Where has my period gone? Any perimenopause experts out there?

[ApplyWithin]

Always been regular until the last 18 months when I’ve had very erratic cycles on and off interspersed with a few perfectly regular months. This “month” I’m almost at eight weeks and am wondering where the hell it is! Definitely not pregnant. I feel like I’ve just skipped a period altogether. Is that normal?

I am 44.

God knows.
I really wish there was more solid data than “ women are all different...ask your mum about her periods”. Surely there must be more research on menopause, half the sodding human race go through it .

I’ve been regular light with a long month, short period. Last year it’s been like my insides fall out every month. Now it appears they happening two weeks.
I know other women have experienced the same thing because we talk about it. But I’m afraid it’s just a guess to say you are going through early menopause and you need to get tested. You might need HRT as my early menopause friends were advised to.

Do you have Hypothyroidism is in your family?

Have you recently had the Covid vaccine as that can make you skip a period..
There are lots of reasons.

@ApplyWithin I wouldn't exactly call myself an expert, but what you are experiencing is classic in perimenopause and sounds perfectly normal.

Periods going haywire in your 40s after always being regular is really common and is often the first sign. It certainly was for me. I could go 6 or 8 weeks without a period then next time have a gap of only two to three weeks. They got heavier too. It was a real nuisance, tbh.

Because it's started in your early 40s I'd suggest a chat with your GP, who may suggest HRT as it'll help protect your bones and heart.

There isn't a reliable test for perimenopause, you can only really go on your symptoms. Your GP can do a blood test but all that can tell you is what your hormones were like on the day of the blood test.

Go the Health section on here then Menopause . Lots of useful info and opinions

At the age of 42. Mine went from nothing as I was on a pill that meant I didn’t have any ( ahhhh to go back to that life ) to a whole year of being on. Was checked and scanned everything was fine.
They are now ( even on the same pill ) sometimes regular and sometimes not. Sometimes full on and sometimes not much at all. I downloaded an app and started to keep track on there. But there is no real consistency. My doctor told me this was how it was and I was at the start of peri menopause. It sucks and I hate it. I miss my years of nothing.

Also not an expert but that was peri menopause for me. I'm 53 and haven't had a period for 3 years. Mine started going irregular at around 42, then stopped completely at 50.

Sounds about right. Around my mid 40’s my periods changed and skipped one or two each year. At first I was worried that I could be pregnant, so I tested a few times to be sure. By 50 I was hardly having any, would go months without and then have a longish week one period. At 52 I had my last period.

Sounds similar to me OP. I reckon I started peri at 42 (lots of migraines), then the hot flashes started, then periods started getting patchy. Am on HRT, which is ace. Warning: when they do come, they can 'flood'. A cap works better for me than sanpro now.

classic perimenopause.