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[AG]

Hi All,

I have until last autumn had what I now realise a few mild peri menopause symptoms, probably for some years, but since I have been exercising regularly (and currently still try if possible) symptoms were mild by comparison to what I have been getting since earlier this year. I had a period in Jan and already hoped that this one was the last one but just now (more than 100 days later) I had another one, and in the build up to it my symptoms just got progressively worse. BP became erratic and high at times (monitoring it and small dose of lowering medication but it fluctuates with hormones). I also have often got insomnia, head aches, some mild dizzyness, a few bouts of anxiety I never had before and simply feeling exhausted and horrible most of the time. I am hoping that with a gap of more than 100 days between last two periods this recent one may be the final one, and things settling down after that. But I have no idea. Has anyone experienced any similar gaps, and is this an indication that peri is soon over?
What about the menopause year itself (1 year with no bleeding), are symptoms likely to dissipate?

Thanks, Anna

[dangermouse]

You are probably now having anovulatory cycles so will not be producing any progesterone (beyond what your adrenals make). Once your oestrogen levels also drop (although who knows when and how quickly) you will have a smaller ratio again between your hormones and things may calm down again. It's the bigger the gap between oestrogen and progesterone that apparently makes symptoms worse.

When women speak of ‘coming through' menopause this is what they mean but some prefer to smooth the path with HRT and some prefer to stay on it indefinitely as they find their symptoms don't calm down.

[Dancinggirl]

Hi AG and welcome to MM
You are experiencing very normal peri menopause symptoms and I'm afraid nobody can tell you how long the peri stage will last or how long symptoms continue into post menopause. Read up all the info on this site to get clued up and get back to us with questions.
HRT is an option but it is your decision whether you want to try it to see if it helps balance things for you.
DG x

[weathergirl]

Echoing what the other lovely ladies said above. Not sure what age you are, but my own peri went on for about 5 years - from about 44 or45 yo 50-51.

Started with erratic spaced out periods (more than 3 months between), then next year went to shorter, closer cycles, then went to heavy, flooding periods.

It was ALL over the place. I used to use natural family planning (NFP) so was used to taking basal body temp every morning. It was clear to me fairly quickly, that my progesterone had plummeted and was not being produced in a cyclical way, based on my morning temps, so any bleeding I had was annovulatory. 

Unfortunately as the ladies here say, there's no telling when your periods will finally end. This site has great info on all aspects of peri and meno!

[AG]

Hi All,

Thanks for your replies. I will see what happens in the next few weeks but generally if things keep going the way they are then HRT is the thing I will try. I just quietly hoping that I am near the end of peri as this would be an "easier" option with things then ideally slowly stabilising in terms of hormones but as you mentioned one does not really know.
Age currently 48y, noticed that I have had mild hot flushes and similar moderate symptoms for at least 4-5 years but as they were moderate up to now I did not really notice them much. Longer gaps between periods since mid last year

Anna

[Dorothy]

I'm now on year 8 of symptoms and still getting bleeds although erratic - a friend who started 4 years ago looks like she has now reached the menopause, although at our age, it has to be 2 years with no bleed, not one to be sure you are there. So really not possible to tell how long it will take!

[Letmein]

Hi Anna, I hope it's the real thing for you, but it wasn't for me. After 5 years of erratic periods, mine stopped for 4 months and I thought that was it. I was 47. Then suddenly, I had two normal-ish periods 23 days apart, and then nothing again for 3 months, when suddenly, I had the heaviest period I had ever had. This followed by periods every 2 weeks for a bout 2 months, which of course got me worried and back at the GP for test. For 5 months, I had periods every 2 to 3 weeks, but gradually became lighter and lighter to being only spotting for a day or so.

In February, I decided to try hrt as I felt awful (but no hot flushes or night sweat), so I have no idea where I'm at, but after 3 months on hrt, I decided it wasn't for me as didn't feel any better on it at all and the progesterone treatment was awful, so it's now a mystery as to where I'm at. I too really hope it can stop for good. I've been peri for 6 years now and the last 2 have been very tough.