Peri-menopause anyone?

Dear Rubylady,

You poor thing.

I have been going through the peri - menopause now for 11 years . I started early at 40 with a bad peri menopause, really severe symptoms. However there is a lot that can be done to help.

I feel a sudden loss of blood needs your gp to check you esp. if you are breathless or getting a fast heart beat. Acute blood loss is different to blood loss over a period of months i.e heavy periods with clots and flooding which causes anaemia.

You may wish to research the following
.hysteroscopy, HRT,
natural remedies,
Mirena coil, many women have been fitted with this for very heavy painful periods around peri menopause time etc.
i recommend looking at a company well springs as they have lots of info on menopause,
further investigations by your gp , ultra sound scans external and internal and a referral to a gynaecologist who specializes in the menopause.

I also recommend looking up Wellsprings which deal in biodentical hormones.

You can use gaviscon for reflux which can be used for indigestion type symptoms which the menopause can create.
Eye drops for the dry eyes it creates and anti depressants which help some women more than hrt does with low mood.

Dosulepine an anti depressant in a low dose can be used for hot flushes to great effect and can help with irritable bladder. but all this needs to be discussed with an up to date G.P. or Gynaecologist.

Also Yes or Replens can be a brilliant moisturizing aid if suffering from female. dryness. On px. or Holland and barratt do the Yes.

Do not suffer in silence.

Good Luck and hope this helps you and others

Hi Ruby lady I am in a very similar position, night time needing tampons, sanitary towel and still waking up in a mess, i finally took the bull by the horns and went to see my GP to ask for a Mirena coil as I did some research and thought it might help, she agreed but first wanted to send me for a pelvic scan to check that there weren't any other issues (I thought I might have fibroids) however that was all clear, and obviously the stupidly heavy and irregular bleeding is just down to the peri menopause, I am currently waiting for my appointment for the coil fitting and will let you know how I get on, in the meantime she has prescribed me Norethisterone tablets to stop bleeding while I am on holiday, other than the heavy bleeding I get hot flushes, extreme tiredness headaches and lightheadedness, but fortunately no depression, the GP also told me that the chemicals in the Mirena coil might well also help with some of these symptoms, who knows, but I am looking forward to being finished with all this eventually. oh I am 56 by the way. I hope that you soon get some help x

oh, rubylady, i hope you're feeling better today and that the bleeding has slowed down. i was really angry when i read that your son was absolutely no help at all - no wonder you're [not]counting the days until he leaves.

i hope you're able to see your doctor soon - things like this need checking and i'd hate anyone to have to go through what i went through.

my menopause was a "forced" one as i had a total hysterectomy owing to ovarian cancer but i went overnight from a lady having periods to full blown menopause - not nice. i was only 47 at the time.

however i went on to hrt which sorted the hot flushes out and made me feel so much better. i started on patches but i'm allergic to them so i then had a six monthly implant until they stopped making it. when this happened i went on to pills - and i'm still on them and intend staying on them until the doctor refuses to renew my prescription!!

it seems that the menopause is not talked about much - bit like periods when we were younger. i didn't enjoy my abbreviated one but i wish it was easier on us ladies - maybe i'll come back as a man next time or a cat ............ haven't decided which yet.

Just read the bits about the clots. I got clots as a teenager - as I said, really heavy periods. My Mamma (Grandmother) just said that she'd had clots - that was it - I coped. Circa 1960 you just did.

I had really heavy bleeding from late 30s and homeopath gave me stuff to stop me going into the menopause. Started getting gaps in periods and putting on a LOT of weight at 45.

Went for months without a period and then one would crop up again - to the extent that when I eventually finished I didn't know I had.

Didn't have daytime flushes (thank goodness) but was lathered at 4 am every morning. Body clock got totally out of sync and it still is 20+ years later - timer goes off about 7 pm and I get really cold, comes on again at 4 am and then I'm roasting - a small price to pay for no more periods! I always had very heavy/painful periods so I'm very grateful that my menopause has been relatively easy.

Have had HRT at various times to try and sort what GP has considered problems but haven't found it useful.

I've got fibroids. They caused heavy periods and I passed rather large lumps of liverish matter. Rather than have a hysterectomy I opted for the mirena coil which did the trick - this is before my periods stopped completely. The coil is still in place and should probably have come out ages ago, but I fear if they remove it my insides might follow through !

Rubylady, I remember a pal from where I used to live who had very similar symptoms to yours. She had a hyst'my in the end and was hugely relieved afterwards! I think it was fibroids. In the end it will pass, but it's probably not much comfort to you now.

You don't sound anywhere NEAR supported enough at home! That's especially tough.

Many commis'ns.

Best wishes,
Mrs S.A.B-L
(Mrs Sleepless, Achy Boilinghot-Lady!)

I think we didn't have peri- menopause in my day. At least it wasn't given a name.
But I did have the most appalling periods. I had to wear ' rubber' knickers at one point. Then it was discovered I had fibroids. I had a hysterectomy aged 36, and never looked back. Sailed through the menopause courtesy of HRT.
My daughter is just beginning to have difficult periods and headaches. She is just 50 and won't contemplate HRT yet

Not everyone gets the menopause in physical terms. My periods stopped at 49 and that was it, just like my mother.

The only thing that happened to me was I changed in personality and stopped taking shit from anyone. Maybe I was going a bit crazy I don't know, but I parted friends with a lot of people who drove me mad anyway.

No hot flushes, no night sweats no headaches nothing. It made me feel like I was missing out !

That sounds awful. ? I took Menopace every day from about age 52 and so my symptoms were mild. I did have the very heavy periods so eventually told the GP, who did a blood test and it turned out to be a severely underractive thyroid, so don't just assume all your symptoms are menopausal!

Oh poor you Rubylady I can completely sympathise with you.

I have been peri-menopausal for a couple of years now. I am 54. Unbearable night sweats and irritating day time "flushes". My periods are all over the place and did seem to be reducing but the last few months have been horrendous. Very heavy bleeding and awful cramps too. My mood is very low (although I haven't had a great deal to smile about lately) and I feel like I am permanently under a black cloud.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

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'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.

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!

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...

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