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[Katemate84]

Hi all

Not sure if I have come to the right place or not to post this but just wanted to talk with people who may be going through similar as I’m feeling very down and low.

Im 40, soon to be 41 and have suddenly become not as regular on my period as I used to be. I used to be regular as clockwork and then I’ve gone to day 38 and still nothing and suddenly today, a very light bleed. Im also experiencing very sad bouts of being upset, waking up feeling flushed, sometimes my sleep is disturbed and then I also feel like I have joint pain in knees. Can anyone else relate? Am I too young for perimenopause?

Thanks for reading

[CLKD]

Hormones!       my periods waxed and waned for several years B4 stopping completely.  Some find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use to chart progress.

As oestrogen levels drop muscles may become lax = aches and pains.  As well as the body becoming dry: inside and out; deep in the ears, vagina, nostrils, skin ........ browse round. Make notes.

Some GPs would consider that you are 'too young' for perimenopause but they would be wrong.  Many still believe that a woman loses her periods and has hot flushes. Wrong again.  Peri is those years when we begin to notice alterations in cycles, mood swings, dryness inside and out: sometimes women find that they can no longer tolerate alcohol and have to alter their diets 

It's The Change. Does what it says on the tin!

Let us know how you get on.  Ask away! 

[Katemate84]

Thanks for taking the time to talk with me.

I suffer from health anxiety so go to the worst case scenario and always think something sinister is wrong but I’ve done a lot of perimenopause research this past week and am trying to fit the pieces of the puzzles together

[CLKD]

Health anxiety may increase during perimenopause: we are older; some are dealing with elderly relatives, teens, jobs etc. which will raise anxiety levels anyway.  How were your moods during your menstruating years?

I would sob the night B4 a bleed even when a period wasn't due: next morning, there is was.  I would cope all month round until those few days prior to a period, then rage for England  .  Once the period began, all was calm.  Until the next month.

Sleep can become problematic : flushing, hot or cold.  Itchy skin [due to dropping oestrogen levels]; I do wonder whether global warming is contributing as we don't seem to have regular seasons so have to put up with weather changes too. 

Get that diary started to chart progress. 

What's the worst that could happen? 

[Katemate84]

Yea you’re right thanks. I had a real melt down the other day, finding every conversation I have sad and just feeling really sorry for myself. My brother got engaged the other day and all week my family have even ecstatic about it but here I am wondering if I’ll make the wedding because I may be going through some sort of cervical or ovarian cancer trauma but then I spoke with my sister and she told me to think logically and that’s when I tried to calm down. I have managed to go to work all week so that’s a bonus

[bombsh3ll]

Your symptoms are typical of perimenopause and certainly not how either cervical or ovarian cancer present (although making sure your cervical screening is up to date is never a bad thing).

Whilst mood, musculoskeletal and menstrual symptoms are common in perimenopause, suffering is optional given the range of effective treatment available, so don't feel that you just have to put up with it.

I have chosen to bypass peri and menopause completely by taking the combined pill continuously so I don't bleed at all or have any hormonal ups and downs.

This can be helpful if bleeding is triggering health anxiety for you. Long term pill use also significantly reduces risk of ovarian, endometrial and colorectal cancers.