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[Amandajane46]

Before peri my cycle was every 28 days then all went haywire during peri and was every 2 weeks 12 / 14 days for 7/9 days with clots now they are every 33 / 36 and about 7/8 days with clots and feeling a lot better with symptoms still on evorol 50 patches . I hope I'm nearing the end after 5 years can anyone relate ?

[CLKD]

My periods became intermittent over about 3/4 years ………… then stopped.  It was 5 years before I stopped carrying sanitary protection when on holiday!

[traceymack]

Like yourself my periods suddenly started coming every two weeks, and were very heavy. I remember having to stop off at my sister's to borrow a pair of pants because I'd flooded right through to my car seat! Then they suddenly changed to being six weeks, seven weeks, two months, and then the odd one back at four weeks. Now I never know when they are coming, because the sore boobs, bloating and bad moods which normally served as a warning can come at any time too.

I'm just starting on HRT, and am hoping that this will make things a bit more predictable! At the moment every day is a 'period pants' day  x

[Sarai]

I'm super confused by all these changes. My last 'big' period was February, then March some odd days of light spotting, who knows, young male doc had panic because it wasn't my 'normal'. Then nothing at all until June, a few spots now today what seems to be a light period. The dates don't give me a clue if it ovulation time or period time. But I felt seriously pre mentrstral and boobs hurt like when I was pregnant.
Thing is, if you have a very light period after months of nothing do you start the 12 months again, for the all important (bleeding after 12 months calculation)??

[Dancinggirl]

Saria - this is the problem with being peri meno - we simply don't know what to expect.
I've forgotten how old you are? If you are over 53-54 then you are very likely to be nearing the end of your periods - the average age for menopause is 53 I think.  The 12 month calculation applies if you are below 53-54 years old and completely period free over those 12 months. Also a blood test could show what your oestrogen and FSH levels were, so could help to determine whether you are truly post meno. Some women are still getting periods into their late 50s.
DG xx

[Amandajane46]

Great I'm only 46 n been going peri for 5 years Does this mean I have another 7 years of hell ?

[Dancinggirl]

Amandajane46
I think many women find their meno symptoms settle within a couple of years after their periods stop.  Nobody can tell us what meno symptoms each of us will suffer with, the severity of any of these symptoms or when they will stop. Up to 50% of women have few symptoms and sail through the meno.
If you have been peri meno for 5 years then you may be getting close to post meno - have you had any blood tests? I do hope your GP will discuss the option of HRT for you - being oestrogen deficient before the age of 50 can have long term health consequences. HRT is there to help us through menopause unless you have health issues that prevent the use of HRT. Don't expect that the worse though.  DG x

[Amandajane46]

Hi I've been on hrt since November about 8months x

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Amanda46
I hope the HRT is helping.  5 years of HRt in our 50s is known to help with bone density and protect the heart in the longer term. Provided you stay healthy, there is no reason why you need to come off HRT.  I am 59 and have reduced my dosage right down but hope to stay on HRT for a few years yet or at least until I have to retire at 66/67. I don't think they should expect us to suffer without support. Too many GPs just prescribe ADs/SRRIs for meno symptoms, often with no real benefit, and these can bring side effects - I also worry about how dependant one can get on ADs and whether there are dangers around long term use!!???  DG x

[Sarai]

Well I don't know why I bothered asking about calculating, my hopefully light show turned out to be a full on period. So back to the beginning again for me. So disappointing I can tell you. The thought of more than a year more of this is horrendous, the mood swings are the worst. Mind you today now period is over I'm completely out of energy and feel like a jelly. Yet yesterday I had a pretty good day mood wise. So odd

[Hurdity]

You have to count 12 months since last period before saying you are "most likely" post-menopausal whatever age! This is the time since last period, beyond which any bleeding means you are automatically referred for urgent investigation. This is to rule out cancer. Of course there are some women who will continue to have the occasional period more than 12 months after the previous one - but the 12 month rule is set so as not to exclude any pathological reasons for bleeding ie cancer. The younger you are though, possilbe the more likely that you will have the odd extra bleed.

Here is the info on this site about average age of menopause (51) and the age at which the majority of women will have passed menopause (54)

 Menopause - when?

The average age of the natural menopause is 51 years, but can occur much earlier or later. Menopause occurring before the age of 45 is called early menopause and before the age of 40 is premature menopause.

Generally, women having an early or premature menopause are advised to take HRT until approximately the average age of the menopause, for both symptom control and bone protective effect.

Late menopause may also occur but by the age of 54, 80% of women will have stopped having periods.

http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/menopause.php

I can't remember how old you are? Anyway it's a good sign - it means you still have oestrogen  and it hasn't begun its final descent (which happens for approx two years following the last period). I presume you are not on HRT as yet?

Hopefully your energy will improve as (if?) oestrogen starts to rise again

Hurdity x

[Sarai]

Hurdity the only reason I'm fed up is I believe the hormones are seriously impacting my tinnitus, so after a 4 month break I was simply wishing time away in the hope of getting away from the tinnitus spikes. I know the reason for the 12 month rule. I'm just so sad to realise I gave at least another 12 months of hell and maybe more.
I am 53 and a half and no not on HRT. To be honest I could cope with all my symptoms without the crazy gas leak I walk around with.

[Mary1962]

Just shows how totally different everyone's experience is of perimenopause! For last 3.5 years since peri kicked in this has been me:

Going along as normal with period of 5 days every 4 weeks but nothing awful, just a bit heavy day 1-2
Then get an 8 week gap, feel vile with anxiety, big boobs.
Then get one horrendous period of heavy bleeding and clots that lasts 2-3 weeks
Then cycle settles back into normal periods of every 4 weeks again for about 9-12 months
Then the pattern starts again...this time period every 8 weeks and they went from 10 days in length to 3 weeks...
(GP and hospital check at this point with ultrasound, hysteroscopy and biopsies to check all OK - all well)
Back into normal periods again but this time 6 weeks apart but back just to 5 days of nothing too awful for about a year again...
Then 8 week gap again...and hey presto..
Just having a 4 week long one of heavy bleeding/clots again 

My system seems to do these big drop downs/ups(?) of hormones I think which leads to this pattern as I can sense during those 8 week gaps hormones fannying about again.

How many more years this may go on I don't know...52 and a half and no HRT but had very low ferritin and for first time recently tipping into anaemia - there's a surprise!

[Katejo]

You have to count 12 months since last period before saying you are "most likely" post-menopausal whatever age! This is the time since last period, beyond which any bleeding means you are automatically referred for urgent investigation. This is to rule out cancer. Of course there are some women who will continue to have the occasional period more than 12 months after the previous one - but the 12 month rule is set so as not to exclude any pathological reasons for bleeding ie cancer. The younger you are though, possilbe the more likely that you will have the odd extra bleed.

Here is the info on this site about average age of menopause (51) and the age at which the majority of women will have passed menopause (54)

 Menopause - when?

My periods became much lighter about 8 years ago. They then became less frequent. At the end i had a couple with gaps of 8-9 months between them. I am now 52 and my last one was in February 2014

The average age of the natural menopause is 51 years, but can occur much earlier or later. Menopause occurring before the age of 45 is called early menopause and before the age of 40 is premature menopause.

Generally, women having an early or premature menopause are advised to take HRT until approximately the average age of the menopause, for both symptom control and bone protective effect.

Late menopause may also occur but by the age of 54, 80% of women will have stopped having periods.

http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/menopause.php

I can't remember how old you are? Anyway it's a good sign - it means you still have oestrogen  and it hasn't begun its final descent (which happens for approx two years following the last period). I presume you are not on HRT as yet?

Hopefully your energy will improve as (if?) oestrogen starts to rise again

Hurdity x

[Sarai]

Mine are impossible to follow, 3 weeks ago I had a totally normal period after a 4 month gap, my longest gap yet. Who knows what the future holds. I'm 53 and pretty much sick of now.