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Menopause

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Original poster

Is this the start of the peri-menopause? TMI Warning.

851 replies

ScarahStratton · 16/10/2011 17:25

Normally I have nice, light, regular periods. No cramping, no pain or bloating (I know, I've been incredibly fortunate).

This month I am having the period from hell. Very heavy, feel like I've put on 2 stone in as many days, and absolutely horrific cramps that nothing is shifting.

I've spent hours in a steaming hot bath today, and just want to crawl into bed with a big mug of tea and LittleDog to cuddle.

I'm 44.

OP posts:
Mwahahahahahahahouseface · 17/10/2011 18:00
Grin

You win on that one Mittzy I'm not there yet!

Just to be completely sexist for a moment if I may, if MEN had to go through what we do, periods, smears, child birth, gynea ishoos, etc...... you could bet your life that there would be NO suffering whatsoever.

No period pains, no pain at all during labour, no discomfort at having a Ford Capri parked up your looly every few years for smears, no doctors with hands like fecking shovels having a quick fertle up there 'just to check all's well'

Nope, none of that. Hot flushes would be something you got at a luxury spa, not something you get the moment you get out of the shower, or wake up in soaking wet sheets. oh no.

Scientists would've been paid millions to come up with a 'cure' for such things by now. Hmm Grin

MrsMeow · 17/10/2011 19:15

I have all these symptoms and am only 31 :( my cycles have been ranging from 19 - 105(!!) days and I've had blood tests which show I'm still ovulating so there's not much that the docs will do. I've gone back on the pill to get some regularity back but I can't help but feel that it's just masking the symptoms iyswim?

The night sweats - is that when you wake up drenched but not actually feeling that hot? I've been getting these on and off for the past 3 or so weeks, but thought it was because I've been a bit under the weather. I'm wondering now if it's another bloody symptom - but then surely the pill would stop that anyway?

desertgirl · 17/10/2011 19:40

oh, glad to have seen this, had been wondering if periods coming every 15 minutes 21 days or so instead of 28-32 could be a sign of such things... wouldn't mind them being more frequent if they didn't go on for longer as well; can be 10 days though often with 24 hours off in the middle (someone else said that; had never heard of it before and thought I was weird)

not looking forward to the rest of it though.... how long is the peri part supposed to last?

rhetorician · 17/10/2011 19:50

I keep thinking that I must be (peri-menopausal, that is) as I am 45 going on 46. My cycles have shortened a little, but periods still pretty regular, although heavier than they had been (and I run quite a lot which usually makes them lighter) which is a pain in the arse. I am quite grumpy (which I put down to having a toddler, a job and the shreds and patches a life), I don't sleep that well (that's nothing new, though), but nothing more. Am I there? or nearly there?

The thing that bugs me is that it might take another 7 years before I can actually get off the fecking train...I've no use for this nonsense and would like it over and done with so that I can come to terms with being a bitter old hag. I don't want years of sweat, blood and tears, just so that I can be properly saggy and old...

Original poster
ScarahStratton · 17/10/2011 19:53

I'm really looking forward to being a bitter old hag. I'm going to be incredibly rude, and grow old disgracefully, surrounded by stinking, motheaten cats and cobwebs.

OP posts:
crazynannawitchbitch · 17/10/2011 19:58

DD often tells me I am going to be one of those biddies that smell of corned beef and piss [hshock]

CroissantNeuf · 17/10/2011 20:01

I think I need to hang out on this thread as some of this seems strangely familiar.

CroissantNeuf. Age 44 and a half.

CroissantNeuf · 17/10/2011 20:02

..but not the smelling of corned beef and piss Wink

Bellavita · 17/10/2011 20:11

Hassled, I have hype myself up to make phone calls too . We had a decorator come round last Monday to give us a quote to decorate the house from top to bottom, he said he would have the quote to us in a couple of days. Roll on a week and it stil ain't here... I have put off ringing him from about last Thursday. Have you got a pic of your new hair cut?

It was another hot night in bed last night and that was nothing to do with DH...

BeaHellZeBubOnSea · 17/10/2011 20:15

Scarah - me too!

I am going to shuffle across the road wherever I want (even if there is a pelican crossing a few steps down) wearing a headscarf which means I can't even see the traffic. I'm going to bash people's ankles with my shopping trolley, take all my copper to the post office at lunch time to annoy the workers and jump the queue in the supermarket to get my two ounces of corned beef - all the time muttering about the price of fish.

I can't wait

BarryStar · 17/10/2011 20:17

Had this conversation with a friend today about the old street we used to live in:

Friend: "What was the name of that woman who lived at number ..... number what was it?

Me: "What woman?"

Friend: "You know, her with the two boys. Or was it girls?"

Me: "Oh her at number, um, what number was it?

Friend: "Yes, her."

And lot of other similarly vague conversations. Kept thinking about this thread. As my mother told me when I turned forty "It's all down hill from now on".

Original poster
ScarahStratton · 17/10/2011 20:19

YY Bea

OP posts:
cyb · 17/10/2011 20:20

Mwahahahah I only gush for 2 days too but still found tranexamic very good. how were you taking it?

ThePathanKhansWoman · 17/10/2011 20:20

Oh yes me too, had hot moment today (no not one of those), in the middle of a rain storm FFS, how long does this rubbish last, i'm not putting up with this.

crazynannawitchbitch · 17/10/2011 20:21

BeaHellZeBubOnSea I do all those things already Sad

BeaHellZeBubOnSea · 17/10/2011 20:21

And sitting on the bus with your legs apart so everyone gets a glance at your stocking tops [hgrin]

crazynannawitchbitch · 17/10/2011 20:23

BarryStar [hgrin]

BeaHellZeBubOnSea · 17/10/2011 20:24

crazynana - I already mutter to myself as I walk down the street.

animula · 17/10/2011 20:28

Thank you for starting this thread, SarahStratton, and for all of you who have shared.

I realised I was perimenopausal a short while ago - and this really does make me feel rather warm (in a non-hot flush way Smile ).

Cannot believe how my memory is all over the place - I feel I've not yet had a chance to recover from pregnancy and early-years sleep deprivation.

oldsilverbullet · 17/10/2011 20:39

Crazy you are more than welcome [hgrin]

Desert - that was me ... like how can it just stop completely for 24 hours and just start right back up again - it's not right is it [hhmm]

I am already prepared to channel this delightful lady , in fact I aspire to be like her!!

BecauseImAWerewolefIt · 17/10/2011 20:51

My periods have been all over the place for about 3 years now (I'm 52). The hot flushes started about 3 years ago as well, but I have discovered that Boots Menolieve (as mentioned earlier) does help.

Things that make them worse:

carbs
sugar
alcohol
caffeine

I'm definitely better if I avoid those as much as possible.

Also have the hairy chin and acne - usually around my chin/neck, just before I do get a period. Sometimes I get these even if I'm not getting a period. Last month I had a spot on my chin that was so big it had five separate heads on it.

It's a lovely time of our lives, isn't it? Xmas Grin

BecauseImAWerewolefIt · 17/10/2011 20:51

Oh dear. I appear to have got my emoticons seasonally mixed up. [hgrin]

BeaHellZeBubOnSea · 17/10/2011 20:54

[hgrin] @ BIWI

Bellavita · 17/10/2011 20:57

I drink lots of coffee, I need to stop don't I?

No hairs yet thank god.

Talk to me about the Menolieve. What is supposed to do? Ease all the symptoms? How long does it take to work?

BecauseImAWerewolefIt · 17/10/2011 20:59

It's supposed to deal with the hot flushes, which it has (mostly) for me, although I'm a bit worried that they're ramping up at the moment Sad.

You take one a day, just like the contraceptive pill.

For me, the effect of taking them was immediate. (Of course this could have been a placebo, but I didn't care!)