To ask what was the first sign you had that you were entering menopause?

[OldFan]

Just wondered really as I think I might be getting it IDK.

All as normal until suddenly my periods stopped a few months ago.

Now I’ve started with hot flushes.

Constantly feeling warm but can’t really complain with the weather like this! 😂

Overwhelming sense of doom I couldn’t shake.

Crippling anxiety that came out of nowhere and got progressively worse. I am not an anxious person and it blind sided me. Other symptoms followed..

Anger and intolerance

My periods which had always regular, started to change, getting lighter and shorter until they stopped altogether.
Then the flushes started...........

You mean peri menopause I think. First symptoms were weird crawling sensation under skin and very stiff joints followed by brain fog, heavy periods and severe PMS. Night sweats, hot flushes, itchy skin and insomnia came about 4 years after initial symptoms and are still awful 4 years later, haven't slept past 4am in months (can't take hrt). I'm 8 years in so far! Bloody wonderful being a woman isn't it .

Looking back now, mood swings and intolerance in my late 40s. But on the plus side, Herculean strength and determination. I made enormous life changes, got fit, and got a new qualification whilst working part-time. That was definitely part of the change.

Anxiety when menopause started at 49, plus exhaustion. That all sorted with HRT and better eating.

Now at a more even keel at 52.

Periods stopped, and I was delighted.

You mean peri-menopause. I had nearly completely debilitating anxiety that I had never had before. I was 40. HRT saved me.

waking up in the night wringing wet, then periods stopped suddenly and I haven't looked back since. I had hot flushes for a while almost every evening, but it wasn't uncomfortable and fortunately died down after 3 months and just get the odd random flush now and then

Early peri (mid 40s) I got dry eyes, dry ears and the occasional hot face. Late 40s the heaviest periods known to woman. Early 50s crippling anxiety and sleeplessness. Went on HRT at 53, one year ago (still not in menopause at that stage). It has helped.

@Aquamarine1029 the anxiety is the worst, isn't it,? 😞

Oestrogen levels decreasing = readiness for my kids to fly the nest.

Unfortunately youngest is only 13

Periods getter further apart. One every 7 months for a few years

Very same for me. Didn't know what was happening to me. My mother copped on to it. Spoke to doctor on phone, COVID times, she wasn't surprised had been expecting it, I was 52. Started hrt that day , all good since

Night sweats and sex became very painful.

Unbelievable anger and rage, really constant feeling of being in fight or flight mode and gaining weight

Sleep issues suddenly from age 44 when I'd always been a fantastic sleeper and then anxiety, never ever been anxious before, I think one contributed to the other and I didn't realise it could be peri menopause. That was 13 years ago and the information on the menopause just wasn't really out there.

Gaps between periods got longer. Weird feelings, not unlike nausea in pregnancy.

Bouts of feelings of being 'unwell' like I might either faint or get sick, or I needed to leave a situation quickly. Especially first thing in the morning, but then I'd be fine after being up for a while.

So bad at first on one occasion the first year, DH and kids had to get into the car with me and go to the Emergency out of hours medical centre at 8am on a Saturday because I really thought there was something dangerously wrong with me.
First thing the doctor says to me is 'What's your cycle like these days?'!!
It got easier once I realised what was going on.

18-21 days between periods. PMT was unbearable and I was missing work. When I realised what was happening I then understood the rage might not be justified by labelling everyone around me an asshole.

A lot of these symptoms are sounding familiar.

is there a blood test that I could get done to see if I’m in peri menopause?

If anyone on here is on the pill u take without a break, which I'm currently on, how do u know if entering peri menopause as u don't get periods anyway? Or at least I don't

Last cycle was 17 days. One before that was 9 weeks. Think this might be the beginning of it. Aged 43.

Periods all over the place, then the hot flushes started. Still getting some 24 years later. Have been menopausal for nearly a third of my life. Can't have HRT. Dreadful anxiety and insomnia too.

Periods stopped, aged 49, no hot flushes, brain fog etc. I never dreaded the menopause, so maybe that's something to do with it. I never had painful or heavy periods either.