Is It Over Yet? The Perimenopause Thread

I get them throughout the week before my periods start or are supposed to start.

I've broken down and purchased black cohosh ... but I haven't taken any yet. Still a little concerned about the side effects. However, it is my second to last resort for all these hot flashes and night sweats.

scarlet67 wrote: »

Check out the menopause doctor online. She is so good, she also replies to queries. I started HRT six months ago and am a completely different person..

I only wish.

Machka9 wrote: »

So excited ... I've actually skipped a period at last! First time in my life!

And I'm already late for the next one.

I'm not holding my breath that this is the end, but it is so nice to have this break!

Machka9 wrote: »

Machka9 wrote: »

So excited ... I've actually skipped a period at last! First time in my life!

And I'm already late for the next one.

I'm not holding my breath that this is the end, but it is so nice to have this break!

When I read about the shifts in your hot flashes (just now) I was going to say: the end is near!

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

try2again wrote: »

Machka9 wrote: »

Machka9 wrote: »

So excited ... I've actually skipped a period at last! First time in my life!

And I'm already late for the next one.

I'm not holding my breath that this is the end, but it is so nice to have this break!

Happy for you, @Machka9 !

Does anyone happen to know, or has their personal experience born out, if there tends to be a correlation between how a woman's cycle begins and how it ends? By that I mean, some girls' cycles begin suddenly & fairly regularly from the get-go (*raising hand*), and others (I've heard) start gradually and are somewhat erratic. I'm wondering if cycles that started suddenly are more likely to end suddenly, while others might have a longer transition?

In my own experience? No.
I started at 12, suddenly, one day. And had a fairly simple 24 day cycle for the next 37 or so years. Then they got far apart. And I got some weird symptoms (vertigo type thing). Then they were 24 days again. Then I got irritable for about a year (ha). Then the bleeds got really long (like, a month) and then they stopped altogether for 9 months. Then another short bleed.... and then so far nothing since. (knocks on wooden table).

Lol... sort of shoots that theory down!

Sumiblue wrote: »

I'm late 25 days. I've had terrible mood swings, anger, feeling blah for months. I wonder if I've been dealing with peri symptoms for some time. I haven't felt right for some time. I've had severe anixiety episodes lasting weeks in my 30s and in my 40s. At what point do doctors think of HRT? I'm already taking sertraline (Zoloft) but seems to not do much.

I feel your pain....

I have been doing the full physical testing rounds to make sure I am okay to start HRT. I've just had two periods on short (20 days and 18 days) cycles. My doctor still needs me to come in and talk before we move forward. I am moody (bitchy, really), exhausted, unable to focus, barely able to complete more than one major chore a night, and suffering writer's block (which is not good for a science writer). Still, she needs to talk even though I have been pushing for six months....

I've been following this thread, but haven't posted. I'm 53. I did not have a period for 6 months or so, and then I had one this past July. I personally didn't think anything of it, because I thought menopause was somewhat unpredictable. Apparently, not having a period for 6 months and then having one is a bit worrisome? I just had my yearly gyno exam and mentioned this to the nurse, and this is considered post menopausal bleeding, not a period. I was really quite surprised by this.

My doctor thinks there is little chance that this means anything serious, especially since I had breast tenderness, PMS symptoms, and the bleeding was a normal period type event. But he did a uterine biopsy (about as fun as it sounds), and I am scheduled for an ultrasound in late August.

I love my doctor, so if he wants to be cautious, I am all for it. But I wasn't expecting this at all.

Thanks for this thread.

Dnarules wrote: »

I've been following this thread, but haven't posted. I'm 53. I did not have a period for 6 months or so, and then I had one this past July. I personally didn't think anything of it, because I thought menopause was somewhat unpredictable. Apparently, not having a period for 6 months and then having one is a bit worrisome? I just had my yearly gyno exam and mentioned this to the nurse, and this is considered post menopausal bleeding, not a period. I was really quite surprised by this.

My doctor thinks there is little chance that this means anything serious, especially since I had breast tenderness, PMS symptoms, and the bleeding was a normal period type event. But he did a uterine biopsy (about as fun as it sounds), and I am scheduled for an ultrasound in late August.

I love my doctor, so if he wants to be cautious, I am all for it. But I wasn't expecting this at all.

Thanks for this thread.

I'm surprised this is considered post-menopausal bleeding, since I thought the threshold for menopause was going a year without a period. Really does sound like he is just using an abundance of caution. Hope all goes well

try2again wrote: »

Dnarules wrote: »

I've been following this thread, but haven't posted. I'm 53. I did not have a period for 6 months or so, and then I had one this past July. I personally didn't think anything of it, because I thought menopause was somewhat unpredictable. Apparently, not having a period for 6 months and then having one is a bit worrisome? I just had my yearly gyno exam and mentioned this to the nurse, and this is considered post menopausal bleeding, not a period. I was really quite surprised by this.

My doctor thinks there is little chance that this means anything serious, especially since I had breast tenderness, PMS symptoms, and the bleeding was a normal period type event. But he did a uterine biopsy (about as fun as it sounds), and I am scheduled for an ultrasound in late August.

I love my doctor, so if he wants to be cautious, I am all for it. But I wasn't expecting this at all.

Thanks for this thread.

I'm surprised this is considered post-menopausal bleeding, since I thought the threshold for menopause was going a year without a period. Really does sound like he is just using an abundance of caution. Hope all goes well

This is what I always thought. Oh well, I guess it will be nice to know there is no other issue. I have had a worrisome pap smear in the past, so maybe he is taking that into consideration.

labyars wrote: »

Crazy question - perfectly normal for this thread, right So, I've seen several mention acne. But, has anyone experienced HORRIBLE blistering lips? Nothing like a fever blister, more like the entire lip is swollen and blisters. Sometimes it is exactly the opposite & my lips are so dry that they look like a cracked desert. After trying every single OTC & homeopathic product, went to a Dr. who prescribed a compounded ointment that did okay. For the past year I have resorted to using only Vaseline -- no chapstick, no lipstick, very careful to even have toothpaste linger on the area. This has become almost as annoying as my unwelcome / unpredictable periods, Lol. Thanks in advance for any insight.

Don't know that it is specifically menopause related, but it sounds like the eczema I have gotten at times on my lips and other places. In the first phase, it is itchy & blisters, then turns very dry & cracked. I have definitely had more skin issues in general with the onset of peri-menopause.

TY so much for the info...I hate to be the bearer of bad news but in my case those "peri" days were nothing compared to the symptoms I have now, after 3 years without a period.

I have no idea if I am peri or not, but for the last few years, my moods have become dramatically more unstable, more irritable, I tired more easily as well and my periods got a lot heavier over those few years until 3 months ago when suddenly my cycle changed from being every 24-27 days to 21 days and my last one came after only 19 days and they have been lasting longer since this cycle change. I am 42.

I am only 34 years old but I feel like I am in hormone hell. I have had two children, normal healthy births. I suffered from post partum depression with both pretty bad. Ever since having my second child who is now 2, I have had about a week long cycle which usually started with a week of spotting prior. I go to a Womens Health Center that specializes in bio-identical hormones. They ran some tests and found that my testosterone was way under and progesterone was low. My estrogen was fine. I started Testosterone pellets and tried the progesterone but it was making me too tired.
I have now been on testosterone for about 8 months and I am also on microgestron birth control. I have migraines about twice a week, I spot daily sometimes heavier after exercise, I have night sweats, moody, low blood sugar, etc. My last pelvic exam was about 2 months ago which was normal and my obgyn said the spotting can be normal on birth control. I also mentioned it to my doctor who does my testosterone and she said at my age spotting is also normal....but everyday to the point where I need to always wear a tampon?? My progesterone is still low when they test me, but they said it varies during the month so not to worry about it. I really feel like something is not right because I am always bleeding. Can low progesterone cause this?

Just read most of this thread in one sitting. It's been great. I'm 53 and today is day 121 with no period. Last year I went for 94 days so I'm thrilled with this record breaker and hope this is it. For a solid two weeks before the last one "the girls" were so painfully tender, more than they'd ever been in my life. I remember thinking maybe this is how it ends I have a lot of coworkers who have fans blasting and get all red and sweaty. I think I'm getting "warm flashes" - I'll be sitting on the computer and suddenly notice I feel warm, but not like they are. I just had a few weeks where I woke up a lot, was sweaty and then five mins later was cold because the blanket was off. So, I'm cautiously optimistic that this is it.

And planning a party for next May