Is It Over Yet? The Perimenopause Thread
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I was in peri for a ridiculously long time. I had lab tests when I was 30 that confirmed it because we were trying to conceive. I had my two children during peri. I didn't have any issues with my period until my 40's, but spent most of them with having weirdness with it. That was after starting my 40's by having a baby. My periods after him were never right.
By the time I was about 48, my periods finally started spacing out, and I was blissfully, thankfully menopausal about 2 years ago, at 52. What a long ride.7 -
So does light spotting for 2 days on the day period is due count as a period
I was told yes, that any bleeding at cycle time is considered a period when one is in peri menopause. Any bleeding outside of cycle time (with the exception of ovulation spotting b/c some people do) is not normal and should be checked. Not sure if I should believe that or not (came from a CNP) but that's what she said.2 -
I'll be 54 in two weeks. And my periods are as regular as ever. I'm so over it.20
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I am so glad to hear from everyone. I am very moved by some of these stories. This isn't easy.
I am now on Day 91 (just checked FertilityFriend, I think I was a couple days off last time I chimed in about this) and no sign of anything. If only this were the end...I'm really tired of the mood swings and random PMS-ish symptoms that never go anywhere. I realize there are worse things but this is just...a pain.So does light spotting for 2 days on the day period is due count as a period
I personally would count it as a period. You could always ask your doctor but that's how I'd treat it, anyway (when charting).
Does anybody else chart?
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ronjsteele1 wrote: »So does light spotting for 2 days on the day period is due count as a period
I was told yes, that any bleeding at cycle time is considered a period when one is in peri menopause. Any bleeding outside of cycle time (with the exception of ovulation spotting b/c some people do) is not normal and should be checked. Not sure if I should believe that or not (came from a CNP) but that's what she said.
I don't have anything anywhere near a normal cycle anymore so I tend to count anything other than just staining - anything (sorry) definitively red, spotty, and at least a day - as a period simply because I don't really have any idea, nor does my doctor, LOL...so...period it is.
But for me...I really never spotted except immediately before period time. I know some women do randomly spot, or like you said, at ovulation. I don't think I ever ovulate anymore. The last time I had O signs was probably a year ago.0 -
I am so glad to hear from everyone. I am very moved by some of these stories. This isn't easy.
I am now on Day 91 (just checked FertilityFriend, I think I was a couple days off last time I chimed in about this) and no sign of anything. If only this were the end...I'm really tired of the mood swings and random PMS-ish symptoms that never go anywhere. I realize there are worse things but this is just...a pain.So does light spotting for 2 days on the day period is due count as a period
I personally would count it as a period. You could always ask your doctor but that's how I'd treat it, anyway (when charting).
Does anybody else chart?
I use Google Sheets, to chart mine! Thus far I have 4 potential dates monthly, when it's possible; to have it!1 -
I'm so glad I'm not the only one wondering WTH is up?
I'm 46. I get PMS too. My boobs are always tender, ovulation cramps, headaches, ect. I did the Soto pelle pellets for a while. I liked them but $100 a month is a bit much (my estrogen and testosterone were trace). I may go back to it since i have no energy.
I'm on fertility friend too.
Nice to not be alone in this transition!4 -
Does anybody else chart?
I only charted when we were trying to get pregnant and thought waiting 6 months was too long. LOL Boy was I young back then. I do keep track on my calendar though so I know how long my cycles are, etc.
Not sure if this will help anyone elses hormones but I have noticed that putting my girls and myself on high doses of EPO (1300mg evening primrose oil) has definitely helped the PMS around here. It took about 2-3 months before we noticed a difference, but it's definitely improved that hormonal up and down feeling.3 -
I will be 53 this December and it will (fingers crossed) also be my one year anniversary of not having a period. The longest I have gone before this is 6 months.
I have to say, except for a few rough patches, this hasn't been the hell I thought it would be. I was actually in more hell in my late 40s when I guess this peri thing was really all over the place. I was one of those people you could set a watch by as far as my period goes. I could predict the day and just about time of day that I'd get it. Then I started missing a few, or I had have two in one month and then I'd be normal for awhile. All through my life, I would get horrible cravings at PMS time. I'm happy to say THAT part is gone. I feel so much more on an even keel now. For the past 2 years, I have had HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE hot flashes at night. Had to change out all my bedding and freeze everyone else out in the process. Lost many hours of sleep. That had to be the worst part. Those seem to be going away now. Don't know if it's just the process or the fact that I've lost 12 lbs and am exercising over the last 3 months. I'm sure that helped. But it is so wonderful not getting a period anymore. It was strange at first. I am lucky that I am one whose periods got lighter in the end and more spread out. That was not the case for my mother who, at 55 was by lab work fully into menopause but still getting a period. The doctor had to "give her something" to make them stop. Of course, she doesn't remember what that was. My friend is also having periods all the time. I'm just really happy to be over the anemia and swings!8 -
I've used iperiod since 20122
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Hi ya! Peri here. My new "normal" is: periods only when I travel. NOT FUN. I travel 4-6 times a year. In july I traveled for 27 days and bled for 21 of them. oy. But my doc says that given my age, blood work (which has shown me as "menopausal" for 3 years) and current symptoms, I should be done soon.
Vertigo and tinnitus are my most annoying symptoms.
Crankiness and insomnia are also annoying.
I use: bio-identical progesterone, magnesium, melatonin, vitex, and "essential woman" fish oil (and other oils) caps.
I joined MFP to manage peri-menopausal weight creep and so far have been fairly successful (still holding at +-5Lbs).
I'm hoping that when the mones settle it will be easier to maintain again.
I post in the group when I have something new to say.
Cheers!5 -
Hello again, ladies!
I thought I would resurrect this thread in hopes of board members massing all around me to throw me a giant pity party and offer me a tissue. And a cookie.
You're all going to do that, right?
So, today is REALLY hard. I really, really, really feel PMS-y, down to the dizziness, headache...exhaustion, confusion, achiness, all of it.
BUT I have felt this way so many times this "cycle," if that's what this is...I mean it's a cycle if it winds up with a period at this point...but I keep hanging onto the hope that maybe my period will never come and this will finally be all over.
This is actually the longest I've gone (non-pregnant) without a period since 1979. This is cycle day 97.
The thing is, I keep getting this PMS-ishness, complete with extreme hunger, but nothing happens. I remember thinking "oh great, I'll have my period for Halloween" so I first started feeling this way this cycle, one month ago.
It has been a LONG month.
When is this going to end?
Argh.
I always wanted to "like" my period. I wanted to make friends with it. I approached it as the most natural thing in the world. I was a love child of the 70s, after all. And yet I feel as if my body has betrayed me and tortured me with this thing for 37 years now. And now I can't even say "well, at the worst this will only last X more days," because it might not only be three or four days, or fourteen, or 40. I just don't know.
I don't get it, it makes me sad, it makes me angry, it makes me hungry, it makes me wistful, it makes me exhausted, let...it...be...over.
Sorry, LOL...as I said...not a great day today. I'm sure I'll live.9 -
I'm not sure what I am, lol. I'm 50 and a half, no children never pregnant. I have never had a normal period, in fact I had to go on birth control in my 20's just to get a normal monthly period. I've gone years without a period when not on birth control. It might have been partially nutrition related, I'd never been a big fan of things like vegetables in my life. I WOULD have MAJOR PMS and bloating, just no period. A hormonal mess most of my life. No insurance or excess money during much of that time so didn't exactly get fully checkout beyond the thankfully less costly annual visit to planned parenthood, where I always got a clean bill of health.
This past year or so I started getting what I assume are hot flashes. (I've not been on birth control in at least 5 years and can count my periods in that time on one hand) They didn't last long or keep me up at night, but I've always been cold, so to me it was like I was finally warm! Plus I'm in Florida, so... hot flash or normal weather, who can tell?
Anyway, I've not had a period in at least 6 months or longer, I never bothered attempting to keep track. I went back on MFP and this time, for the first time, paid a great deal of attention to nutrition. 3 weeks into tons of fruit and veggies, lentils and lean protein, and lo and behold I got a perfectly normal style period. HMPH. Could live without it, I have!
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Thank you for this thread. LAWoman, you are hilarious!
I am wondering what's up. I turn 52 in days and have never missed a period. Never had a FSH test -- not indicated; but weird stuff is going on.
1) cold flashes.... it feels like hormonal thermal disregulation where I just cannot get my core temp up 24 hr before period starts. I'm cold generally, but this is different, to the bone cold. I dream of hot flashes.
2) excess prostaglandins last month. What a pain. Haven't had that since my early 20's when my doc put me on BC to regulate that.
3) 2 months before that, I had a freak 4lb bloat with back&ab pain. Didn't recognize myself in the mirror. It was so atypical for me, I went to GP after a week. Many tests. Clean bill of health. Big bill from radiologist. Embarrassed it was all about nothing (although metastasized liver cancer crossed my mind given pain location). Resolved upon ovulation.
4) I have charted since 2008--mean, mode, variance, standard deviation. Went from 28 days like clockwork to 26 day average with greater variance. Like Sued0, I'm bored with periods. Ready for this show to be over.
LAWoman, I feel you. Maybe a cup of holiday Sleigh Ride tea? I wish I had more to offer. (((hug)))5 -
Ahoy, sounds very peri to me. What is sleigh ride tea? Does it have booze in it? Or Zanax? Please say yes.9
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1) cold flashes.... it feels like hormonal thermal disregulation where I just cannot get my core temp up 24 hr before period starts. I'm cold generally, but this is different, to the bone cold. I dream of hot flashes.
I get a hot flash or night sweat ... and almost immediately after, I'm so cold as though someone just stuck me into a deep freeze.
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Thank you for this thread. LAWoman, you are hilarious!
I am wondering what's up. I turn 52 in days and have never missed a period. Never had a FSH test -- not indicated; but weird stuff is going on.
1) cold flashes.... it feels like hormonal thermal disregulation where I just cannot get my core temp up 24 hr before period starts. I'm cold generally, but this is different, to the bone cold. I dream of hot flashes.
2) excess prostaglandins last month. What a pain. Haven't had that since my early 20's when my doc put me on BC to regulate that.
3) 2 months before that, I had a freak 4lb bloat with back&ab pain. Didn't recognize myself in the mirror. It was so atypical for me, I went to GP after a week. Many tests. Clean bill of health. Big bill from radiologist. Embarrassed it was all about nothing (although metastasized liver cancer crossed my mind given pain location). Resolved upon ovulation.
4) I have charted since 2008--mean, mode, variance, standard deviation. Went from 28 days like clockwork to 26 day average with greater variance. Like Sued0, I'm bored with periods. Ready for this show to be over.
LAWoman, I feel you. Maybe a cup of holiday Sleigh Ride tea? I wish I had more to offer. (((hug)))
@ahoy_m8 Can you elaborate on excess prostaglandins? What are the symptoms of this? What did you do for it?0 -
I'll be 50 this month and except for ballooning fibroids, have no signs of approaching menopause. The fibroids cause very very heavy bleeding. Just found out I'm anemic again, rather than Low Normal I may take my GYN up on her offer of iron transfusions after my period.
When my estrogen levels go down after menopause the fibroids will shrink on their own. Because of my age, I've been trying to hold out for menopause rather than having a hysterectomy, which is my only surgical option at this point. Apparently there's an easy hysterectomy and a more difficult one, and because of the size of the fibroids the more difficult one is my only option.
Last time I was at the GYN my uterus was the size of a 20 week pregnancy. I've stopped trying to lose weight, as if I do I will look pregnant and would rather be perceived as overweight than pregnant. (I'm about 20-30 pounds from goal so not dangerously overweight. I've switched to maintenance level calories and am still logging and exercising.)
I take bio-identical progesterone and took Vitex for years, with no apparent benefit. Am still taking Black Cohosh with Dong Quai. I eat 2 T of ground flax seed per day. I meet my fiber goal most days. I don't consume animals products from animals that are given artificial growth hormone. I tried limiting saturated fat for a month or two and didn't see any benefit. I might try it for longer.4 -
This is killing me. I'm 47 and I've been irregular for about 2 years now, but for the past month it's kicked into high gear. The hot flashes are murder. They wake me up every darn time and then I can't get back to sleep. Part of the reason I wanted to lose weight was because I know that it's going to be a lot harder once I'm done, but man, I have no idea how to cope anymore.
I'm torn between wanting to have my period--because then usually the insomnia will stop and just wanting this to be done.
Not sure what to do these days. It's just way more brutal than I ever thought it would be.3
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