AIBU to ask how long periods can last in perimenopause?

[84wood]

Hi all
Posting here for traffic. I'm perimenopausal and I skipped a period for the first time, my current period is taking longer than usual. If you've experienced a longer period than normal after skipping, how long was it? I'm debating when to call the GP. It's so difficult to get an appointment and I don't really know what to expect in the perimenopause state.
Thank you!

My periods are all over the place. Sometimes an intense 4 days, sometimes a less dramatic week. 6 weeks in between then 4 then 6, I have no idea when it will arrive but just riding the roller coaster!

Personally I’d make a diary for 6 months rather than see the GP, unless you’re at 2 weeks with no sign of stopping. My longest one was 10 days or so of proper bleeding. Peri really does mess with your body.

Thanks so much for the advice. I'm at 7 days with no signs of stopping! It really upset me!

Everybody is different but I had erratic periods for 4 years.

I’m all over the place too. My latest thing is going for six or seven days, being clear for three days and then starting up again for another four or five days, with spotting until the following month.

Just keep monitoring what’s happening and when, so if you ever need to see a GP, you’ve got the information handy.

Thanks again

so you don't think going over 8 days is a worry? That's what prompted me to post.

I saw my gynae two months ago so I know I have nothing sinister (hopefully!) but I’m at week 4 of my period! One very very strong, one normal, two of decent spotting.

It depends really. There is a lot of difference between super light tail end of period dragging on that's more like spotting or having proper heavier flow for over a week.

Also, if you are on HRT if your 2 weeks progesterone window doesn't quite line up with your actual cycle because it's irregular, this can impact bleeding. I am on day 8 since my period started, and I am the stage where I think it has stopped, but as I remove my progesterone patch tomorrow morning I won't be at all surprised if I have a bit more spotting.

Skipping a period is likely to make it heavier and longer the next time.

It’s a pain. Mine are all over but the last one is still on ie I have been bleeding for a month. I was worried so called 111. It’s very hard to get hold of a GP. 111 said I should go to hospital and I went to urgent care. The doctor prescribed Norethisterine which stopped the bleeding straight away. The issue was the bleeding restarted as soon as I stopped it.

Mine stopped for 6 months & then came back. 🙄

I sometimes bled quite heavily for 10 or 11 days with only 2 or 3 weeks in between so I suspect it is not that unusual. The gaps eventually became longer -sometimes 3 months and it was probably 2 years or more before they stopped. However depends what is normal for you and as pp have said keep a note and discuss with GP or nurse if your practice has one who specialises in menopause.

Thank you all. I'm really grateful. I'll keep a diary and watch for a bit then.

If you were young, then yes, I’d be advising you to speak to your GP. But you’re Peri, where everything goes a little bit bonkers and there is no right or wrong.

The last thing you want is to get yourself in a state over it, so I’d suggest you get yourself some iron tablets and phone your GP to see if they have someone who specialises in the menopause, just to put your mind at rest.

Towards the end of peri my periods were light but very long 2 weeks.. a break of 3/4/5/6 months. Over a few years. The last one went on for 3 weeks stopped and then had another period. Not heavy just light. Now in menopause. 6 months later.

You have all been great. Thank you so much.

I’m on day 15 and it is so strong 🙄

Thank you for sharing your experiences of having longer periods. I thought 8 days was a lot! But I guess the first few were more discharge than period. (Sorry for tmi!)

For those of you with these longer than 7 day periods in the perimenopause, what treatment have you been offered? Just medicine or anything else? I'm guess you just have to put up with it in many cases until it passes into menopause.

Thanks again

In my early 40s, my periods lasted for 11 days, 10 day break, rinse and repeat.

I then started bleeding 14 months ago and haven't stopped yet...

Goodness. Have you seen a doctor? 14 months is a long time

You just need to keep track. I've had two occasions where they've dragged on beyond the point of tolerance. Once in my 30s it lasted 13 days and the GP gave me norethisterone which knocked it on the head immediately. Then aged 48 it went on 23 days with a couple of days off in the middle. Turned out to be fibroids. They were scraped out pretty quickly and cured. I personally think anything over a week is worth trying to curtail. Good luck OP

My longest was 33 days. It wasn't full on after a couple of days but the spotting went on and on and on...

My periods are generally about 3 days, but not heavy. My cycles generally every 75-80 days, though the last one was 108 days long. Woo hoo! 🙌🏼 It’s great.

Mine seem to be shortening now at every 3 weeks but only for 3-4 days.. seems anything can happen ..ugh

Also sometimes a ‘period’ is just bleeding. I had one in my 30s, not perimenopause, that lasted 6 weeks. No obvious cause. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I had a referral to gynaecology and all checked out fine. It was just one of those things. Then it stopped and I never had another funny one.

I had very long very heavy periods in my 50s and was prescribed Noresterine which stopped the bleeding but it came back with a vengeance during the days I was told not to take the medication. My GP wasn’t very interested but a blood test for another reason showed I was very anaemic. At 57 I finally had a hysterectomy which solved the problem and 5 weeks later I felt much better. Without intervention I would have been bleeding heavily constantly. 8 or 9 days isn’t worrying on its own but I would keep a diary and if it continues ask for a referral, don’t suffer unnecessarily.