I'm 48 with several signs but still have periods

I have all the peri- menopausal symptoms for over 2 years now. The night sweats have subsided pretty much, thank God, but no sign of my period stopping, ugh. I heard peri-menopause can last up to 10 years. Anybody else have it for that long ?

Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I'm 47 and basically you.
    I've had:
    dizziness
    night sweats
    hot flashes
    migraines
    weight gain
    bloating
    insomnia
    etc
    etc
    all of which the doctor attributed to the early stages of menopause.
    I'm going on year 3 of some of these symptoms and still getting a period (sometimes).
  • I'm 47 and basically you.
    I've had:
    dizziness
    night sweats
    hot flashes
    migraines
    weight gain
    bloating
    insomnia
    etc
    etc
    all of which the doctor attributed to the early stages of menopause.
    I'm going on year 3 of some of these symptoms and still getting a period (sometimes).

    My breasts have gotten huge, I don't know what's up with that !!??
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I'm 47 and basically you.
    I've had:
    dizziness
    night sweats
    hot flashes
    migraines
    weight gain
    bloating
    insomnia
    etc
    etc
    all of which the doctor attributed to the early stages of menopause.
    I'm going on year 3 of some of these symptoms and still getting a period (sometimes).

    My breasts have gotten huge, I don't know what's up with that !!??
    Mine got bigger, and they hurt like hell!
  • stl_nana
    stl_nana Posts: 99 Member
    I'm 50 and 4 yrs so far for me. No more bleeding since ablation procedure but still suffering the other signs & symptoms
  • alvalaurie
    alvalaurie Posts: 369 Member
    I'm 45 and have all the signs but still a period too. Although I think I'm a little young yet to have them stop, I have had a few skipped months. Dr said it was normal.

    Side note - I wish my boobs would get bigger! That's the first positive side effect I've heard yet!!
  • joanthemom8
    joanthemom8 Posts: 375 Member
    I am 47 years old and started early menopause a couple of years ago! It's great not having periods anymore, but I'm struggling with everything else. I'm usig a bio hormone patch and creme and that helps alot.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    sigh,,,,, I WISH I WAS A GUY!!!! ha ha.
  • Frau6201
    Frau6201 Posts: 11 Member
    I'm 47 and basically you.
    I've had:
    dizziness
    night sweats
    hot flashes
    migraines
    weight gain
    bloating
    insomnia
    etc
    etc
    all of which the doctor attributed to the early stages of menopause.
    I'm going on year 3 of some of these symptoms and still getting a period (sometimes).
  • Frau6201
    Frau6201 Posts: 11 Member
    I'm 45 and doc confirmed in January 2012. I haven't had hot flashes or night sweats but running warm all the time, day and night. Insomnia, not quite but no longer needing 8 hours. Feels like I'm constantly bloated and irritated. Headaches, more so now. Periods are getting shorter, much lighter and farther between. Since last July, Its 45-65 days between periods, lasting 2 days, very spotty at best!
  • I'm 45 and doc confirmed in January 2012. I haven't had hot flashes or night sweats but running warm all the time, day and night. Insomnia, not quite but no longer needing 8 hours. Feels like I'm constantly bloated and irritated. Headaches, more so now. Periods are getting shorter, much lighter and farther between. Since last July, Its 45-65 days between periods, lasting 2 days, very spotty at best!

    I had the nightsweats for over a year, then they stopped, poof gone! Then my boobs started. I have only 2 weeks where they feel almost normal, then they start hurting like hell and they've gotten bigger. Not that I mind the bigger part, but they hurt all the time. My husband loves it - but I won't let him touch me cause they hurt so much. Give up one thing to get another. Just glorious !!
  • I'm 45 and have all the signs but still a period too. Although I think I'm a little young yet to have them stop, I have had a few skipped months. Dr said it was normal.

    Side note - I wish my boobs would get bigger! That's the first positive side effect I've heard yet!!

    I do like the new size, but hate that they hurt all the time. I need to buy new bras. Its just weird. Period had gotten real heavy and for longer. Now it's shorter and not as heavy, but still every month like clockwork.
  • s50s
    s50s Posts: 138 Member
    I am 51 and I don't think I ever had any hot flashed yet. I would get my period monthly but heavy. One month I had it for 3 weeks!! JOY JOY. December I skipped a month. !st time I can remember that so I am hoping, but I feel really bloated. Losing weight is alot harded. I have chocolate cravings that don't want to stop!!!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I'm 45 and doc confirmed in January 2012. I haven't had hot flashes or night sweats but running warm all the time, day and night. Insomnia, not quite but no longer needing 8 hours. Feels like I'm constantly bloated and irritated. Headaches, more so now. Periods are getting shorter, much lighter and farther between. Since last July, Its 45-65 days between periods, lasting 2 days, very spotty at best!
    I'd been warm for a couple of years. Now I'm using bio identical progesterone and I'm back to being freezing in the winter. It's the one thing I kinda liked...
  • alvalaurie
    alvalaurie Posts: 369 Member
    I am 51 and I don't think I ever had any hot flashed yet. I would get my period monthly but heavy. One month I had it for 3 weeks!! JOY JOY. December I skipped a month. !st time I can remember that so I am hoping, but I feel really bloated. Losing weight is alot harded. I have chocolate cravings that don't want to stop!!!

    I can relate to ALL of this! One month mine lasted 3 weeks also; it was light, but still there! Then I went almost 3 months without one last fall. I was estatic; surely this was it!! All of a sudden it came on with a vengeance. I actually had to take off work the first day & literally thought I was going to hemmorage to death. It was the worst period I've ever had; granted I know people suffer much worse EVERY single month, but I was used to my little 3 days all these years.

    Cravings, not so much, but I do want to eat everything in sight! Losing weight has almost become an impossibility & its very frustrating!

    Oh the joys of aging! :ohwell:
  • Knightmom51
    Knightmom51 Posts: 3 Member
    I'm also 48 and was told 3 years ago in March that I had a few years to go. At the time the only symptom I didn't have
    was missed periods. I am just now going thru 2 periods a month or a long time and then one. I've had most symptoms you have all listed. A lot of the symptoms I have had since I was 43. I am sleeping good again, but have anxiety, hot flashes and want to cry sometime for no reason. Oh....and get mad easy. I exercise every morning which really helps with the anxiety. I told my gyno that I felt like someone else was in my body. Unless you are a female and dealing with this you just don't get it! I have a male gynocologist. I am thinking its time to change.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I had my first symptoms at age 46-47. That was my cycle shifting around. I had always been exactly 27 days almost to the exact hour... but it started bouncing all over from 31 days to 22 days or anywhere in between.

    Then I went through a bout of about 3 months where my boobs hurt all the time, and I was moody and irritable with almost this physical buzzing going on in the back of my head. I thought I was going to go insane or kill someone, or both. Really out of character for me. That subsided and things went back to normal. Then a year later my cycle started weirdness again, having regular period and then spotting 2 weeks later..... or a very light regular cycle and then a full period 2 weeks later.

    About 3 months ago I started waking up really hot at night. And my last period it came two weeks late and it was the heaviest it has ever been. I'm 49 now, almost 50. Who knows what this month will bring.
  • kelcro40
    kelcro40 Posts: 115 Member
    I just turned 41 today. A bit early maybe for symptoms but I've had them all except night sweats. I will randomly feel hot and feverish during the day and my husband says I even feel like I have a fever but I don't. Periods are all messed up since May of last year which is also when the feverish stuff started. Luckily I haven't had much problem with it, though. Although the sore boobs, and other symptoms are coming and going. My mom said she went through it early so looks like I am following in her footsteps.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Happy birthday, welcome to the club!
  • toverfee39
    toverfee39 Posts: 6 Member
    Hi, I am new to this group and glad I found it. I will turn 50 in 2 weeks. I have had 3 periods in the past year but appear to be past the hot flashes and night sweats. My main problem is my weight at this moment. I have always been active and have had a normal weight. The past year I gained about 13 lbs without doing anything different. I decided 2 weeks ago to join mfp and have increased my walking slightly and have been keeping track of my food intake. I do eat the extra calories allowed from my walking. I have lost nothing so far. I have no idea what else today because I do not believe in starving myself. I have been thinking about maybe start running. Anyone else have had this experience?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Hi, I am new to this group and glad I found it. I will turn 50 in 2 weeks. I have had 3 periods in the past year but appear to be past the hot flashes and night sweats. My main problem is my weight at this moment. I have always been active and have had a normal weight. The past year I gained about 13 lbs without doing anything different. I decided 2 weeks ago to join mfp and have increased my walking slightly and have been keeping track of my food intake. I do eat the extra calories allowed from my walking. I have lost nothing so far. I have no idea what else today because I do not believe in starving myself. I have been thinking about maybe start running. Anyone else have had this experience?
    Lord yes. I noticed about 2 years ago that my weight was creeping up despite eating healthy and exercising. It's hard work to lose it these days. I started (again) running about a year ago. It's helped my mood if nothing else!
  • s50s
    s50s Posts: 138 Member
    The weight gain is driving me nuts!! I really stay on my plan and not dropping weight, then get bumbed and eat. The cycle drives me crazy!! Need to be more consistant with my exercise.
  • alvalaurie
    alvalaurie Posts: 369 Member
    Hi, I am new to this group and glad I found it. I will turn 50 in 2 weeks. I have had 3 periods in the past year but appear to be past the hot flashes and night sweats. My main problem is my weight at this moment. I have always been active and have had a normal weight. The past year I gained about 13 lbs without doing anything different. I decided 2 weeks ago to join mfp and have increased my walking slightly and have been keeping track of my food intake. I do eat the extra calories allowed from my walking. I have lost nothing so far. I have no idea what else today because I do not believe in starving myself. I have been thinking about maybe start running. Anyone else have had this experience?

    Yes, yes, yes! Only my weight has steadily increased. I lost a little last summer but it's all back & then some! I can't seem to stop eating & I can tell I've really slacked on my workouts b/c I just can't do what I did 2 years ago. It sucks! But I have confidence that one day WE WILL CONQUER this beast! Rawrrr!!!

    ETA - I forgot to mention not to be upset that you haven't lost anything yet. Give it time & stick with it. It takes a little longer than 2 weeks; especially since we're in that time of our lives! :grumble:
  • heiditracker
    heiditracker Posts: 18 Member
    I'm sorry to say, YES! I have been in the same boat since 2005. I will go 6 months with no cycle and the hot flashes when I'm not cycling and I went 8 months last year and thought I might finally be done but, no. And this latest stint has been the worst. I'm desperate for something to get rid of the hot flashes and it seems I'm running out of options. In the firat few years it seemed the Black Cohosh worked but not anymore. I actually went on low estrogen treatment but it gave me headaches and I am deathly afraid of having a stroke so I went off. I just scoured the internet recently and I read that drinking apple cider vinegar would help almost immediately but I've been drinking it for two days and I'm flashing as I type. I also read that Boron would help by balancing out your hormones and I couldn't find it in any of the stores so I just ordered it from Vitacost yesterday. I'm really anxious to try it. I have a friend I talked to a while back and she told me hers lasted 13 years! I really hope not.
  • toverfee39
    toverfee39 Posts: 6 Member
    Well, I haven't posted for about a week I think. I weight in on Monday and actually gained some weight. So frustrating! Obviously counting calories, and adding on the calories I gained from exercise does not work for me. There is no way I can live on 1200 calories a day so I feel stuck. The past few days I haven't even counted anything and eaten whatever I felt like which is bad because it includes cookies with my coffee. Walking might not be the healthiest as it will only get to - 24 (wind chill included) today and it looks like this weather will last for a few days at least a week. So I need to think about options. A friend of mine suggested eating carbs for breakfast and cutting them out for the rest of the day. Anyone out there done this? Alvalaurie, you mentioned that it will take longer then 2 weeks before noticing any weight loss, is this what happened to you and how long did it take for you to start noticing anything.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    @toverfee, I know it's not popular here, but the primary way I can lose weight (these days) is by going "slow carb". In other words: no sugar, no white rice, no white bread, and very few processed carbs (and no wine). And lots of cardio. Otherwise, I pretty much maintain or gain lol.

    Good luck! I know how frustrating it is.
  • sebuck
    sebuck Posts: 1
    I'm going through the very same thing. At 51, I'm through the worst of the peri-menopause symptoms: I'm sleeping through night again, no more hot flashes, mood swings, etc., but I now find it impossible to lose weight. I'm physically active (walking three to five times a week, spin classes two or three times a week, yoga once or twice a week), and have always had a healthy diet, stayed at my ideal weight for ten years after having children. And then, steadily over the last two years, I've put on 20 lbs. I did the new Weight Watchers program for 8 months and gained and lost the same two pounds over and over again. I've been using MFP religiously (I like it a lot more the WW), but I cannot lose weight. My doctor says its menopause. Can anyone offer advice on how they lost weight after menopause? Someone mentioned increased breast size, I've gone from an A to a C+ (luckily, no tenderness).
  • CarmenSRT
    CarmenSRT Posts: 843 Member
    For me (retrospectively, I'm post meno) there was about a year of perimenopause - intense hot flashes, night sweats and breast pain. My cycle had sped up over the years, going from 28 day cycles to 23 days but aside from that gradual change they stayed crampy and obnoxious and the same duration of bleeding.

    The last cycle was normal in July of the year I was 42. They just stopped cold dead. That was over 3 years ago. The doc ran the hormone tests to ensure it was really menopause. It is. Three plus years later the hot flashes are far fewer and far less intense. Same with night sweats. The rampant stupidity that everyone around me displayed to piss me off also died off. :laugh: My brain and memory has not come back online. At this point it looks like stupid will be my new normal.