. I have had a couple of times when I've gone 3 months period free and then they've come back with a vengeance. My Mum was 2 years older than I am now before she hit menopause and they say you follow her pattern.
Off to take a couple of ibuprofen and stuff a box of ultra plus into my bag before I go to see DD1 who is suffering during her pregnancy. Hormones united!

Personally I would visit a doctor, to check that there is nothing else going on.

I have been checked out by my GP several times and they are happy that it is all normal and respect my wishes to handle it myself. It is never so bad that I can't function, I just wish it was all over!

I just wish it would all end too, how long should it be dragging on for??? I'm now 57 and peri-menopausal probably for the last 4-5 years without things coming to an end.
I probably shouldn't complain though. Not too bothered with headaches, only mild flashes of extreme warmth and the periods are down to every 2-4 months now. They were very scanty for a while but the last couple have been more or less back to my normal.
I do feel very fatigued sometimes, though this may be due to not sleeping well most of the time.
One of the worst things is never knowing when a period might arrive, so always have to take stocks if we're going away ... and of course it's no longer possible to time holidays to avoid the nuisance!

I noticed that at 3am Rhonab, when my period put in an appearance and I had no towels! My son got sent on an errand of mercy once the shop opened, bless him.

obieone I have just had a full blood test done and a smear at the doctors a week ago. The nurse was very abrupt and didn't give me any time to ask about anything, just got on with the smear. I am seeing my lovely doctor on Friday so will check it out with him. The headaches lifted as soon as my period started so I think it is connected.

I was terrible when I first started with periods at 11 years old, I have a really rough time. I wish it was all over with too as I can't take hormone replacement. It has been going on now for about 3 to 4 years. I can manage most of it, it's just the headaches and my eyes being sensitive to light.

I hope everyone is having a good day today and is pain free.

Flip me! I thought we were all well past all that stuff!

The 'peri' bit means before doesn't it? I'm not sure I had that bit. Can't remember much about menopause at all.

I think you must be 'tweenies'. In between mums and grans. A foot in each camp so to speak.

Rubylady are you sure you haven't got a virus?

Jing It's what you get when you have a near 10 year gap in your children. Daughter 28, son 18. DGSs 5 and 2 years old. I had a miscarriage when my daughter was 4 and then after getting over it, took 4 years to get pregnant with my son, secondary infertility. I was going for fertility treatment at the hospital when I found out I was pregnant naturally.

I thought that at first, it could be a virus or cold coming on, I cancelled my cleaner coming on Friday so that she didn't catch it and I didn't feel up to tidying up for her. But it was too coincidental that the headache went away when my period started. It felt like a hangover without the alcohol, which is not playing the game.

I didn't get it* with an eighteen year gap. I don't think gaps are relevant.

* Well, I did experience some peri-menopausal symptoms but they weren't a big deal.

I hope that's not true rubyas I had a 14 year gap!

Research evidence Jings? or just a pet theory?
Sounds grim rubylady and of course no way of knowing how long it will go on until its over. Those heavy periods can make you tired and anaemic so your doctor might suggest an iron supplement, that might perk you up a bit.
Might be worth taking some kind of HRT if it is really debilitating. I'm not a great fan, but there are limits...

Well, what a night I've had! I started bleeding at 12.30 dinner time yesterday (Sunday) and was flooding. On being on the loo, there were large clots, much bigger than any before. I didn't know what to do. I called for an amublance as I had no clue what to do and I was on my own.

They said they were sending an amublance. Luckily, my neighbour, who was on her way to the seaside, turned back and came to help me. I phoned my son and he slowly made his way home. Anyway, after being told that emergency services were too busy, I got told to go to walk in GP or wait until morning. It was 3pm by now and I had not moved off the toilet, losing lots of blood and clots all the time.

I managed to get downstairs and had a sleep as I was shattered by then. On getting up, large clots appeared, I panicked again and got myself ready to go to hospital. I was seen by the doctor, who said it was connected to my menopause. He took blood and told me I am anemic. I was given some tablets to lessen the flow and the clots.

I take iron tablets but need just iron and the right dose as mine are iron and vit c and are 14mg each and I need more than this to get better. The anemia could be a cause of my other symptoms, ie breathlessness, tiredness, tinnitus, skin itchy.

I am now back home. Got back at 2.30am Still losing lots but at least home. I asked my son to help me for five minutes to get me settled and some food but no, he went off to bed. So I struggled to feed myself and get a brew and tablets etc., feed my doggie, put her some water down in her empty bowl.

I hope it is only the menopause. I will check it out with my GP. I think my body is having it's last flutter but quite appropriate really as my son leaves in about 125 days! Not that I am counting!!!

On the plus side, I have lost about 7lb in weight in a day!

I've not had periods for about a year now but get the occasional spotting. Every month though I get a raging migraine which lasts for 2 days and then completely disappears. I feel very down on some days and had a few night sweats when I woke up nearly swimming out of bed. I'll be 46 in October.

I started all that lark really early, at 43, just after my youngest was born, so have been dealing with this mess for seven years (am 50) At first I thought is was just the upset from having a baby, breastfeeding , and all that. But it just continued from there, in the first couple of years i had serious issues with massive floods, but from then on it tapered off. Last year i had no period from Christmas to November, and thought, well that is that. End of November i had another period, but very light. Since then nothing. Hoping I am done....
Curiously, I had my kids with large gaps - 24, 17 and 8. I had never heard that it had anything to do with menopause, but it may be true.
As for genetics, I am out in the cold on that one, I am adopted so have no idea how my bio mum went through it all.

I hope you're feeling better by now rubylady, it sounds a horrible night for you and quite frightening, I should imagine. I thought my periods at the end were heavy, but they were nothing like that. Please take care and look after youself

Commiserations Rubylady not a nice experience I wish you a speedy recovery. It's funny how we are all different, my mother described the end of her periods as something akin to what you have been through, but after that she told me she didn't experience any adverse menopausal symptoms. My own experiences have been quite different, my periods finally petered out at around 57, quite late, no heavy bleeding they just got lighter and lighter and more intermittent until they stopped altogether. However since that time I have been through the wretched hot flushes, hot, sleepless nights, tiredness, weight gain, brain fog all the usual symptoms. I'm early 60s now and seriously considering taking HRT I feel I'm living under a cloud. Like others on GN I also have an under active thyroid for which I take 125 mcg of thyroxine, I had this diagnosed in my mid 40s, the symptoms are so similar to the menopause, it blurs the lines somewhat in that I ask myself whether I feel as I do because of the peri menopause or the ineffectiveness of thyroxine, (something that has been discussed on other threads on GN).

OMG Rl! That is awful! You should have seen the doctor months ago. It shows you can't really treat yourself for real anaemia. I would think you will need a repeat prescription for the iron pills. Definitely go and talk to your own doc.

I don't think that's "peri" menopause anymore. It's the real thing, and you are having a bad one! You need proper help through it.

Hello Rubylady. I am sorry you are suffering like this. Thought I would tell you what happened to me in case it helps.

My late brother was 15 years older than me and suffered from a serious heart condition which fortunately I didn't have. His words to me were always " you'll be ok till the menopause kiddo then you need to watch out as it may affect your heart "

For that reason I had regular blood tests to see if I was perimenopausal. Eventually it came back that I was. I saw the doctor and went onto a high dose of HRT for 5 years.

This worked for me and I suffered no ill effects from the menopause.

I know we are all different, but maybe it could help you. All the best.

My periods stopped at 48...regular/normal to nothing. I have never had hot flushes or night sweats. I read an article years later that I think explains this. I was veggie and ate a lot of soya products. I read that women in the East did not suffer so much with menopause because soya was a big part of their diets. Maybe this information will be useful to some.

The only peri menopausal symptom I had was a really annoying need to go to the loo all the time-like cystitis but without the pain Thinning of the vaginal walls due to hormone loss apparently and pessaries sorted it.Went on for about 7 years though .Had my DCs quite late in life.Menopause itself was fine .Tailed off fairly quickly. Interestingly I had what I thought was to be my last period (after several months with nothing)the week my mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. And my very last one the week she died 5months later .Shock?I was 50 later that year so quite early .The occasional hot flush but nothing much .I have a friend who has been sufffering for about 10years ...
I have an underactive thyroid but it wasnt diagnosed til 4years after menopause .
Heavy bleeding and clots sounds very wrong to me I think I'd insist on having it investigated The headaches I can understand as the hormones are all over the place

rubylady when you see your doctor ask him if it could be fibroids. The flooding and clots sound very like it. They are not generally sinister but they increase the surface area of the lining of your uterus so bleeding can be extremely heavy. They usually shrink away to nothing after menopause but if that can't be predicted they might offer removal. My friend was in a sorry state with fibroids but after surgery she has never looked back.

All over for me and has been for years, thankfully, but as soon as I started to have hot flushes, age 45, I saw my doctor and went on HRT for at least 10 years. It worked wonderfully well for me, apart from occasionally having to shed a jacket at work from additional central heating, I felt great. Plenty of energy, libido returned, no adverse side effects. To be honest I can't remember how many years I have been off it (am now just 65) but probably around 8. Docs tested blood to see how the hormone levels were before coming off HRT just to make sure but no problems then either.

No-one should have to suffer rubylady - I hope you feel better very soon.

I feel so sorry for women who suffer really badly with menopausal symptoms. I'm so lucky to take after my mother. She had a hot flush and didn't like it so she decided one was enough and never had another. I expected to be like her. At around 50 my periods suddenly became regular every month (they never had been before!) Then they became bimonthly, quarterly, biannually then none over about three or four years. No other indications. My last period started when I was in church at someone's wedding. I think it was God's punishment for something or other! ? Luck of the draw, I think, not mind over matter.