Reassure me! Menopause related...

[MrsBazinga]

I'm 45. For the last couple of years my periods have been fairly normal - a few months where the cycle has been short, 24 dayish, and a couple of times where it's been a week late. Nothing dreadful.

Then in June I had a strange week of what must have been hot flushes. In the evenings, every half hour or so, I'd have a sudden real hottening from my chest, up my neck and across my scalp. It only lasted a minute, then stopped. Odd sensation, but not debilitating or hugely unpleasant. And then it stopped.

And now in July my period is nearly 7 weeks late. I feel completely normal, not periody, nothing. Poor paranoid DH made me POAS, despite him having the snip 2 years ago, and me saying I definitely didn't feel at all pregnant. And of course it was negative.

But it worries me. I don't want to bother my GP if its normal. So do I just wait and see what happens? Some sites say I should seek medical advice as I'm under 50 so need to be checked out.

Any advice much appreciated.

Gentle bump.

didn't want to read and run
sounds like you could be perimenopausal....hormone check from gp?

oops but am no expert

pretty much what happened to me - hot flushes started when I was about 47/8 and the periods suddenly disappeared to about 1 every 6 months. See your GP if you're worried, they will arrange tests for you. Oh, and there's light at the end of the tunnel!

You are a bit on the young side- they are now saying that early menopause is 47, not 45. But that means your periods have to have stopped completely for 12 months by that age.

So- if your periods stop by the age of 46 you should see your GP as you could be at risk from osteoporosis due to lack of oestrogen.

There's no point having blood tests now- they will vary from day to day as your hormones ( as shown by your erratic bleeding patterns) will be all over the place.

Best thing to do is keep a diary of symptoms and cycles and see how it goes in another 12 months.

Sounds like you are perimenopausal - i.e. you are in the years leading up to the menopause.

This is exactly how it started for me. Time before periods got longer and longer, and started to feel hot flushes occasionally.

DH and I had even got as far as deciding that we were having twins (girls) and had named them, when I once went 6 months between periods - and he's had the snip as well

If you're concerned, go and see the GP. You may also want to talk through the options available for you, e.g. HRT, or natural remedies. You won't be wasting their time.

Thank you all. So, the plan is keep a diary over the next year, and think about visiting GP for a chat soonish, just to look at options.
Not having periods is rather a nice turn-up for the books, but lack of regularity is a pain in the butt!

Just as an update...

I didn't have a period until the end of August, and then...OMG...now I understand what women mean when they talk about flooding. It was the heaviest most horrendous period I have ever had, literally changing tampons/pads every hour, and having to get up in the middle the night to sort out the mess :( I then had a normal period in September and I'm now well not October with no sign of the next one, and horrible, almost constant hot flushes. This is new, as during the summer the hot flushes were mild and only in the evening. At the moment I am constantly sweaty and feel like I'm running a temperature all the time :(

I am going to try to get a GP's appointment next week, but am unsure what they can do. I am going to ask for blood tests to confirm the peri-menopause but is there medication to stop the hot flushes, or is that what HRT does? I need to do some research I think.

Hi I'm 45 and had a blood test done recently which showed I'm menopausal. I spoke to my doctor about my options last week. I've had some hot flushes and night sweats which have disappeared for the time being.

As there is a history of breast cancer in my family, I've decided not to go on HRT for the time being and have accepted my doctor's offer for a referral for genetic counselling.

I'm unsure what to do.

That should read I'm unsure what to do until I know the risks.

I would ask your gp for advice - it'll make you feel better. Blood tests can be inconclusive - I haven't had a period for 2 years (since I was 50) but when I had a blood test 6 months ago it said I wasn't menopausal at all! I started getting hot flushes about 9 months ago and now take the lowest possible dose HRT.

My periods sort of sputtered to a halt - I'd be a week late, then the next month not have one at all, then have 2 normal ones, then miss 3 months etc etc.

It's def worth going to the dr's. I went through same thing two years ago (am 36 now) and Dr gave me contraceptive pill and I feel like a new person. I was really losing it and had gone quite mental.

Byw my doc said that as soon as you think you may be menopausal start taking a daily calcium supplement.

oops - btw

Orange- in your shoes I'd ask for a referral to a gynae who has an interest in and experience of menopause. HRT is not an absolute no-no but it depends if you are talking about first degree relatives ( mum and sisters) so you need some advice from an expert.

MissBoPeep my mother developed breast cancer after eight years on HRT. My gran died of it as did my great aunt. My mother is fine now but at the time her consultant was convinced the cancer was caused by HRT.

I am seeing a gynae on Weds about something else so will see if he can help or knows someone that can.

They won't prescribe HRT now if there's a family history of breast cancer. The stats are these: Of women 50+ not taking HRT, 5 in 1000 will develop breast cancer in a 5 year period. Of women 50+ taking HRT, 9 in 1000 will develop breast cancer in a 5 year period. So you are nearly doubling your risk. That's why HRT is now only prescribed for a relatively short period to relieve menopausal symptoms rather than for many years as in the past.

fortyplus- those figures you have quoted are perhaps from the WHI and Million Women trials? These have been shown to be flawed by latest research.

Telegraph

Even if your stats were correct ( and they seem higher than the ones quoted below by quite a lot) the absolute increase in risk is 4 extra cases per 1000 women after 5 years. The risk is still small.

Menopausematters

I asked my consultant about women who say their breast cancer was caused by HRT and he said it was never possible to say it was a cause-effect situation.

He says that having a 1st degree relative with BC before age 45 might be an issue.

But in any case if you take HRT before age 51 ( average age of meno) the years don't count towards risk.

Oh it's worth looking further down the 2nd link to see which lifestyle factors carry a higher risk for BC than HRT- weight, drinking and inactivity/ weight is now blamed for up to 40% of BC in UK ( figures were on BBC news website 2 days ago.)

Missbopeep - they're from the current leaflet inside my packet of tablets. Not sure that a drugs company would be allowed to distribute inaccurate information to patients?

It's the same info that's in all HRT preps- seen it in my friends etc.

It's based on the WHI and the MWS and they haven't bothered to update or re-assess the info they are including.

If you look at the info on the Menopause Matters link you will see that there is a wide variation in the stats depending on which study you refer to.

Sounds good to me - I'm fit and active and drink moderately so hopefully my risk is even lower than I thought!