To think that periods in your forties are hard

[Karinatootoo]

I turned 40 and omg my periods have been horrendous.

Instead of getting pain just during the week of my period, I know get period pain for three out of four weeks. I get painful cramps the week before my period and the week after my period aswell. So I'm now in pain for three weeks out of every month. My actual period has also become a lot longer. I used to bleed for five days. Now I bleed for 8-10 days.

I've been for scans and checks and they can't see anything specifically wrong.

Is this just what it's like in your forties? It's hell! I'm now on heavy painkillers.

Mine got more painful in my 40s and I also developed hideous PMT. Have you thought about getting a Mirena? Stopping your periods might be the best way.

I would echo this. My periods became 3 weeks long, Mirena coil took a while as in months but eventually they stopped completely. Had several coils over maybe 15 years . Brilliant! Bonus was that as I wasn’t having periods I didn’t know I was going through the menopause until it was done.

Mine thankfully have gone the opposite way. I’m 41 now & the last 8 months or so, my periods have gone from 5/6 days to 3/4 with only one day of moderate bleeding and cramps. I can’t wait until they stop altogether though, I’m done with all that now!

I had same. But now have none at all with Mirena.

Honestly, I didn't find them any harder in my 40s than in my 30s, 20s, or teens.

In my 50s they naffed off really early on, thank feck! Last one was at 52!

Have you thought about going on the mini pill? It's common to not have a period when you're on it. I haven't had one in ages - it's so freeing.

But then mine were never overly heavy in the first place so I can understand if you want to get to the bottom of it - but worth thinking about?

I'm happy for you. Mine have become absolutely horrendous in my forties.

Mine were horrendous and then I got the coil around 46 and that helped. I still got periods but they were much lighter.

Same OP. I've been thinking about the Mirena but I've heard it can make you put on weight. Has anyone experienced this? For all that I'm falling apart during perimenipause, I've managed to stay pretty slim until now.

And I'm quite vain and shallow so would like to avoid weight gain if poss!

I don't think I put any weight on with it. But I'm not exactly slim anyway.

Mine weren’t too bad in my early forties, having been horrendous in my 30s. Then in my late 40s they became horrendous again with bizarre side effects. So I went on the pill until my early 50s. I’m now mid 50s and am hoping I’m about to become menopausal.

I'm early 40s and mine have been an absolute breeze since I came off all contraception. I barely get PMT anymore, I have 2 or 3 day periods, and I can't remember the last time I had any cramps.

Mine were fine til 48, then heavy, longer, horrid til 57 when they just stopped. FIFTY BLOODY SEVEN. But still... they stopped and I have not missed them one little bit.

I had my dc at nearly 38 and nearly 41. My periods came back shorter and lighter after each baby.

If only - I am late 50’s and have had a mirena for 2 years and am still spotting every day interspersed with either a light bleed or if I am lucky a few days of nothing. And yes I have had all the checks and tests

I have endo so bad periods - Mirena coil stopped that. I haven’t had a period or pain in 4 years, it’s great!

I had a merina coil fitted age 41. Periods stopped. Much better!

They've got more and more erratic - cycles ranging from 18 days to 40. And one that went on for three weeks. They don't hurt much but then they never did. What has changed is the emotional side - I can spend several days just feeling very, very sad and sort of jittery and frightened. Which I never used to.

Do you remember how many months it took for the mirena to stop your periods at all, please? I'm about 11 months in and my periods are still pretty regular, although lighter. I don't know if this is it for me, but I'm holding out hope that they might still stop altogether.

Still getting them at 54. Grrrr.

I'm 47 and not noticed anything majorly different to my 30's! Still very regular, but over the past 5yrs, my cycle has slowly changed from a 32day one to 25days. I assume peri.

Have you seen your GP yet OP?

Don’t give up - it took at least a year for me, it was worth the wait. Now 4 years in and they are about 2 days of the lightest flow (I don’t even need a pad).

You know you can get tranexamic acid over the counter now . It’s amazing at stopping heavy periods. I’m 53 and rarely get periods but when I do they’re at the most inconvenient time so it’s fab to have them - got them at Boots

It was a good year, but it did tail off slowly.

Another vote for the Mirena, my periods became unbearable as i hit peri and so heavy, crippling ovulation pain too until Id had enough and at aged 45 i bit the bullet and had a Mirena, my periods stopped immediately and same as a PP, i completely missed all menopause symptoms so a win win!