Can anyone talk to me about period cycle length in perimenopause

[Cinammoncake]

Firstly, thanks for looking at the thread, I know it's not the most thrilling subject
I reckon I've been in perimenopause around 5 years. Periods cycles have been varied but within around 24-30 days for most of that, past year or so it's gone even more erratic, so now eg. 31 days one month, 21 days the next. Periods went from ultra heavy and lasting ages to now shorter and maybe only heavy the first day or two.

Hot flushes have ramped up and probably mood swings no waistline, dry hair, all the usual suspects, but not so bad that I want HRT just yet.

Question is, do we think it's likely to be years before my periods stop? I thought the cycles were getting further apart and that was a good sign, but now a random one of the bastards is here about 20 days since the last one.
Help oh wise ones

Sounds very peri, I had my last period just before I was 52, they started playing up from age of 42, although I had never been that regular, 23/35 day cycles.At the age of 50 I had nearly a year of bang on 28 days
Cycles, never in my life had I been like that. The year before they finally gave up they were all over the place, some heavy and some scanty.

How old are you? I started HRT when I was a year post meno and certainly aren’t going to give that up!

I'm 45 and always been reasonably regular, bit of manageable PMT to warn me it was coming. Last 'month' I had 8 weeks between periods, like I just totally skipped one! Panicked me enough to buy a preggo test, but no, just erratic hormones it seems.

I've joined the gym but got no energy to do anything when i get there, my waist is rapidly expanding and my hair looks like a birds nest. I have to hold my phone at arms length to see anything these days. And now I've got insomnia to top it all off ( which is why I'm here at 2am instead of in bed!) I feel like an old woman, I'm only fucking 45!!

Who the hell knows whats going on. Another 5-10 years of this bollocks and I'll lose my sense of humour I think.

I feel for ya Cinnamon! and

Thanks so much for all the replies

My cycles started getting shorter and my periods lighter in my mid 40s but actual periods/pmt didn’t stop till I was 55. I thought they’d never sodding end. I started combi HRT at 52 because the hot flushes/night sweats were too many to count and made me feel ill. Am still on it but for the last 3 years have been on a conti one.

I'm 47.
Periods started getting shorter about 2 years ago. Was bang on 28 days every month now it's between 22 and 24. And last for about 7 days so very little time between one finishing and the next one coming.
Can't wait for it all just to stop.

Since 40ish I've had sore boobs, breast cysts, chin hair, spots on chin, sore vulva, change in cycle length from approx 25 days to 20 to 90 days ffs! Now my muscles ache like hell, can't sleep, awful skin, constant stomach cramps, constant itching sore vulva (vagifem not helping😣). I don't think I can cope much longer. I don't want systemic hrt.

I'm like you though cycle is pretty consistent at 27/28 days but it's now super heavy for 24-36 hours (as in don't want to go out for more than an hour) then barely a trickle for 2 more days, that's it. Hot flushes are calming down at night since it got warm (go figure). I've not been to my gp as I have no intention of taking hormones but I'm told by my dr friend I'm still likely to be 5-7 years off full menopause as it typically lasts 10 years

Ps the insomnia is the worst, thankfully I've made a gentleman friend who has to go to New York every month and is buying melatonin for me!

My cycle is all over the place now, one year I had 3 periods, then I got very regular again but just with minimal spotting. Then nothing for 4 months and a huge floody period and now settled down to hardly anything at all but all the symptoms in the world.

Yeap, all sounds pretty normal for peri. For most of my life I was as regular as clockwork then from mid 40s my periods became very irregular. They finally stopped 2 and half yrs ago. Aside from the expanding waistline I'm not finding menopause too bad. A few more aches and pains and hot flushes when I get even just a tiny bit stressed but not bad enough to feel like I need HRT. Not having periods any longer is great!

So sorry what I meant to say in answer to your question is that it was probably about 3 years of irregular periods before they stopped.

I have to hold my phone at arms length to see anything these days.

That's not menopause, just age, sorry . Off to the opticians with you.

After 40 years of short-sight, I now have long sight to add into the mix. They don't cancel each other out and give you perfect vision, unfortunately.

I was at the stage you are now about 3 years before they stopped but for the last 18 months of that they were very erratic including going 7 months without a period once.
For many of the missing periods, I had all the pre menstrual symptoms but the period didn't happen, symptoms went away and then came back again on repeat until the period finally arrived.

For many of the missing periods, I had all the pre menstrual symptoms but the period didn't happen, symptoms went away and then came back again on repeat until the period finally arrived

I find that the hardest tbh,the constant feeling like being 3 days pre period but nothing actually happens. Weird pseudo periods.

Early forties and my cycles have got shorter since turning 40. Used to be 28-31 days, now more like 23-26 days.

I always had long, heavy periods that lasted 6 or 7 days. Now I flood spectacularly for 2 days and then it’s just annoying spotting for 3 days and then gone. Lovely!

My skin has turned teenage, too. 40 years of clear skin and I now get cystic acne around nose and chin.

It's so helpful to read everyones experiences, and to think about light at the end of the tunnel period wise really helps. Even if I'm mentally prepared for say 3 more years of this, it's good to think the periods will eventually stop. I'd rather not take hrt unless things got much worse, as it's tolerable just now, but will see in a year.
I'd been wondering about that sleepyblueocean whether for the missed periods you still get PMT, so that's useful to know. Thanks.
to all of us going through this! sometimes it really doesn't feel easy at all does it.

Spots from age 9 - 39. No treatment helped, back all scarred.

Irregular periods from 12 - 39.

Anxiety and depression from 9 - 39.

Now 44 and 5 years of clear skin, less anxious and depressed and almost regular periods!

Wonder how long this will last...

Yep definitely got peri I am on my third period in a month all super heavy the first one really painful, about 5 days off between each one gone from being super regular always to this!!. For the not sleeping try Magnesium it really helps me 200 to 400g's a day. Just loving all the extra chin hairs!! Dry eyes and Super Bloat, Oh and ringing ears too Grrrrr

Jd68 three periods in a month is horrific! Thanks for the tip about magnesium

frith that's a well earned bonus after all those years of dreadful periods

Everyone is different. Been perimenopausal for about 4 years now. Hot flushing, weird period cycle. Gone from periods every 40 odd to 71 days back to 2 over a period of a month!!! I, m 50 this month and just want my periods to stop. Don't know when my next one will be!!!!

I had same with PMT and missing periods. Supposed to get better.

No idea. Sorry. I stopped keeping track of cycle length about 20 yrs ago.