Perimenopause - Mumsnet & Gransnet share the knowledge

BellBookandCandle from Mumsnet

"Any advice from veggie G'netters.......don't want to go down the HRT route..... So, any tips on what worked for you would be great (am hairy, grumpy and cycle length is getting longer and periods vary from heavy/flooding to light/negligible and PMS is almost bloody constanthmm) - thank you"

Durham Durham from Mumsnet
"This has been a bit of a revelation for me, I hadn't even heard or perimenopause. I'm 44 this year and the last 12 months have been a nightmare for me. My periods have become very heavy and irregular. I sometimes, but not often, get nightsweats in which I wake up soaked. My PMT symptoms are much worse than they have ever been, I'm up and down and completely unpredictable. I can sometimes hear how unreasonable I am but can't stop myself, I get very tearful and am anxious a lot of the time.

This may or may not mean I am currently going through the perimenopause. It would be good to know these symptoms are normal and that they will pass".

lotsofcheese from Mumsnet
I am wondering if I'm perimenopsusal too? I'm 42 & having periods about every 21 days. My cycles have been gradually getting shorter since I was 36.,I've been so dry & itchy down below & having constant thrush. My fat distribution is all round the middle hmm

But on the other hand, I got pregnant very easily at 36, 39 & twice at 40. - although 2 of these ended in miscarriage. I wouldn't be so fertile if I was perimenopausal - right?

And I have no night sweats, mood swings (DP might not agree!).

My big concern, if I am perimenopausal, is heart disease. My mum had a quadruple bypass at 54 - and an early menopause. I also had severe, early PE which means I 'm at risk too."

Kristinam from Mumsnet
"Oldgreymare -thanks, that's reassuring

Imdadgeine - that's interesting, I exercise quite a lot and I don't eat gluten, spicy food or caffeine , so maybe I'm not noticing any mild symptoms that I do have

I also have an interactive thyroid so I'm on meds"

ancientbuchanan from Mumsnet

"What effect does obesity have? If any. Am v obese. Am mid fifties and still ovulating normally, although with hot flushes from time to time and more blasted hair.

But DM's menopause went on till she was 78 or so".

AliceinSandwichLand from Mumsnet:

"I am 49 and more or less through menopause - had years of hideous heavy periods in my mid forties, seemingly every five minutes, which led to anaemia (if you are in that stage and feel breathless and exhausted, get thee to a doctor and get iron tested - it took me embarrassingly long to realise given I am a vet and should have had some medical insight, therefore! Iron sorted it nicely.) I am now down to a very light period every few months, which is fine, and am also delighted no longer to have tender breasts, which had been painful for half of every month for thirty years or so, and especially during peri menopause.
At the moment I have not gone for HRT because my symptoms are relatively mild - just a few hot flushes and joint aches, which are really helped by exercise, and I am thinking about vagifem as described above. I am currently trying the menopace supplements and think I may have a bit more energy, but it's not made much difference. Would agree that refined sugar and carbs and alcohol are all really bad news - I have been gluten intolerant for years anyway but now eating even less cake type stuff, sadly. My main issue at the moment is waking with a hot flush pretty much every night at about 1:30 am. It's not a bad one, not too sweaty, and sometimes I get back to sleep easily but sometimes not; and I wake earlier than I'd like to most mornings, too. This is definitely linked to menopause because as someone said above, it stops when I do have a rare period. Does anyone have any suggestions of what's worked for night waking, please?
Thank you for an interesting thread".

Chickydoo from Mumsnet asks:

"47 here, regular as clockwork. Periods sluggish though, and a bit clotty, but they haven't changed much......But the night sweats, never in the day, but at night I drip like a tap, sometimes I wake up & have to strip the bed & me twice a night. DH had to sleep in spare room, unless he want to be engulfed in the waves of my sweat.. Poor love... How do I turn the tap off??"

From NCISaddict:

The increased hairiness back of thighs, chin and nipples. It really makes you feel unattractive just when you need the cinfidence to cope with lack of sleep again.
The bonus is that I haven't had a period since August, they just sr=topped dead, no slowing down, really hope they don't start again.

From chickydoo:

47 here, regular as clockwork. Periods sluggish though, and a bit clotty, but they haven't changed much......But the night sweats, never in the day, but at night I drip like a tap, sometimes I wake up & have to strip the bed & me twice a night. DH had to sleep in spare room, unless he want to be engulfed in the waves of my sweat.. Poor love... How do I turn the tap off??

From AliceInSandwichLand:

I am 49 and more or less through menopause - had years of hideous heavy periods in my mid forties, seemingly every five minutes, which led to anaemia (if you are in that stage and feel breathless and exhausted, get thee to a doctor and get iron tested - it took me embarrassingly long to realise given I am a vet and should have had some medical insight, therefore! Iron sorted it nicely.) I am now down to a very light period every few months, which is fine, and am also delighted no longer to have tender breasts, which had been painful for half of every month for thirty years or so, and especially during peri menopause.
At the moment I have not gone for HRT because my symptoms are relatively mild - just a few hot flushes and joint aches, which are really helped by exercise, and I am thinking about vagifem as described above. I am currently trying the menopace supplements and think I may have a bit more energy, but it's not made much difference. Would agree that refined sugar and carbs and alcohol are all really bad news - I have been gluten intolerant for years anyway but now eating even less cake type stuff, sadly. My main issue at the moment is waking with a hot flush pretty much every night at about 1:30 am. It's not a bad one, not too sweaty, and sometimes I get back to sleep easily but sometimes not; and I wake earlier than I'd like to most mornings, too. This is definitely linked to menopause because as someone said above, it stops when I do have a rare period. Does anyone have any suggestions of what's worked for night waking, please?
Thank you for an interesting thread.

Thanks to all who are posting help/answers/ideas - we are posting your replies on the Mumsnet thread too. Meanwhile about to post some more questions from MNers...

We did and we have asked so we will keep you posted!

Thank you, Jess

Thank you for answering these, GadaboutGran and Oldgreymare Change is scary when you don't know what's happening, so the Mumsnetters are incredibly grateful for all help. We'll pass these on