To think perimenopause is an overused buzzword?

[Furning]

My friends and I are mid to late 30s. A lot of them are now claiming they’re perimenopausal, and if I mention I’m hot, or I've forgot something, or cant concentrate, they rush to tell me it’ll be perimenopause.

If they are struggling to lose weight, or forget what they’re saying, or anything at all negative happens, it’s because they’re perimenopausal.

I know some women might be in their 30s, but surely not most? Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with it?

It feels to me like it's just a new way to make women feel old and outdated. Like you're only a valuable woman now between 18 and 36, then you're perimenopausal, and that's practically geriatric.

In my childhood referenced it at "The change"... (Plain old menopause and all that does with it)

My GP literally just said this to me. I am 47 and have no sign of peri yet. I think it is so annoying and I'm just sick of hearing it.

This is one of those threads where the op has to be right and will die on that hill- tedious

She is right tbf

It's part of a marketing scam. Give those silly women a diagnosis so they will buy our peri targeted products.

I remember feeling annoyed as a teenager that all my feelings were down to puberty, and not my actual feelings. It is kind of the same this end. I don't feel menopausal or perish or anything, but because of my age, people assume that I am.

I certainly agree that some people make menopause their personality. Just as they do baking, sourdough, cycling etc etc.

Extremely tedious,

this just shows you don't get it.

Menopause is an absolute event. The day of your last period.

All the symptoms are associated with the period running up to that absolute event, or after it.

I’d be really interested if they actually are though.
if it’s recognised that your fertility drops due to diminishing hormones etc it stands to reason that your heading or in perimenopause.
if the average menopause window starts at 45 and perimenopause is the bit leading up to that. Then yes for many (not all) that will be late 30’s.

I was 36 when I first had symptoms. I now have bowel, and continence issues that could have been prevented by recognising vaginal atrophy that was my first symptom really. 8 years on my periods are still perfectly regular and no sign of actual menopause just a growing list of symptoms.

this is a little bit like the advent of the teenager in the 60’s, suddenly realising there’s actually a period of time between fertility dropping and menopause.

Not at all. In fact, we should all be talking about it more until the medical profession catch up and start taking it seriously.

As someone who is post-menopause I’d say I was in peril from late 40s when my periods started going haywire and my periods stopped at 51.

I do know someone who went in to meno early 40s, but it’s usually hereditary and pretty rare. She would’ve been peri in late 39. They say if you’re experiencing symptoms pre-45 then blood tests to check hormone levels are needed.

Thry say you can be in peril 10 years prior to your menopause (which is the day you reach a year since your last period, then its post-meno), but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re having symptoms all that time, just that your body is starting to produce fewer hormones.

I think it’s great that all aspects of menopause are now being taken seriously, but there is a danger of overuse, and then there may be backlash.

I’m actually having more issues post-menu - skin like a teenager and some horrible health issues to boot. HRT didn’t help so that was binned off.

skewed because of years of ignorance and dismissing women as too young.
@anotheruser345

your absolutely spot on. Because we didn’t talk about it, didn’t associate all the random symptoms with it. Just thought we were going mad.
give it another 15/20 years and the data will look very very different.

there’s also a level of embarrassment, few 38 year olds are going to say “it’s menopause starting”. Calling this period Peri menopause allows younger women to talk without embarrassment of feeling old.

You seem quite angry about this, are you scared of ageing?

This is it isn’t it.
I had so many arguments with the doctor.

No I’m not menopausal. I know I’m not menopausal. But I am having symptoms due to diminishing hormones.

46, my symptoms started may be a year ago. I’m full blown mental now, hospital and everything… not even at menopause stage. It’s horrifying and terrifying at the same time. Women in your 30’s just fucking enjoying them as much as is possible, I would not wish this horror on my worst enemy.

Are you getting help, @theiblis ?? I definitely have had a few ups and downs on HRT but my mental health improved as soon as I started on estrogen patches.

Good for you

this is a little bit like saying “I breezed through pregnancy, so everyone should”
or “my periods are light, I don’t know what the fuss is”

your experience is your experience.

The fact is women must be heard and so what if they are not actually in peri? I mean why do you care @Furning . The fact they women are talking about it matters hugely.

A friend's colleague has just swung six weeks off work, claiming peri.

YANBU
apparently older ladies used to say “my nerves” for everything then I recall it being “my hormones” now it’s “peri” for everything 😶 it’s hard to speak to a HCP about an actual problem without them scapegoating to “peri”
I have not jumped on that incredibly commercialised bandwagon
YANBU

Bandwagon? again, fucks sake.

And? I'm now on HRT but my marriage almost ended and I nearly took my own life this time last year. It was hell.

The article i shared showing that many women have symptoms in their 30s and 40s wasn't made up. Unless you think I am a journalist and also two doctors?

So what you're saying is that women have historically described difficulties around this age but called it different names, and now we have a medical term to describe those experiences?