45, periods going wonky, do I need to go to the dr so he can tell me that I'm getting on...

[Quangle]

Thread title says it all really. Had some inbetween bleeding earlier in this year and went to the GP who sent me to the gynae and ended up having a uterine biopsy (and btw, OW!). All clear. The inbetween bleeding has cleared up but now am on day 60 probably and no sign of my next period.

I'm guessing this is all age-related but at no point did anyone actually do a blood test and say "oh you are perimenopausal" or actually menopausal or anything. Does this need to be said? Is there anything useful he could add? Or do I just go gently into this next phase without needing anyone to confirm it? Feel like I've only just got over childbirth

rookie middle-aged woman...

IME gp's are not very interested in menopause unless you are having symptoms that are affecting your day to day life. I asked if there was a blood test or any way of telling roughly how long the heavy periods I was experiencing would go on. Her answer "if I could tell you that I'd be rich". Nice.

I'm the same 45 next month and my periods have gone all funny and light especially over the last 6 months. They changed about 3 years ago and I went to the GP who just said 'hormones change over a lifetime not just menopause' yada yada. I have decided not to bother the GP unless it goes weirder in a bad way especially as I have had a lifetime of horrible periods this seems like a blessed relief.

Mine stopped in August, didnt occur to me it could be anything else - particularly as I told them about 5 years ago I was pre-menopausal and they said I was too young ....everyone in my family goes through it early so

Should I have gone to the Doctor? Will be keeping an eye on the

this I mean!

As you've had a recent gynae once over (did they scan you too?) then I think that the amenhorrhea will be menopausal.

But you might want to POAS to be sure

And yes, go and see your GP and discuss HRT.

Mine have also gone very light & are slightly closer together.

At the beginning of the year, I had an odd episode where I had one very heavy, very long period that started 5 days after a normal one finished and finished about 2 days before the next normal one started (if that makes sense!)

I was alarmed to say the least, and had a long telephone conversation with our lovely practice nurse. She (same age as me) basically said that during the perimenopause anything goes - & from now on, I should expect the unexpected!

There's not a lot doctors can do, given that this is a normal part of the way our bodies age - unless it's interfering with daily life. So, I'm just sitting on the wait-and-see-what-happens bench.

This is all really helpful. I was thinking it probably would be just a "oh look, there goes my fertility" type situation (have two DCs and am 100% done so that's fine) so no need to talk to the GP but it's odd how unprepared I feel and it sounds like I should get myself prepared for absolutely anything. Shouldn't my mum be buying me a book about this like she did when I started my periods ?

Yes I had a scan during the gynae thing and there was a fibroid but nothing v exciting. No need to POAS - I am single and that really would be a Christmas miracle

Mine started going a bit funny when I was 40. I'm now 46 and haven't had a period since April - it just turned off like a tap. No other symptoms whatsoever. Haven't gone to the GP as I can't think what he'd actually do and I'm not having any distressing symptoms.

I have a doctor friend who said that once we get to our forties all sorts of weird gynae stuff can happen - periods going haywire, stopping, starting, general oddness.

lurking same as me, 40's started getting a bit lighter and less often (having been 28 days predicatable to the hour before) and now I am nearly 44 turned off 'like a tap', like you, in Feb, nothing since. Did not occur to me to go to the docs, I presumed that this was peri menopause. No other symptoms, just tired!

Should we all be going to the doctors?

It's occurred to me,now I'm mid 40's that I know nothing about the menopause.

I don't even know what happens really and I assumed most people are 50+ when they hit 'the change'.

www.ion.ac.uk/information/onarchives/perimenopause

I read this earlier on another website. It gives a pretty good account of what is happening during perimenopause.

(I don't know anything else about the site, but the article is good)

summertime what an excellent article, thanks for posting that link!

I'm nearly 45 and have had the coil in for 4 years because my periods were awful, heavy, long, very sporadic. It really got me down, so the coil was suggested.

It's been good but now I want it taken out but it's gone awol. Apt for scan in Jan to find it!

I too know nothing about the menopause...think I need to read up!