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[dahliagirl]

Hi - I was wondering if anyone had similar experience to me.

I have been on combined oral contraceptives most of my reproductive life (apart from coming off to get pregnant, and POP whilst breast feeding)

Last year, (age 49) I had to come off them as they will no longer prescribe them for people who have migraine with aura. 

Since then I have tried progesterone only pills unsuccessfully and started on vagifem after a gynae op because of recurring infection-like symptoms.

I had no periods for 5 months, but unfortunately they have come back and settled to appx every 3 weeks and vary from ok to a bit heavy (although nothing like those I had in pre-pill days). The frequent periods are a nuisance, and upset my vagifem regime - the shortest cycle has been 14 days.

I am puzzled about what is going on with my body.  Apart from the vaginal symptoms, I get attacks of painful aching joints occasionally.  I have no flushes, although bizarrely, night sweats were a way of life in my later years of pill-taking - now they are gone!

[Rowan]

Think its just your body going through its particular waxing and waning of hormones.

Your period every three weeks is probably because your own progesterone is falling causing the lining to come away early and heavier because you are still producing estrogen and still ovulating.

I remember at your age I sometimes had two periods a month, there can be a pattern of periods becoming closer together , starting to space out and coming perhaps every other month and then an even longer interval between periods.

Ovaries are suppressed while taking the contraceptive pill once you stop the ovaries can be erratic.

Every woman is different, this is all probably normal for you.

[Taz2]

I agree with Silverlady. What you are experiencing seems pretty normal for a 49/50 year old. Flushes tend to get worse as your periods get further apart or you may be lucky and not get any at all!

Just wanted to say that I still use Vagifem during a period and it still works. 

Taz x

[CLKD]

I agree.  Nuisance ain't it 

[andius]

During perimenopause when I had erratic periods, I knew I was going to have one because I got a lot of hot flashes right before, that was the only time.  I had VA pain when I had long times between periods, but as soon as one started, it went away.  No doctor ever offered me vagifem back then.


Andius

[dahliagirl]

I think you are right about the progesterone, Silverlady.  I have been charting since I came off the pill and never quite get a temperature rise after 'ovulation' - it just limps slowly up and then sags slowly down as I get a period, or just wobbles up and down, going nowhere, and I get a period anyway.  I don't get much indication that I will get a period - just a bit of tummy ache on the day, if I am being observant.

This month, I am getting sore breasts and sore hands etc in a big way.

I hope I don't start with hot flushes - 10+ years of waking to a soggy bed is enough for anyone and I have just got used to it not happening

[Limpy]

Dahliagirl - I always have had migraines (without aura) even before I was on the pill. I also used to get night sweats while taking the  pill (loestrin 20) these were during the pill free week. Also got vaginal dryness, pretty well any time. Was told by previous GP that was caused by the pill...........

I was told to come off pill at 54. Contraception was a nightmare, I didn't know I was menopausal, and didn't need contraception. I had a couple of FSH tests after stopping the pill, first was 103, second was 108, so have been told I am post menopause. I haven't had any full bleeds since stopping the pill, do I miss them? Hmm ....... NO

I still get migraines but perhaps less so.

[andius]

Limpy.....is the vag dryness better since you are off pill or worse with menopause?

It is pretty common to treat women in peri mento with bcp instead of cyclical Hrt in US... Seems like it is really the same though to me !

A

[Limpy]

Andius - Vag Dryness is much much worse in menopause than it was on pill, though it wasn't good then, always had to use lubricant.  Cystitus worse in meno too.

I see where you are coming from re bcp and HRT being similar. I asked about that and was told the levels of hormone in HRT are much lower than in the pill. What - even lower than a very low dose pill? I asked. Yes I was told - they didn't quite say go away and shut up, but I felt it was close   

[dahliagirl]

I started with vaginal dryness and itching in the last four years of taking the pill, along with withdrawal headaches in the off week.  The night sweats were at any time - although it appears you do not have to be low oestrogen to get them - just a fall in levels sets them off, especially if they are high.

If I do not take the vagifem, I get sore and swollen, with wet bleedy discharge and eventually it gets too uncomfortable to sit down.  And I wet my knickers all the time!  Why this should be so when my cycle oestrogen levels are apparently high, I have no idea.  I have also had my first experience of cystitis.

Unfortunately, I can see from the helpful comments above, and reading a paper about perimenopause http://edrv.endojournals.org/content/19/4/397.long#sec-7 this afternoon, I have a way to go before I am sure I am no longer fertile which is a bummer  because I did not get on with the progestogen only pills.  These seem to have less progestogen than HRT, which is interesting.