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[Patientone]

Never thought doing this could give me such peace of mind.

I know if I ovulated...if I didn't...  if a period is coming.. if it's not... if I'm spotting... if my estrogen is high... if my estrogen is low ...

These ups and downs of peri made my anxiety surge big time. I can't believe I am the only one out there that has found this gem to help me deal with the changes my body is going through.

Have you ever considered it?

[Machair]

I have been using this for several months and it has helped me so much. It takes the guesswork out of things and provides amazing support- especially good for ladies who are not on HRT, and who are trying to get through things without hormonal intervention. It has been my lifeline and I highly recommend it. There is a section on the forum devoted to perimenopause, which is brilliant because you can also understand what others are going through and study their charts and compare them with your own.

[Beester]

Er - embarrassing q but what is this all about??

[Bettyboo]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but quite interested in this as I'm trying to work out what is going on.

Can you explain or point me towards a good source to explain it.  The only thigs I could find were all about getting pregnant (heaven forbid!  )

Thanks

BB

[Maryjane]

I don't no much about it , but people with possible thyroid issues use it as a guide .

[dahliagirl]

There are lots of things about on the web, and you can get apps too these days.  A few years ago, there only seemed to be American sites where people were using natural family planning methods for religious and associated moral reasons.  It seems to be terribly fashionable again. 

  This has some useful info.  http://www.nfpta.org.uk/charts/

Basically you need to take your temperature each morning as soon as you wake and the same time if possible.  This is as close to your Basal Body Temperature and you can get (it changes with activity otherwise).  You need a good digital thermometer for easy use.

Add to this observations on mucus (see Billings method) and if you are really clever, you can add the position of your cervix 

It is also useful to have spaces for notes on other symptoms and also any meds you take.

I did this for about 18 months before I started HRT, then there was no point.  I even made spreadsheets 

[Tinkerbell]

And it is preferable to take your temp before getting out of bed.

[dangermouse]

I used the free Kindara app to plot mine but they are all over the place, no pattern of follicular and luteal phases so haven't continued this month. Will take the graph with me to specialist I'm seeing next week.

However, I could clearly see that when temps were low (think that's high oestrogen) I felt much worse and high (low oestrogen) I felt better.

[dahliagirl]

I found that if I had a 'cycle' that was anovular, then the temperature would go up and down like a zig zag and I was never sure I was taking it properly - I bought a new battery for the thermometer and it was just the same!  I would still get a bleed at about 3 weeks +/- several days. 

In a cycle where they might be some sort of ovulation, then the temperature would hold steady, then gradually rise following the time ovulation should have happened then collapse a week later.

As time went on, I had more nights where I failed to sleep, woke up at stupid o'clock, or crashed out and slept in so I couldn't rely on the temperatures being correct, and also, I could not predict periods (which were frequent) anyway.

It was interesting while it lasted.

[Bettyboo]

Thanks all.

And thanks Dangermouse. Yesterday I downloaded and set up the Kindara App and bought a thermometer, lol.

First impressions, I was really surprised at my low temperature. When I tested the thermometer (late evening) it was 36.1 c and then this morning in bed when I did the reading for the app it was 35.8.

Anyway, I will keep up with the experiment.

[Bettyboo]

Been doing this for a week now and it's always low. Highest was 36.1, usually it's 35.9. It's even 36.1 in the afternoon.

Do you think this is significant? Should I mention to Dr?

Dr Google seems to think it is thyroid related... or I suppose I could have bought a dodgy thermometer 

[BathJan]

Hi Bettyboo,

Don't know if you're still trying to figure this out, but just dropping a line in case you or anyone else is.

First thing to say it is perfectly normal for your temperature to be low from your period right up to ovulation (so two weeks in a classic menstrual cycle, but indefinitely long in a peri-menopausal cycle). The best source of advice I've found is www.nfpta.org.uk/tutorials/. There's a tutorial specific to the menopause.

I've found charting my cycle to be a brilliant help. I believe I'm peri-menopausal (loads of symptoms but not confirmed by FSH test), and charting helps me understand what is happening so I feel more in control. It also means my partner can see why I'm only interested in sex for a few days each month (though unfortunately that's when he has to use a condom ) but at least I do occasionally have a big desire; unlike when I was on the pill.

[Bettyboo]

Hi Jan

Thanks so much for this. I'd pretty much given up on trying to work out what is going on. The info on that site is very useful. I must get a new battery for the thermometer and give it another go. At the moment I'm keeping a sort of symptoms diary and looing back to prove to my wretched anxiety brain that I've had the symptoms before (various pains, adrenaline surges, panics - usual stuff, lol) and that they will pass. I am really hoping that 2017 is the final year of this. Best wishes BB

[BathJan]

Glad that link was helpful to you.

I get the adrenaline surges, anxiety and pains as well, along with massive changes in mood and unpleasant vaginal odour  I used to keep a diary of them all to help when I visited the doctor, but scribbling them at the bottom of my temperature chart makes it obvious pretty quickly that they correspond with various points in my cycle (initially I was amazed that I still had a cycle at all, and quite pleased). Basically my pains get worse towards ovulation and the anxiety is tonnes worse approaching and during my period. There are one or two blissful days around ovulation when for once I feel happy and don't smell! 

Hope you're getting the hang of the thermometer. It took me months to figure out that the last temperature reading is stored so now I can pop it in my gob while barely conscious then go back to sleep if it's a weekend.

[dahliagirl]

My temperatures came out low but I always fall in the middle of the reference range when I have had TSH/T4 done - there is some controversy over the meaning of test results but I think I should be ok.  I get cold if I stay still for long - need to keep moving - tiring 

I was always a bit disappointed that I never managed to pinpoint my cycles.  Waking up at 3am or not sleeping until 3am or later didn't help with accurate readings.  The other information was useful - if I ache I feel like I always ache, and if I don't I feel that it has all gone away and forget about it, so it is useful to have a proper record.