AIBU to think that the older you get your menstrual cycle just becomes

[helloclitty]

one long month of PMT followed by period followed by PMT....you get the drift.

I am sure when I was younger I used to have a least a weeks respite? Aibu to think that it just gets worse the older you get and if so why did no-one warn me

Hmmmm. I was on HRT before my menopause so no probs for me but don't remember friends complaining about pmt particularly though many had heavy bleeding or spotting probs.

Anyway stopped HRT and now period free HURRAH, a bit greyer and a bit stiffer but otherwise great. There is a light at the end of the tunnel ladies, think my friends would agree with me.

I'm 58 and very happily post menopausal, but take phyto soya supplements to increase oestrogen levels.
Fantastic: no period pains, no mess, no bloating, no PMT, no sore breasts, just grey hair (dyed), droopy arse and a wrinkly old woman looking back at me in the mirror.

I thought I was getting the menopause two years ago (43). felt like crying all the time and really heavy flow first day of period,terrible bloating. I'm not sure what happened but I think I was just stressed.what I was unhappy about is over now.i exercise more and hardly eat any carbs.as a result I have no bloating (wheat?) and feel really happy (endorphins and weight loss).....still heavy flow though.
No one really talks about it do they?

I'm with Gumby.

I was on the mini pill - can't remember which one - and was having periods every two weeks and horrendous PMT. The FPC doctor said I was probably peri-menopausal and changed my pill to Cerazette and it has been great. I don't have periods any more, no PMT and I don't miss either! I'm 44 and have been on it for about 18 months. The doc said that they will leave me on it until I'm 51, as long as I have no health reasons not to stay on it, and then they will do hormone tests to see what stage of menopause I'm in. No idea what will actually happen once they determine that though.

Only downside has been that I've put about a stone on but I can't definitely say Cerazette is responsible.

When I first went to doc with erractic periods, he told me I was too old to go on the mini-pill!! Nearly decked him there and then!

I think those of us in our early 40s are still considered young to be menopausal, and its so frustrating when friends of the same age haven't got a clue what I'm on about and are fairly unsympathetic! Hopefully mine will be over and done with by the time they have theirs and I can be similarly unsympathetic empathetic towards them

Bugger. I'm only 34 and locked into a PMT nightmare...

I have posted this before , but there are things you can do! Don't just accept it as part of being a woman! Attack it with:

Cutting way down on sugar (I know, I know, but trust me on this.)
Cutting out alchohol for two weeks before your period.
Oily fish or fish oil supplement
Evening Primrose 1000 mgs a day
Magnesium Citrate-every day.
Slow release carbs, for example porridge for breakfast.
Red meat.
Sex, and lots of it.

The thing about carbs is particularly important. You need to cut way back on those refined, white, sugary things you crave, and instead load up on porridge, nuts, peanut butter and oatcakes and fruit.
This will prevent the spikes and dips in energy and mood.
The aim is to keep your mood as stable as possible.
I know all this works, because I was verging on suicidal for a while, so bad was my PMS.
Once you implement the changes, the way you feel improves so much that it is not hard.
I still eat chocolate a bit, but only that really dark chocolate that you only eat a bit of.

That last line reads like a riddle!

I am premenstral for 2 weeks leading up. It is awful.

I can't take the pill at all as it gives me migraines.

I need something to help though.

Oh & I get bad pains when ovulating.

I am "only" 37.

I am 40 and have awful PMT every other month, a bit like gas blue says.

Periods are much heavier and painful.
Sometimes my cycle is 24 days sometimes 33.
Get awful constipation, trying to poo during my periodis like child birth, I have to pant.

Get night sweats too. Haven't sought medical advice, not sure what they would do. I don't want to go on the pill

nowthenwreck have just ordered the suppliments from your list.

along with a load of thrush treatment as get that with pmt as well each month

60ftdoll, I get dreadful smelly wind and I have also recently noticed the night sweats. [grim]

Periods are ok but I can cry at the drop of a hat!