To ask: at what age did your peri/menopause symptoms peak?

[PeriPeriQ]

Asking here for a larger sample.

Those of you who are now post-menopausal:
At what age were your symptoms at their worst? Or did they never peak, and just kept worsening forever...

I'm praying that they improve at some point, but I also just want to know the truth.

47 now. This is hell.

Any other info (did you use HRT, what were your worst symptoms etc) would also be of interest but if you're in a hurry then just say a number (or say never...)

55 now and this is the worst they’ve been. Generally feeling like my body is trying to attack me. Currently sitting with a hot water bottle trying not to cry because of horrendous period pain. Which may or may not result in a period.

52

I'm 49. Had two years of bleeding whenever my body wants sometimes with a few days break sometimes a couple of weeks. Not had a y bleeding now for a good 2 and half months. I wiped out. Keep getting hot flushes and sleeping issues.

Started symptoms at 43ish. Symptoms included

heavy bleeding and I mean flooding this lasted approx 3 years
mood swings
extreme fatigue
frizzy hair
night sweats
hot flushing
sleep disturbance

periods stopped at 48. I still have the odd flush. The biggest problem is sleeping it affects everything. No HRT here through choice I just take Menopace.

47. I had a panic attack followed by 3 months of anxiety about 2.5 years ago. Went on hrt soon after. I don't really have any obvious symptoms now except occasional mild anxiety. I take progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone. Unfortunately the latter hasn't helped with low libido.

Positive note.

No periods now
Can tolerate alcohol more which I couldn’t when peri
After losing chunks of hair it’s now thicker
No more rage outbursts 😆
nails are no longer brittle

I will update when I think of other things. Good luck it does get better x

48
I am 56 now and think I’ve finally got to the end of my periods.
Hang in there it really does get better.

I think I was at my worst when i was 48 it was horrendous! I did go on hrt which was a life safer, I had my last period at 50 and I'm 54 now.

I’m 52 now and generally quite murderous before my period

I thought I would be done by now as I started my periods relatively early but they are still appearing like clockwork every month fgs!

I think I started peri at about 44, was put on antidepressants at 46 but a year later a new GP said hang on a minute, let’s try HRT. Game changing! I had 3 years where it was great - symptoms well managed and then it fell away. Between 50 and 54 it was hit and miss, tried different HRT regimes, saw private gynae and got coil, 4 pumps of gel, vagifem and testosterone and started taking high dose vit D and magnesium glycinate: at 55 I now feel like I have come out the ‘other side’ (no periods for 18 months now) and I feel so stable and normal again 😁

45 it’s gradually got worse since then. I’m struggling with the Brain zaps, electric shock sensations in my head at the moment.

Thank you everyone for your replies so far.

I can't seem to edit my original post at the moment but I occurs to me that it would have been helpful if I'd have made it so that
YABU = it never peaked just got worse and worse
YANBU = it peaked at some point and then got better

For me the continual disturbed sleep (waking at 2 or 3am every night) and anxiety hit hard at 47. Extreme fatigue, brain fog, and I even had balance problems. Periods got closer together and were heavier. This went on for about 8 months, and I just couldn't go on like that so got hrt - oestrogen gel (2 pumps) and progesterone pills.

I've been taking it for 3 months now and I feel completely normal again. I'm back cycling to work everyday and gaining back all the muscle I lost. I can remember things, I'm not saying the wrong words, I'm not walking into doors, I'm not constantly worrying I'm losing my grip. But best of all, I go to bed and sleep through until 6am. I also take Ashwagandha, which helps to regulate hormones and anxiety (it's worked for me before I was peri).

My colleague, who is in her early 50s, had a rough time with peri too. She also says it peaked at 47, same symptoms as me but with more flushes. She went on the patches and coil, which have worked well for her. However, just recently, the symptoms have been coming back so she has been increasing her dose and taking Magnesium Glycinate before bed to help with sleep.

I honestly dread to think how much worse it can get, and I hope I never find out.

Last year at 43, sudden Peri symptoms within a few months. Hot flushes, night sweats, rage, insomnia, crazy periods. Started HRT patches (I had to push for those) and had an implant fitted which calmed everything down really quickly.

Bumping for a bigger sample

Felt terrible at 47 with palpitations, anxiety, zero libido, insomnia. Started HRT and felt a bit better but not ‘myself’. Had a blood test which showed I had practically no testosterone so started testogel. Now age 50 and feeling fantastic. Lots of energy, happy, enjoy exercise, sex drive back.

That's interesting. I'm already on oestrogen and progesterone so feeling pretty hopeless about things. Maybe I need to explore testosterone too.

It peaked at some point (48 and I went on HRT), it did not keep getting worse for me.

Not many symptoms at all - just a gradual decline of periods which disappeared about age 51.

HRT can be a game changer. I went to a specialist menopause GP and it was money well spent. Still on it a decade later. Latest research suggests protection from brain degeneration. It's not just about getting rid of hot flushes.

I think I've been quite lucky, as symptoms haven't been too horrendous, BUT....I am 56 in a few months and I am still having periods, which feels ridiculous! Thought I felt period pains this morning - checked my log to see when my last one was - 9th May, so it's bang on time. Uurgh. I don't take anything, except collagen for joint pain.

I’m 40 and for a couple of years have noticed slight changes to my cycle but full on i think i’m now in the middle of “early perimenopause. Have had a hospital doctor agree but can’t get a gp to take me seriously because of my age. Considering going private if they don’t by next year as i can’t go 10 years or so of this.

i have
dry skin
itchy skin
sensitive skin / rashes
sports (more than when i was a teen)
dry eyes
greasy hair
hair falling out
hay fever (never suffered when i was younger)
mood swings - irritability
constantly feeling drained (i’m anaemic)
anxiety & heart palpatations
night sweats / sweating and hot flushes in general
headaches
very achey breasts
zero sex drive
brain fog / forgetfulness
weight gain / can’t shift it
constant bloating and gassiness / farting
more noticeabley irregualr periods (last couple 22 days then 29 days)
heavier periods lasting 8/9 days as opposed to 4/5

dr says i’m “too young” and won’t consider hrt or “possible perimenopause diagnosis” until i’m 45 & recommended i speak to mental health nurse and go on the pill 🤯 Have changed gp practice recently & hoping a new doctor alongside that hospital letter stating their opinion is i’m perimenopausal (it was at breast clinic) will help them take me more seriously as i feel like i’m goinf mad. They made me feel like i’m exaggerating things as i’m “too young” don’t know anyone else my age suffering and my mum and aunt were late 40s before any signs but i started my periods at 10 & they were later.

please tell me i’m not going nuts!

I'm 55 almost 56 and one year post menopausal, apart from some hot flushes I never had symptoms. My periods remained light and pain free up to the day they stopped, I have no issues sleeping and still feel very much like myself (I have friends who say they feel like they lost themselves after menopause).

Edit. I did get some bad acne but Retinol sorted it out.

My periods stopped at 56. Not really aware of any other symptoms.

My periods stopped at 47. All my symptoms stopped about 6 months after my last period. They were probably at their worst for the two years leading up to that when my periods became very erratic.