Ladies Only Question - Perimenopause??

[Christine]

Okay, I'm 42 years old. In the last few years, my monthly cycle or basically just my period has not been the same as it has been earlier in my life. But these changes are really minor. Like instead of being 28-days like clockwork, I might be 28 days, then 31 days, then 28 days, then 29 days, then 34 days, and then 28 days for a long while.

Also, when I was younger, I would get PMS for a few HOURS. It has now stretched out to days. I will be really irritable for several days before my period and it is SUCH a relief when I finally get it.

So, this month, I'm apparently having one of those longer cycles. I am at day 31 and still no Aunt Flo visit. All the signs are there, in fact, I've even had some miniscule spotting for a day or two. The problem is is that I feel like I'm going to rip everyone's head off, I'm horribly fatigued, and I am wound so tight I feel that I am going to jump out of my skin, bust into tears, all of the above.

And, no, I am definitely not pregnant.

I know there is nothing to do to "help" this. Just wondered if anyone has "been there, done that." Right now, I'm so tense I feel like I need to go home.

 

[wheeler1]

Hi Christine,

I'll be 41 this summer and am just starting to notice what you have described. A friend of mine who is a bit older told me this was all perfectly normal for our age. And yes, I do believe it has to do with our waning fertility.

Just a thought though, thyroid issues are not so uncommon around our age as well. And I think the symptoms you are describing could be made worse by an underlying thyroid problem. Probably wouldnt hurt to mention all this to your Dr. on your next visit!

I, myself, just had an eye exam. Couldnt figure out for the life of me why I suddenly (it seems) cannot see anything close up! LOL....sigh, my age...all because of my age. Again, was told its perfectly normal....Bi-focals here I come....


Have a nice day!

 

[C.Ann]

Yup - "been there done that.." I went through menopause early (48) and although it's totally irrelevant to your original question, did you know that women who are left-handed typically go through menopause several years earlier than women who are right-handed?

Anyhoo.. Yes - I was very irregular - had very bad cramping - very cranky - had horrible night sweats - and my migraine headaches were more severe and lasted much, MUCH longer.. Then one month I didn't have a cycle and that was the end of that..

For a couple of years I was bothered with hot flashes but I chose not to go on HRT and took 800 units of Vitamin E every day instead.. Seemed to work for me because when I would forget to take it, sure enough, I would have hot flashes during the night..

But the best part? My migraine headaches became less and less frequent - less severe - and now I'm down to only a few a year..

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Are you my sister? I'm 45yo and also feel ready to jump out of my skin at times. My emotions are so on the edge and for one thing It's also not helping my marriage any. I've tried to explain this to my DH, but he acts like it's all bunk. He'll research everything else to excess, but as far as I know doesn't put any stock in this.

So I can't exactly offer you any advice, but just wanted to let you know that I'm in the same place, too.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

C.Ann, I'm hoping my migraines will improve when my cycles stop. That's the worst part of all this and frequent headaches do NOT help my mood! Did you get your migraines "just because" or did you just have a lot more migraine triggers? If I'm VERY careful about what I'm eating and drinking, when I'm eating, how overheated I'm getting, etc, etc I can avoid a lot of the migraines, but I now have so many triggers that it gets very discouraging and sometimes I just think, "screw it" and have a couple drinks, don't get enough sleep, etc, etc and really regret it. This was a bad week. But it was fun while it lasted--for those few hours.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I am 45, will be 46 in August and mine have shown no sign of stopping. I am so regular and have none of the symptoms that I have read here. I don't have hot flashes yet, or anything. My mother was 55 before she stopped all together so maybe I am going to follow that. About 3 years ago I didn't have a period for 2 months and thought that I was pregnant. At 42........, but I wasn't. Also no bifocals yet!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

Ugg. It stinks, doesn't it? I never really had bad "PMS", because my periods just stopped altogether, very quickly. But I was very irritable all the time for a few months there. I actually had great luck reducing that, and reducing hot flashes by using Progesterone cream, and I'm pretty sure it's supposed to help regulate periods, too. You can find it in health food stores. Talk to your doctor or someone knowledgable about natural remedies and see what they say. I tried a few different things (Evening Primrose Oil, Soy, Estroven, Remifemin) before I found what worked for me. Hang in there, it does get better!

 

[MAKmom]

I'm 43 & the same thing is going on with me. First is was a few days then it has streached to skipping months then back on course. I used to have 3 -4 days vists very easy. Now 7 days & heavy. Now I cheer again when I do get it. I think I'm still young!

 

[C.Ann]

C.Ann, I'm hoping my migraines will improve when my cycles stop. That's the worst part of all this and frequent headaches do NOT help my mood! Did you get your migraines "just because" or did you just have a lot more migraine triggers? If I'm VERY careful about what I'm eating and drinking, when I'm eating, how overheated I'm getting, etc, etc I can avoid a lot of the migraines, but I now have so many triggers that it gets very discouraging and sometimes I just think, "screw it" and have a couple drinks, don't get enough sleep, etc, etc and really regret it. This was a bad week. But it was fun while it lasted--for those few hours.

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Yes - I had triggers - and still do, so I avoid them like the plague - LOL.. But the ones associated with my cycles - oh - those were KILLERS! It would start the week before and last for 2 weeks after - so that gave me ONE pain-free week a month..

Now I don't know if this is connected or not, but I also used to suffer terribly from "weather-induced" migraines (fluctuations in the barometric pressure) and even those have become far and few between since I went through menopause..

Possibly some of your "triggers" will no longer be triggers after menopause..

I really feel for you because there were many a time I thought to myself, "It's a good thing we don't have guns in this house.." - because I would have put one to my head and pulled the trigger!!! Seriously!! Unless someone has suffered from really severe migraines, they have no idea how desperate you can get to find some sort of relief..

 

[Tigger&Belle]

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I really feel for you because there were many a time I thought to myself, "It's a good thing we don't have guns in this house.." - because I would have put one to my head and pulled the trigger!!! Seriously!! Unless someone has suffered from really severe migraines, they have no idea how desperate you can get to find some sort of relief..

I've said that SO many time. I think it scares my DH.

I have another question--before you had the increase in migraines due to perimenopause, did have have migraines (and triggers) then?

I had migraines from around puberty until I was a young adult. At that time I stopped having headaches when a dr told me giving up nitrites and nitrates might help the headaches. I don't know if it was giving up that meat or the hormones settling down (I think it was the nitrites/nitrates), but I only had one migraine after that until I was 39yo and started having some hormonal changes (progesterone dropped).

I'm under the care of a neurologist, but I'm thinking maybe an endocronologist would be the better dr if the headaches are due to hormonal problems.

 

[C.Ann]

I've said that SO many time. I think it scares my DH.

I have another question--before you had the increase in migraines due to perimenopause, did have have migraines (and triggers) then?

I had migraines from around puberty until I was a young adult. At that time I stopped having headaches when a dr told me giving up nitrites and nitrates might help the headaches. I don't know if it was giving up that meat or the hormones settling down (I think it was the nitrites/nitrates), but I only had one migraine after that until I was 39yo and started having some hormonal changes (progesterone dropped).

I'm under the care of a neurologist, but I'm thinking maybe an endocronologist would be the better dr if the headaches are due to hormonal problems.

--------------------------------

You know - now that you mention it, I didn't have migraines until I started the perimenopause stage (which I was told began around 35, in my case).. The migraines came first - for a number of years - then the severe cramping - then the irregularity - then the hot flashes.. It's really quite a lengthy process (from beginning to end) but until you're closer to the end, you don't get clobbered with EVERYTHING at once.. LOL

 

[Christine]

Just a thought though, thyroid issues are not so uncommon around our age as well. And I think the symptoms you are describing could be made worse by an underlying thyroid problem. Probably wouldnt hurt to mention all this to your Dr. on your next visit!

Funny you should mention this. I *do* have an underlying thyroid disorder--I DON'T HAVE ONE!! But, I am monitored fairly regularly and my TSH is always on the lower side of normal. I did wonder though because, just this week I started a new "bottle" of thyroid medicine and I do wonder if it might be more potent than the last. But honestly, I don't think one week on a "fresher" dose is going to disrupt me that quickly. But who knows. Don't see my thyroid doctor until April 19th so I won't know anything about it until then.

 

[Christine]

Tigger&Belle,

If it's any consolation, my mom has a co-worker that had very similar migraine experiences as you. As soon as she hit menopause, they completely stopped. Even the stuff that she thought were non-hormonal triggers--like certain foods, wine--didn't trigger her anymore. Very strange. My cousin (I think I told you about her) also has these problems. She is on her 3rd day of Topamax.

At any rate, I ended up getting a co-worker to drive me back to my car today and I've come home. The "jumping out of my skin" feeling got so bad that I just couldn't take it anymore. My stomach was in knots. Now that I'm home, I feel a *tad* bit better, but not completely so I know that it was situational anxiety or anything like that.

My mom didn't go through menopause until she was 55, but she had weird symptoms through most of her 40s.

This PMS thing just really gets me. It started this past Friday, but that was okay becaus that is normal (supposed to get my period on Monday or Tuesday). But the crabbiness and tension have gone on FAR TOO LONG now. Blech. I can't stand myself. Right now, I feel like laying on the couch and sobbing. Pitiful.

 

[mickeyboat]

Ladies -

I'm 35. Thanks for giving me so much to look forward to!

Denae

 

[KelNottAt]

Ladies -

I'm 35. Thanks for giving me so much to look forward to!

Denae

Me too. I'll be 42 in a few months. I had no idea it could start any time now.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Me too. I'll be 42 in a few months. I had no idea it could start any time now.

Oh, darn, I thought that you'd started the symptoms. Then I thought we could have a MD/VA DIS meet of hormonal women. That could be fun. We could have it at my house and my DH would never complain about just me again.

 

[cepmom]

Christine ~
I never thought of perimenopause before, but I have been having similar symptoms and I am only 36. It seems the past couple of years my period has been very irregular, sometimes 28 days, sometimes 32, sometimes 36 at one point it was something like 40 days. My PMS is horrible lately, my breasts hurt for 2 -3 weeks every month etc. I have an appointment on the 24th with a new OB/Gyn doctor...this is something I will need to bring up.

 

[PaulaSue]

bookmarkinig this....

I just had my yearly yesterday and the midwife was talking about this and my thyroid being checked to rule it out. I have had so many troubles since my youngest was born. My Mom 'lost' hers early and the midwife is thinking that is a possiblility with me too. I just turned 35. She has me starting on Primrose Oil and going for a bunch of blood work til next visit, in a few weeks. I wouldn't mind 'losing it' but I have to get a handle on the emotional moods, tiredness, hungry much more than usual, and the headaches.

 

[mickeyboat]

Oh, darn, I thought that you'd started the symptoms. Then I thought we could have a MD/VA DIS meet of hormonal women. That could be fun. We could have it at my house and my DH would never complain about just me again.

Oh yeah, right. Can I come? I can't think of anything more enjoyable than spending a day sitting in a room full of hot, ornery, crying Sybil's. Please turn up the A/C and pass the Excedrin.

Denae

P.S. I hope you all know I am just kidding. Feel free to tease me when I come on here to complain.

 

[Christine]

Christine ~
I never thought of perimenopause before, but I have been having similar symptoms and I am only 36. It seems the past couple of years my period has been very irregular, sometimes 28 days, sometimes 32, sometimes 36 at one point it was something like 40 days. My PMS is horrible lately, my breasts hurt for 2 -3 weeks every month etc. I have an appointment on the 24th with a new OB/Gyn doctor...this is something I will need to bring up.

Well, the most *unfortunate* thing about this is that perimenopause is just about impossible to diagnose. The hormone levels flucate so wildly that even though they might be in the normal range they are going all over the place. I talked to my GYN about this before and they won't even bother to test me until I've missed a few periods. The doctor said that, until that happens, the tests are too unreliable.