Hot flushes a few days before a period

[erilou38]

Ok, so iv'e posted quite a few times on here recently...iv'e kind of got a bit obsessed with menopause symptoms! I'm 38 and have been having irregular periods for 2 years now, which seem to be shorter and lighter than before. For the past 3 years, since i was 35 i have been having these weird hot feelings that happen only at night in bed and they happen a few days or sometimes up to a week before i get my period. I wake up feeling really hot, like i am cooking. It's my whole body, not just my chest. My husband says i feel boiling to the touch, like a radiator! It's uncomfortable and i have to throw off all the bedclothes and open the window. This doesn't seem to happen at any other time, just in the lead-up to my period. Having said that though, for the last few weeks i have woken up at night a few times with my chest all sweaty, although it's not the same kind of hotness. Has anyone else experiences this ? Do you think these might be menopausal 'hot flushes' ? As i have been having them since my mid 30s i doubt they are due to menopause. It's just strange that they never used to happen until a few years ago. My doctor thinks i could be in perimenopause but not premature menopause as i'm still having periods and my hormone blood levels don't indicate menopause. I will add that i am having a bit of a problem with vaginal dryness but have pessaries to treat that. I just think these 'hot feelings are a little odd.

I get hot sometimes before and the first days of my period. Sometimes my boobs get erm.... well mahoosive too. But not every time. I'm in no doubt its hormonal, but it isn't every time, and not as bad as your description. I haven't bothered my gp about it (yet).I'm a year older than you.

Perhaps you should go back? Perseverance can be the key with doctors sometimes.

My hubby would be in his element if my boobs grew!! Sometimes they get a little tender before a period but not very often. I have been to the doctors several times the past few years but up until recently i have not been taken seriously. Far too young for menopause they tell me. At my last visit the doctor actually suggested HRT. That's for older ladies, i'm only 38!! I guess i'll just plod on for a little while longer.

Getting hot at night before a period is quite normal-it's when your temp rises post ovulation.

But.....you can't rule out menopause.

I don't understand your drs, TBH. Have they not heard of premature menopause?????

How many blood tests did they do? They ought to do 2 in one month- one at day 3 then another after day 14. One single blood t est is not accurate as your hormones can be all over the place.

Have they also tested for PCOS and thyroid issues?

If you are having a prem meno then you do need HRT for health reasons. Have a look at the Daisy network online.

My thyroid is fine. I was found to have 2 or 3 ovarian cysts when i had a scan back in August at infertility clinic. Don't think it's PCOS though. My doctor did mention that menopause under the age of 40 is classed as premature. It took me about two years to get taken seriously at my doctor surgery. I first asked about my symptoms when i was 35 but was told i was far too young and the doctor actually laughed! I have had several cycle day 3 blood tests over the past year which measured my FSH levels. My highest reading was last November, it was 20!! My doctor said at the time i was most likely borderline menopausal. Since then my FSH has come down, the doctor then decided i wasn't menopausal after all! My most recent FSH was 11.2 and the one before that was 5.2, although with that my E2 was elevated which was likely falsely suppressing the FSH. I'm told that cysts can make FSH high as well as stress which has been chronic for the last few years. I would love to think that all my problems were down to good old stress!

I think it's because your oestrogen levels drop before your period starts & the oestrogen levels help regulate your body temperature.