Perimenopause....

[Sidlynn]

I'm 35 and at my last appt a few months ago I discussed some changes with my doctor - shorter and irregular cycles (22-29 days, most often on the shorter end of the scale UNLESS I hope to have a short cycle in which case my body holds out as long as possible to inconvenience me), recently bled heavily a few days longer than usual, noticing clots now, and my ANGER! She used the phrase "decreasing fertility" which I took to mean pre-perimenopause. Anyway, the only thing I really came away with was the suggestion that I take B6 which might help with the anger (something to do about fluid retention and swelling brains...yeah, I don't know either). Anyway, that was about 3 months ago and the last 2 months the ANGER was still there about a week before my period. This month, I asked DH if I had been angry and he said "no more than usual" (thanks, hon). I was strangely pleased to tell him that instead of the ANGER this time around I just had sadness. Heh, the things that make me happy, right?
Thanks for the posts - appreciate reading about the experiences of others.

[Michelle Easton]

Nothing to add here but want to thank you for this thread. I'm 49 and haven't had any changes -- things are much the same as they were in my 30's but the cycles don't last quite as long. This summer, I was surprised to learn that my 46-year-old and 48-year-old sisters both went through menopause last year. They experienced changes long before that .. Because their experience has been so different from mine, I began to wonder if something was wrong with me until I read these responses.

I have noticed a proneness to weight gain just this summer. I'm starting to see that I can't get away with my usual inattentiveness anymore.

[MARIKA]

I'm 46 and though my cycle has not changed, I have this rage with in me the laste few months that is not normal. If a dr. told me to take B6 I would give my Aerobox moves

[athompson10]

I'm 47 and my symptoms started two years ago. My long-dormant uterine fibroids grew rapidly and now give me terrible PMS cramps, bloating and pain a week before my period. Since fibroids are supposed to shrink once you go through menopause, I'm delaying surgical intervention, but sometimes I question that decision.

In the last year, my period has also gotten very irregular. I take birth-control pills, so I should menstruate during the 4-5 days of my placebo/inactive pills, but two months out of three I have no bleeding at all, even though I still have full-blown PMS.

I've also had a lot of trouble with my weight. I gain very, very easily and it's very hard to lose, even with clean eating and exercise that worked well in my 30s and early 40s.

[juberann]

I just turned 48 last month and I believe I started peri at around 45. Like so many others, my periods became very irregular and when I do have them (to this day) they are incredibly heavy, so heavy that it scared me for awhile. The worst part are the mood swings, right before my period (and nowadays I don't know when that will be, difficult because I was always like clockwork when I was younger) there is a short time period where I honestly, sincerely cannot think of one good thing about my life, nothing I refuse to take hormones or antidepressants at this time so I just suffer through it. It helps when I acknowledge what is going on and remind myself it will only last a day or two at the most but those days are SO hard on me and my family.
I personally can't wait until my periods stop, I don't have hot flashes yet but sleeping and losing weight are way more difficult nowadays. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I slept for a solid 8 hours without waking up, it's been at least 5 years if not longer.
While I hate to hear others experiencing wicked peri symptoms, I am relieved to know that I'm not alone in this transition

[melzie]

I am so happy someone put anger on the board. I was afraid I was just becoming a grumpy old lady and will stay that way. I am only 45!

Peri started at 40. It scared me a bit as I have not done any research about it, and at the time had never talked about it.

I started writing little "p"s on the calendar for all the days I was menstruating. Still am. It was more days on than off. I might get a week off per month. It has slowed a bit with just some spotting in between recently. They are extremely heavy and severe cramps in abdomen and thighs, knees. I never really had cramps when I was younger and was regular, always the same time of month, always the same amount of days.

Anger, depression, anxiety, general grumpiness are the moods at this stage. I don't know if that changes, still haven't done any research! Memory loss, but that could just be age. Dry mouth at times that leads to really bad breath during the times of menstruation, and I can know smell menstruation if that makes any sense, that may have something to do with the sweating and oily skin, IDK, but I take 2 or more showers a day when that happens.

Night sweats are bad. Have to get up, towel down, change nightgown. Yuck. Along with zits and oily skin in the T zone, eye makeup melts off.

Weight gain out of no where. I was walking to the bathroom one night, my nightgown was sticking to my hip. I wondered why I had static cling. Well, it was not static cling, I had grown what I call "hip shelves"! So, back to tall box presses, squats and lunges all the time.

A question, did anyone start needing to wear liners b/c of what seems to be leakage? I am hoping this is not permanent, but am looking into some luna pads, momma pads, whatever you want to call them, reasonable on etsy, but haven't decided if that would cause any other "moist area" issues or not.

We make this sound like so much fun don't we?!

[susan p]

TUGGER, just so ya know, that was a typo in my first post. I didn't start with perimenopausal stuff at "32 to 45" --it was FORTY-TWO to 45.

I corrected my post but why would anyone go back and re-read it?? So I just wanted to clarify.

[Jeanne Marie]

My only symptoms were night sweats a time or two, but not very many and not for very long -- and some insomnia. My periods started getting irregular at about age 53. I had my last period 18 months ago and I'm 55.

I have been very lucky. I have seen virtually no symtoms other than the fact that my period is gone. Yay! I have attributed it to my exercising and healthy life style, but so many of you here do the same, yet have still had some major issues. I really think a lot of what you experience is luck of the draw.

[Lorianne]

(another TMI alert)
my symptoms started around 46. up until then, never noticed anything different now at 49, like others I have very irregulars periods. & very heavy also. which never had before. it's anyone's wonder, when my period will start, just arrives whenever.
painful cramps. blood clotting.
discharge is different. never had this problem my entire life. (won't go into the gory details) - will leave that to your imagination. just putting it out there, for all the googling I did on perimenopause, I wanted to find as much as I could out there, to make sure I'm normal.
mood swings. for awhile, I seemed angry alot. quite sensitive at times.
night sweats. harder to keep weight off.
sleep problems now. (falling, staying asleep, etc.)
thanks for starting this post, it's reassuring to read everyone else's posts & see that we all have alot of common issues.

[SpiritSong]

Age 36 and I believe the hot flashes were first. My periods were never all that regular, so who knows when that nonsense started. Gained about 30 lbs. in five years.