What were your early signs of menopause/early menopause

[Rubyshoes12]

Can you please let me know your early signs of starting the menopause

My periods started to be more frequent (went from a 31 day cycle to 24/25) so I went on the mini pill which stopped them completely. A few years after that I started to get really hot at night and terrible anxiety so went on HRT (coil and gel) aged 49. Now 52, feel like a burst tennis ball most of the time.

Seeing men exactly as they are.

As others have mentioned, Rage, all consuming rage over irrational things. Also crying a lot, more anxiety, irregular and heavy periods, flooding, lots of hairloss, waking up at night and being unable to sleep again, hot flushes that came from nowhere and were like being on fire.
Thankfully it's all in the past, and calmed down without hrt, but took a few years.
The rage needs more discussion i feel.

Weight gain. It is awful. Gained about 2 stone in 6 months having been about the same (healthy) weight for 30 years. No change in lifestyle. It is making me miserable. Went to doctor - had blood tests - all came back fine. Friends say I'll just have to reduce my calorie intake to around 1000-1200 a day or just put up with it.

Hip pain, thought I needed a hip replacement, bought a special pillow. Foot pain when getting up in the morning.
Low mood out of nowhere on waking, really low mood for no reason.
Wanting to be alone.
waking up at 3am
Few weeks on HRT and the hip pain and foot pain were gone and honestly I suffered those for probably 3 years before other symptoms made me question.

heavier periods which were diagnosed as due to fibroids but I also suspect were partly the start of peri-menopause (successfully treated)
anxiety
lack of interest in doing things I'd usually enjoy
rage and irritability over stupid little things
waking up too early and being able to get back to sleep
joint and muscle aches

now on HRT and a lot of it is better but periods (supposedly controlled the HRT) are all over the place - in the last 12months my cycles have varied between 19 and 40 days.

No symptoms other than periods getting lighter and further apart in perimenopause. Joint pain in full menopause.

Am getting some investigations for hip grinding and pain at the moment - what helped you? I'm only early 40s!

oh gawd yes, I'd forgotten about the stiff feet in a morning! I used to be able to barely walk to the bathroom when I first got out of bed.

Forgetting words, rage over the tiniest thing, not being able to process new information. I seriously thought I was going mad.

Am reading with interest. 48, and been regular with periods all my life, and am 15 days late!!! Had normal signs of tummy and back pain but I’m assuming this is the start and one will come eventually but I would be more than happy if that was it, but am assuming I won’t be that lucky!

Is that a thing? I get that! Never connected it to menopause…

Irregular periods
night sweats
crippling anxiety which then caused insomnia
weight gain
muscle aches

and I’ve just learnt - stiff feet!

Hi. It is with hindsight but awful itching. Changed everything at home like shower gel, shampoo, washing powder etc nothing touched it and migraines, with all kinds of pains and feelings but not light averse. Pain up through my torso, through my jaw to my head. Supposed tooth ache, spent hundred insisting something was wrong. Lost taste and smell, before covid so now can’t mention it. All these really random things that have now been attributed to migraine but was sent for MRIs and EcGs etc because of them. HRT has helped but not eradicated as migraines occur with my cycle however fluctuating it is 8years later.

Let’s just say it’s gone since I started HRT!

I’m not sure but I think I might be starting perimenopause (I’m nearly 46). My periods are becoming very irregular, with shorter cycles and a little spotting in between.
I’ve had vaginal dryness for about 2 years.
Reduced sex drive.
Not really any mood changes, hot flashes or anything like that yet.
My hair is becoming oilier like when I was teenager! Not sure if that’s related or not. I also think my skin is becoming more ‘teenage’ again- uneven skin tone and a little acne.

Turning 49 and all of a sudden irregular periods, lasting days between 2 and 10 days. Also my was sometimes several times a month or 2 months with no period. Now fifty and periods are now 3-5 days, 6 -8 weeks apart. Have bad memory, get emotional and don’t have the angry outbursts as I did last year. I’m more upset and angry at myself, get hot and sweaty easily

Why does no one tell you about this!!!

my periods stopped completely, itchy / dry skin, hot flushes and nigh sweats. I’ve now been on hrt for just over 3 months.

My symptoms were, anxiety, panic attacks during the night for no reason (never had them before), headaches/migraines and generally feeling like somebody else and my periods still arrived every month like clockwork. Now on HRT and that has been a game changer for me I don’t feel like I’m losing my mind anymore.

Anger, I am surprised no one ended up under the patio and poor sleep
HRT was a life saver, for more than just me

My sleep failed to recover after my second child started sleeping at night. Nothing to stop me sleeping, and I'd still be awake half the night, from about age 41. Took a couple of years before I connected that with peri.

Oh and the opening of your cervix starts to close, so with that and vaginal dryness, makes having smear tests extremely painful

Age 43 started getting heavy periods, shorter cycle ie. Gap between periods getting closer together, night sweats, brain fog, then also aching joints at night.

yep I thought the same that I'd never heard this spoken about amongst all other meno symptoms. thats why it has come as quite a distressing shock. I now wish I'd have made the most of my fully functioning clitoris and had way more sex in my youth. I had no idea my ability to orgasm was going to massively reduce and become so shit and possibly completely dissappear.
Young women please enjoy and make the most of sexual pleasure while you can, I really wish someone would have told me this.

Night sweats. And in retrospect an increased level of anxiety