To ask how old you are and what your perimenopausal symptoms?

[Divinespark]

Just that really?

50 and still having regular periods but becoming more unpredictable, e.g one month I missed one completely and another time only 2 weeks apart. Main symptoms are tiredness, particularly bad at ovulation and menstruation, and irritation mainly aimed at my husband. I've never been a swearer but I'm swearing all the time. I don't suffer aches and pains but I take a daily magnesium tablet and I'm sure that helps. I also can no longer tolerate alcohol, wipes me out so I very rarely drink now. Did try to get HRT but have told it should be a last resort for me due to significant family history of breast cancer.

You know that's just luck, right? There's nothing a woman can do to guarantee an easy menopause.

51: initially night sweats, difficulty sleeping and brain fog. I am going to sound like a smug wanker but HRT and regular exercise (yoga and running) keep it largely under control. The exercise in particular has made a massive difference: if I let that slide at all it creeps back up.

And I've also totally lost my alcohol tolerance. Used to like a bit of a drink: now I find as little as one unit leaves me feeling awful for the following 24 hours; tired, snappy, unable to concentrate. Actually seriously considering stopping altogether as it no longer brings any benefits to my life.

Ditto on the lack of alcohol tolerance - it’s quite disappointing that I can’t even really enjoy a glass or two of wine without it wrecking my already awful sleep

How do you know these are all peri symptoms and not due to another reason like bad diet, being unfit, normal aging, stress?

I mean I can't speak for everyone here but I'm not unfit (for my age), I exercise four times a week, I eat well and barely drink and I have an unusually high tolerance for stress (actually prefer a bit of healthy stress to total lack of stress). I've also in the past year had a clean bill of health (had a health scare so got a battery of other tests). I'm sure these are menopause symptoms.

48, started HRT in about June due to:
Joint pain/stiffness
Reduced energy (formerly excellent runner, but now on a steep decline)
Slight vag dryness
Slightly less bladder control
Zero libido for sex, and diy orgasms feel weak
Feel unusually snarky and unaffectionate towards DH

Already had mirena, so GP prescribed transdermal spray, which doesn't seem to have helped much, other than less vag dryness. Added testosterone a few weeks ago, which is sort of helping with libido: thinking of sex more often, and some sexual dreams, but still don't want to shag DH 🤷

Someone else asked this earlier. I try and keep an open mind on any issues I experience with my body/health.

The lack of periods, hot flushes and night sweats are more than likely perimenopause. Everything else I honestly don't know for sure.

Just to add, I'm a wholefood eating, vegan, very low drinking runner.

Speaking for myself, I'm fit and I eat really well, and I don't have a stressful life. Also, some of the symptoms I had, such as vaginal atrophy, dry eyes and night sweats, were nothing to do with fitness or diet. I also did a lot of research and reading so I was fully informed on what could be and what might not be perimenopause. And lastly, after 3 years on HRT, all my symptoms have resolved, so I can be confident that what I was experiencing was perimenopause.

Likewise I exercise 4 times a week, eat well, rarely drink atm and have had multiple blood tests to ascertain if my poor sleeping is related to something else - I’m the right age for it too (50) so I have no reason to to think it’s not

The short answer for many people is: HRT sorts most of it out.

46

Not sure about periods b/c I have mirena coil. But….
Itchy skin, particularly legs
Hip pain from sitting.

Rage
Weight gain (but could also be working from home beside the kitchen weight)
Sleep issue, although magnesium does help

In my case because I’ve always had a healthy lifestyle and had to eg up the exercise/ cut out alcohol completely to maintain previous levels of well-being. So in all behaviours I’m healthier than ever before (yaaawn). Could be “normal” aging though in my case I guess.

I’m 56 and still having regular periods although they last longer. I’m hoping they will stop SOON for good! ! Did yours gradually get more and more infrequent?

If this is like electric currents in your legs, magnesium cream might help. I’ve started experiencing this and it’s so unpleasant (and wakes me up so I end up tired)

I'm 49 and my last period was about 3 or 4 years ago. That's an estimate. I can't remember exactly.

I started peri at the beginning of my 40s which is apparently early. I don't know if that's related to my pcos or something.

Main problems were feeling like I was bloody melting. So hot at night! Sweating like a pig. My memory has become a forgetory. My alopecia got worse. Not sure if that's related. Dry skin.

My periods have always been hit and miss. I could go months without one then bleed for weeks. Or have two in a month. Or have one that lasted a couple of hours.

But when I started with this, when I did have a period it was an absolute bloodbath. I thought I'd pissed the bed more than once
Also massive clots.
Everything and everyone became really annoying. I became very short tempered and basically ran out of fucks to give.

Who knew you only get as many fucks as you do eggs and when they're gone they're gone?

I'm 44 and don't have any of the physical symptoms but I've been feeling the rage and being very short-tempered lately. Periods are normal and no issues with the hot flushes, brain fog, joint pain or insomnia. No idea if it's regular hormone stuff, having 2 young dc, city life or perimenopause?

I went to the GP yesterday to be told it was most likely two young kids, full time job and life rather than peri. I'm 42. And sceptical that that's what it is.

Did the GP suggest a wait and see approach? In the absence of changes in your cycle, 42 would be quite young to be going through perimenopause and it might be worth trying other things before asking to go onto HRT.
The thing is, with 2 young children and a full time job, there's not much wiggle room to make changes to your every day life. It's tricky.

Is 42 that early? Because peri is up to 10 years before menopause and 52 doesn’t seem early for menopause (my mum was 50)

55

Extremely heavy periods every five to six weeks.

Forgetfulness.

Irritability.

Insomnia.

Weight gain.

Brain fog.

Anxiety.

None of this is pleasant but it's not unbearable at this stage, more an inconvenience. (My husband may say differently 🤦🏻‍♀️)

No, I guess not. But if there are no changes in menstrual cycle I would look into other causes and remedies before considering that it's peri.

@CharlotteBog there are some changes to my cycle but they're not drastic. The last three have been more regular (28 days ish) despite the fact that they've been in the late 30s for the rest of my life. They also go on for ages (12ish days, though much of that is spotting in the last few days). Large blood clots which i didn't use to get so much.

Yes wait and see is exactly what he said. Hard when you feel like shit all the time though!