To think I could be menopausal at 40?!

[sparrowscrack]

Any advice or opinions appreciated as this is all new to me.

I am 40 with two primary school age DC.

Over the past few years my cycle, which was always on the short side, has got even shorter most of the time and can be as little as 21 but occasionally up to 27/28 days. Last month after my period ended, I had a further week of daily spotting, which is highly unusual and something I have never had. I am now on day 31 of what should be my next cycle and nothing. No period, no real premenstrual symptoms.

Other things I have experienced over the past year are insomnia in the form of waking early and not being able to go back to sleep. I am waking up feeling hot at night but haven't had a hot flush and weather has been unusually warm.

Should I see my GP about last month's spotting and this month's missing period? I have a really strong family history of osteoporosis and am really worried to be menopausal at this age. DH had a vasectomy several years ago so it would take a miracle for me to be pregnant.

It’s not true that the GP won’t do anything if you are still having periods. There are significant health risks that come from having low oestrogen at a young age, so they will absolutely put you on HRT if your blood work shows you need it.

This thread has got me thinking. I'm 40 and have also been having some of the symptoms mentioned. Feeling very hot, sweating more than usual, intimate itchiness. I'm on the combined pill, so my cycle is still 28 days, but with much lighter bleeding than before. I put it down to premenopausal but didn't think it was anything to worry about. Is it really such a bad thing to start the menopause early?

You can get a 'menopause test' from Wilko or Amazon that tests your FSH. It will give positive / negative but not yell u the exact level. The Wilko one claims to be 99% accurate.

Yanbu.

My mother and grandmother went through menopause in their 30's. I'm 33 and I've been getting symptoms for years. I tested positive with the Wilko teat last week but I'm currently bfing so I don't know if that affects the result

@Imamouseduh

It’s not true that the GP won’t do anything if you are still having periods.

Well, I didn't lie, so it IS true. I can only assume it depends on the GP.

@sparrowscrack

I don't have a therapist*, it's online. It tells me to get some exercise, go for a walk, go to bed early, not drink, do some stretching....etc etc. All stuff I know and if I wasn't fucking depressed, I would already do! But, anyway.... :)

(* there is a woman who I've never spoken to who checks my progress each week and sends me some pointless comments like "I can see you've been doing a lot of reading, well done, why not set some goals, I'll open up a new module for you" etc)

I might actually get a hormone test from Amazon, not sure how useful it will be but checking can't hurt.

Sorry to keep on people, I've just remembered - its a good few years ago now - that it made a difference to the way that I felt within a couple of hours. It was like being woken up. I started on progesterone? Progestogen? It made an immediate improvement.

The hormone tests need to be done on a certain day of your cycle to be accurate, or done on two occasions 6 weeks apart if you're not having regular periods. To all the people who had blood tests, was this the case?