Hello,
New here. So, I am 40. I have been have increasingly short periods since I was 37. Before this, my periods were every 28 days, lasted five days long, I used about 7-8 "regular" sized tampons per day, and I had no PMS symptoms (I know that's lucky; I had these as a teenager, but after giving birth 16 years ago, they stopped). I also had severe ovulation pain each month that, as my periods decreased over three years from five to three to one days of light periods, and this pain worsened to the point that I could not get out of bed. I've had ovarian cysts in the past, one of which was grapefruit-sized and ruptured, and this felt like I had one of those every month. I did not go to the doctor because they were unconcerned and often credited my problems to "stress," encouraging me to take antidepressants when I was not stressed out or depressed.
For the past six months, I have stopped being able to exactly always tell when I have my period at all since I bleed more or less lightly all month -- not red blood, but brown thick blood -- I might stop bleeding for a week sometimes, and I might bleed more heavily on a particular day. This is accompanied by SERIOUS PMS symptoms that never go away, like extreme water retention which has caused me to gain ten pounds, extremely painful breasts and swelling, swelling around my eyes and face and belly, a complete loss of libido (it sounds gross to me to think about sex after no reason for this at all; I am happily married for a while), and some cramping that can be severe but then produces nothing more than a scanty thick brown blood. I'm barely using pads. Occasionally, I've had a day-long period that comes on thick and clotted in a big, big way, but it will go away in a day. Thus said, two days later, and it might come back.
It's completely crazy to me.
My medical history is a little hard to convey, but basically, I had thyroid cancer 27 years ago, had it removed, am in full-remission, and take a full replacement dose of thyroid hormone. I also had my gallbladder removed. I've had one child, but I've also had an addition five miscarriages :/ This was reportedly due to a "touchy cervix" but not sure what that means. He was born healthy. I've never been pregnant again despite using no birth control, but I think my spouse may be infertile since I used to get pregnant easily.
My health history is fine: I am 5' 2", Jewish, 40 years old, 113 lbs (I used to be much skinnier, like naturally ballerina thin without dieting), no formal exercise but I work on my feet during the week, I drink plenty of water, do not smoke or take drugs, have one glass of white wine per day, and do not eat red meat. I mainly drink herbal tea and eat yogurt and fruits and vegetables. Sometimes I eat sushi as well. I am pretty stress-free in that I am my own boss.
I went to the gynecologist three years ago at the start of this and was very dismissed.
I went again today, and she heard me and took some blood work and ordered an ultrasound for next week to rule out fibroids. She wants to also rule out endometrial something and cancers. One involves a test that is too painful, so she wants to check everything out first. She thought I may be in perimenopause.
I feel too young to be in perimenopause, and also, don't you have hot flashes? I have not had those? If it is perimenopause, how can you treat it without side effects (medication, like the pill, give me unacceptable side affects, like vomiting every day).
I called my mother, and she said she only had her periods get lighter. She had hot flashes. Concentration problems. But no extra PMS like I am having almost the entire month now.
Has anyone had perimenopause with these kinds of symptoms. My bloodwork will be in next week, and a pelvic ultrasound as well, but the doctor said she did not anticipate finding anything this way since hormones fluctuate so much in pre-menopause. She said she might try me on progesterone, and I'm nervous it will make me vomit like the pill has.
Thanks so much for your thoughts!
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Topic: Doctor isn't sure what's wrong with me: says maybe peri-menopause? (Read 12088 times)