Gaaah! That one scares me more that the impending hot flashes.
I fit the criteria for perimenopause. Wonky periods becoming closer together, heavier bleeding, more cramps, back pain, bite-the-bowl-off-spoons anger about a week before the period. My daughter’s now require a warning when the evil punctuation ™ is approaching.
Like LifeOnWry, most of my female relatives haven’t had their uterus much past the 36-38 range, so I don’t have a family average to go on. I’m 42. Just playing it by ear.
Looks like you’re not even close to being alone, Little Wing. That’s the only good news I’ve got.
teela brown, I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your mom, as well.
I just want to thank everyone again for posting their experiences as well as encouragement. I can’t say enough how grateful I am. It’s hard to be going through such changes and not have female friend (that’s gone through it) to talk with about it.
Now, I’m nervously waiting for the results of my pap smear. I doubt my doctor realizes how much she frightened me with her comments about the biopsy. That coupled with the fact that I don’t think any of you have mentioned having weird discharge like I have (and still have), has me really worried. It’s sounding more and more like an exception rather than the rule. I know, stop fretting, right? I’m trying. But at this point, I’d welcome my heavy periods again.
At 41.5, I’m having that, too. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night or be trying to go to sleep, and my heart will just pound for no reason, and I get the skipping beats thing, too - that does feel very weird. I have read that the heart palpitations are part of perimenopause, too.
I asked my doctor about some treatment for my perimenopause symptoms (my worst ones are the mood swings and low moods - like others have said, I can tell that these are hormonal in nature), and he thought 41 was too early for perimenopause. I think he might have mis-heard me, because perimenopause can last as long as 10 years, and menopause usually happens around 50 - I think I’m right on schedule. He suggested Black Cohosh, but I’m reading that it can cause severe liver damage. I’ve had some success with drinking lots of soy milk for the phytoestrogens, though, and I don’t think soy products have any side effects (except possibly the aftertaste ).
teela, If you are on bc pills, you can go through menopause and not know it, right? The pills will keep your period coming even so.
Its best to get your fsh levels tested often.
That is so, or at least the symptoms are lessened a great deal. I did have the fsh level tested about 8 months ago, and the verdict was that it was probable that I was beginning menopause.
A funny thing - these new BC pills with the slightly higher estrogen content have made my last two periods feel like they did when I was younger. I had tender breasts and nipples, as well as cramps - things which I have not felt for years. I had fun pretending that I was a younger woman!
featherlou, you have my sympathy for the heart irregularity stuff. It’s an alarming thing to feel. I did have good results from the giving up of alcohol, sugar and chocolate, and the taking of magnesium, as mentioned upthread.
Sorry Little Wing, I meant to respond to this part. I have bloody discharge for about a week before my period (OB/GYN says it coincides with ovulation) and then sporadically for the rest of the time. Major PITA, but my own pap came back clear and my doctor says it “can be normal for some women”. I was comforted health wise, but still, eeew.
).