to ask you how the menopause happened for you?

[user1490123259]

45, last three periods have only been half as heavy as the previous 30 years....

Can I start celebrating and throwing my sanpro away?? STop counting days on the calendar when planning holidays? take out the £8 a month out of my shopping budget???

Is it going to be a blessed release or a path of thorns??

What should I worry about or be prepared for?

I didn't have a period for about six months then had one out of the blue, had hot flushes for about two months but am taking a variety of non- medicine stuff for them and they have gone away. I'm not sure if this is because of the medication or they have gone away on their own as they were so awful I can't bear the thought of having them again!
Other then that, I'm fine.

I'm nearly 49 and periods have been horrific all through my forties. I got this months on Sunday evening and didn't sleep at all that night with the horrific pain even after taking an assortment of painkillers, very heavy bleeding until tonight. In my teens my periods wereonly every 4-6 weeks but I always knew when I'd ovulated do knew when I was due, was pregnant on dd1 at 23 and then breastfed with no periods for 17 moths. I basically went from breastfeeding to having one or two easy periods to getting pregnant and breastfeeding again till I was 40. I can't go anywhere for the first 2-3 days as I invariably flood through everything. I cannot wait till I'm done with this, my mum was 56 and I can't face another 7 years of this.

Night sweats from age 40 as soon as I stopped breastfeeding DS at 6 months. Erratic periods from age 45. Age 47 hot flushes ramped up a whole new horrible level Day and night and I became totally intolerant of caffeine - made me headachey, nauseous and jittery. Recent menstrual periods:
October 2014
October 2015 (11.5 months after the above)
January 2016
Nothing since - I am 49 now. The hot flushes abated almost a year ago and I'm hopeful I'm now through the worst. It has aged me looks wise though - something to do with lack of oestrogen I think.

Got off quite lightly I think. Couple of years of moderate anxiety. My periods went haywire when I was 51 for a year or two, very heavy bleed. Then stopped for 6 months. Then started for 6 months. Then stopped except for a couple in a year. Then after a year, one more. Then nothing. I'm 55 now and get raised temperature during the night, which wakes me. In fact insomnia has been the worst thing.

Drat you reminded me, yes during the peri I would ache from head to toe. So bad I had to take painkillers. Also some random itchiness and dry mouth. You know if you google just about any ailment plus menopause, it'll come up. I genuinely think that the memory thing is more part of general ageing though.

No period for almost 3 years now, they just stopped

I'm 48.

Hot flushes day/ night which reduce drastically when exercising regularly

Few rogue aches and pains but what else can I expect?

52 and haven't had a period for 4 months. Over the last 4 years they got really heavy and extremely painful, then I took the mini pill for 4 months, stopped taking it and they were back to almost normal. First day heavy then 4 days of very little. Gradually they turned into every 6 weeks. Now it's been 4 months ...

I have hot and cold spells, I guess they're hot flushes. In the morning and often all day I ache all over. I'm stressed anyway bit dont think it's helping, I'm irritated, forgetful and extremely clumsy, constantly bumping into things or dropping things. I went through a phase of extremely restless legs and arms.

I'm not taking hrt .. yet. I have vaginal vagifem to help with dryness.

Watching with interest ...

I've had hot flushes all my adult life. Now 49.

Had mirena removed 6 months ago and periods resumed and very normal.

clue is a great ap to use to track your cycle - you can ad all your info and data into it, see changes etc. Has info on there about all the stages.

Also I'm very happy to be using a Mooncup after all these years of reading about them. I love it.

I do get some rage. Otherwise I'm doing ok so far.

Last period 1 year ago at 54
Hot flushes now down to a couple a day from 4-5 an hour at times
Couple at night which will wake me but mercifully no sweats
Moderate to severe pain and stiffness in joints - unable to get off the floor or even out of a chair at times without help
No mood swings/anxiety though.

I feel about 90 most of the time. This is a really dirty trick that nature pulls on women

At 39 developed erraticly irregular and extremely heavy periods some of which lasted up to 3 weeks, acne, night sweats and hot flushes so intense they caused palpitations, nausea and dizziness, mood swings. This lasted on and off with varying severity for around 6 years, then I went 15 months without a period, during this time the other symptoms became much less intense. I got all complacent thinking it was over but my body decided to punish me for my smugness by giving me two months of pure hell with almost continuous bleeding and all the aforesaid symptoms coming back in megaforce. That was it though, that was 5 years ago and apart from the occasional hot flush and the (very welcome considering I was as flat as a fart most of my life) development of boobage I think I'm over it at 50 and count myself very lucky.

Those of you that have had periods just stop and very little symptoms, do you do lots of exserise?

ivy yes I have always been very active, before and after. I was a jogger and power walker but now I just walk, about 15,000 steps a day. The jogging hurt my legs too much .

Yes Ivy, I have done 4 gym classes a week for the past 18 years.I
I'm 54.
Periods were normal and trouble free up until a year ago.

Then stopped.

That was it. Not had one for a year now.

I've had no other symptoms, no mood swings, no night sweats. I feel just the same in every way.

I do have a healthy diet, not overweight and I still exercise regularly.

Yes ivy

Lots and lots of running. Half marathons, the odd full marathon etc. Run 3 times a week. Very active job

inaclearing yep, "the writey saying things" sums it up.

I'm another lucky one with no real symptoms, and I didn't do any exercise - overweight actually My periods got lighter and more irregular mid 50s, then when I looked at my calendar I realised I hadn't had one for 15 months.

No flushes, mood swings etc - did get warm a couple of times but I think that was just heating on and winter duvet in a mild March. I did get more frequent migraines for a couple of years though and had zero tolerance to alcohol so went TT for a few years.

Periods started going haywire from about 40, getting heavier and more frequent. Then reducing and becoming almost nonexistent. But for the last year have had pretty much constant PMT. So have all the symptoms of a period but no bleeding, so migraines, bloating, pain, tender boobs.

Also over the last few years my mood swings have just got worse and worse. Either have the Rage or emotional wreck or both

Also had brain fog and just feeling worthless.

Think the only thing I haven't had are hot flushes.

Finally bit the bullet and saw GP last month and started HRT. First couple of weeks, felt bit better, second 2 weeks when on the mix of progesterone went back to feeling dreadful and had awful 'period'. But this month feel so much better and have even started to have some confidence in myself, something I haven't had for years. Maybe I can start looking forward to my 50s.

Mirena coil for the last 13 years (now nearly 54). Bit of a non event really. No bleeding, no flushes,nothing. Keeping it in until 55. No doubt all hell will be unleashed then

Was your libido affected by the menopause?

Periods just stopped. From age 40, I had none but was on the mini-pill and thought it was because of that. Stopped taking the mini-pill at 44, had two periods in the next two years, then nothing. No symptoms at all. I feel exactly the same.

I do note, though, that losing weight is harder - I'm not particularly overweight but have tried to shed maybe half a stone, a bit more, over the past few years and it is much more difficult now trying to get those pounds to come off. I exercise regularly and do Pilates as I think strength exercises are important post-menopause.

tired but happy yes and not in a good way. But that seems to be getting better as I move through it.

I think I got away lightly.

I had my first perimenopausal symptoms (akin to cystitis) in my late 30s. They were sorted out with some sort of hormone cream.

In my 40s, my periods got lighter and lighter and less frequent. I had hot flushes at night, and the occasional one during the day, until a friend recommended a supplement called Menopace, which worked a treat.

At 48/49, I went 18 months without a period and thought it was all over, but had a couple of days of spotting a few weeks before my 50th birthday. Nothing since (now 61).

I developed lots of aches and pains, but that could have been the onset of my osteoarthritis. The groaning on rising from a chair started almost as soon as I was 50. And my memory, which used to be excellent, just gets worse and worse (this freaks me out, as both my parents had dementia).

No mood swings though, or acne, or flooding, or hair loss (except for pubes!).

Oh, and I get very little exercise.

Mine just got more scanty/wider apart before they stopped at 51.
I would rather have kept my periods as I have had to struggle with awful VA, my only problem apart from palpitations. I have needed to go on full HRT and topical oestrogen to sort it and I still get flare ups!!!
Interestingly I haven't lost my sex drive, although tiredness and teenagers in the house has its problems.

I used to walk/run around 10 miles a day before the worst of my symptoms hit. Now I'm doing well if I can manage 5.