Start of the memopuase!

[Gateau]

Hi there,
I wonder if anyone has experienced similiar? I used to have very regular, relatively trouble-free periods until last year. Then they started to appear seemingly when they felt like it and I completely lost track of when they were on the way; they varied in that they could be quite heavy or else quite scant.
Since the back end of last year I have missed two or three (I don't even know how many exactly as I was so irregular!), although I do still get PMT symptoms and quite often the clear, muscus discharge. Yes, I l know I need to take a pregnancy test as there a very slight chance I could be pregnant but I am pretty sure I'm not. Does anyone else have experience of this? Do you think this might be the start of the menopause?

[Gateau]

Obviously that is supposed to read start of the MENOPAUSE!

[Papergirl1968]

Yes, sounds very similar to me. My periods went haywire about a year ago - was 46 then, which I thought was young but reading up on it the peri menopause can last up to ten years before periods completely stop!
Never know when they are coming now. They can be very light, but I've had a couple of heavy ones with clots that lasted about six weeks, then a break of a few days, then it started again. The long, heavy ones make me feel tired. I used to have quite bad period pain, but since the peri menopause started, I have very little pain. All clouds have a silver lining, eh!

[Gateau]

Thank you Papergirl. You have alleviated my concerns a little. Obviously there is that little niggle that I could actually be pregnant but I am too scared to do a test! I really, really hope not. I think I would have had at least some symptoms, though, wouldn't I? I've also lost a couple of stones in weight(healthily) over the past year and upped my running so maybe that is something to do with it.....

[Papergirl1968]

Take a test and out your mind at rest!
The uncertainty is the worst. It makes planning for anything very difficult. And sometimes I'm having a very light period when suddenly, for a couple of hours, it will get very heavy. This week I leaked all over a pair of jeans - thankfully dark denim and I was home anyway. A few months ago I bled all over a friend's cream leather sofa! I need to buy shares in a sanitary towel company!
Well done on the weight loss. You might need to look at getting some menopause tablets (added calcium?) if you do a lot of running, to help prevent osteoporosis.