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[GypsyRoseLee]

Early menopause runs in my family. My cousins were 29 (!!) and 43, and my Aunt was 38. I don't know how old my Mum was because she had a hysterectomy at 42, so had a surgical menopause. But she clearly remembers suffering intense anxiety and mood swings from being 38, so it's likely that she would probably have had an early menopause too.

I started with the anxiety/mood swings and much lighter periods 18 months ago when I had just turned 43, so safe to say I was peri menopausal.

But now I'm on sequi HRT, and so of course won't know when my periods actually stop naturally - but I would hazard it 'would' certainly have been quite soon going on my family history?

Obviously if my periods were to stop maturally in the next year or so, I would need HRT to protect my bones and heart etc. But, once they have stopped I know you can take conti HRT and not have to bother with a withdrawl bleed.

But how will I know? Will I have to just pick a random time in the next year or so to stop HRT and see if I have any periods?

[Taz2]

Yes - that's the usual way. If you come off HRT and don't have a period for a year after then you can consider yourself post menopausal. Of course you may have to put up with the meno side effects while you're waiting...

Taz x

[Grumpymum]

I recently had a blood test and the GP said they showed my own hormones had plummeted and so we could assume I was out of peri and into menopause. Although I appreciate there may be rises and falls in your own hormones so I assume they would want more than one blood reading to be sure. I expect someone knowledgeable will be along with a more definitive answer.

[Taz2]

Although blood tests may be offered - once HRT is out of your system - they are unreliable and the only real way to tell whether you are post menopausal is to come off HRT and wait to see if you have a period. If you are older, around 53ish, then it can be assumed that you are post meno and usually conti HRT can then be prescribed.

Taz x

[Hurdity]

GypsyRoseLess - If you don't want to stop HRT as Taz suggests, then you will have to persuade the dcotor to let you go onto continuous combined HRT (if this is what you want to do) for a trial period of time - maybe guess the age you might have been - and see if you stop bleeding. It doesn't actually do any harm but it does not give control of bleeding if you are still having some sort of cycle so bleeding and spotting can occur unpredictably. Also personally I wouldn't want to take progesterone continuously because of its sedative (and depressing) effect, and interference with the beneficial effects of oestrogen. However some women can tolerate this pretty well on a continuous basis without too many of the downsides.

Hurdity x

[GypsyRoseLee]

Thanks Hurdity and Taz 

I know whenever I post that I will always get such good advice. I wouldn't necessarily want to start on a conti regime, but it would be 'nice' to know if I was genuinely menopausal or not.

I knew that progesterone could have a sedating affect, but I didn't realise it could also have a depressive affect too? I started my 2nd course of Utro on Friday, having delayed it by 2 weeks because of the holiday. I felt incredibly low yesterday, one of the worst lows I can remember. Also, the first time I took Utro I felt extremely low for the first day or two, then I felt fine again, albeit more tired than usual.

Wondering now if there's a connection? I had assumed my extreme low mood yesterday was a culmination of not properly absorbing oestrogen for the previous week (see my thread about my spray tan interfering with the patches maybe).

But it sounds like it could be bad timing. Poor oestrogen absorption for a week followed by then starting the Utro? What do you think?

[Taz2]

Progesterone always makes me feel low but it's something I got used to throughout my fertile life.

Taz x

[Nina]

I take utrogestan every night and it suits me very well. I haven't had a bleed actually since I started aprox 3 months ago. I started taking utrogestan 12 days and I felt great on it but hated the dips after stopping so changed to days 1-25. Still had a slight dip so now take every day and love it.

I'm 43 and use oestrogel 2-3 pumps.

i don't know if I'll get another bleed or not but at the moment it doesn't bother me

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hi Nina

So far I have only experienced one full 12 day stint on Utro followed by a withdrawl bleed, because last month I delayed my Utro for 2 weeks as I was going on holiday. I started taking it 5 days ago.

But on that first stint on Utro I felt dreadful the first 2 days taking it, but I think I had worked myself into an anxiety-paddy just at the thought of taking it anyway  But I persevered and by day 4 I realised I was actually perfectly fine and hadn't died some sort of horrible 'death by Utrogestan' 

For the next week I felt absolutely fine on it, and even for the 4 days after stopping taking it. But my mood did really slump when my withdrawl bleed arrived and I felt low and anxious for about 4 days.

I don't know what will happen this time, when my withdrawl bleed arrives? I'm on a higher dose of patch this time so not sure if that will lessen any anxiety/low mood I might get during withdrawl?

I wonder why you haven't had a withdrawl bleed? Were you still having periods before you started HRT?

[Suzi Q]

I know nothing about HRT but was told by GP under 50 2 years of no periods post meno
Under 50 they said you may still get preggers OUCH
Over 50 1 year no periods I tool n chances

[Nina]

Yes I did but they were light and erratic. I guess I'd have to stop hrt and see if I get a period but I dont fancy that at all!!!