Does this sound menopausal?

[GilmoursPillow]

Sorry in advance for the TMI...

I'm 44. I'm crabby, anxious and weepy. I've suffered depression in the past and though I was again but not sure if it could be the start of the menopause.

My periods are fairly regular (although very heavy with huge clots the first day). I had one month of about 40 days between periods, several months of around 28 days them my last one was 37 days. It was a fairly normal period and finished after about 4 or 5 days - normal. Now what's worrying me is that after about 3 or 4 days it seems to have started again. Not heavy enough to need sanpro and it's very mucousy, but it's enough to worry me. I haven't had a smear in 18 months and have an appointment for one on Monday although it looks unlikely I'll get one if I'm still bleeding. Is this a fairly normal thing with the menopause?

What I'm more concerned with I guess is the stop-start bleeding.

Yes, it could be the start ofthe peri-menopause. But I think it's worth seeing your GP to discuss symptoms and see if s/he thinks there is anything that needs investigating as irregular bleeding can have various causes (eg endometriosis/ademomyosis/fibroids/polyps). These are treatable (though that may be symptomatic relief, not full cure) and although it is possible that it might be normal menopause and you just have to put up with it, symptoms should not be ignored based solely on age.

Thank you. It's a gynae I'm seeing on Monday (I'm not in the UK so don't need a referral) so I'll discuss it with her. I just got myself tangled up in knots with the irregular bleeding as it doesn't fall into the "google" list of symptoms.

Thanks again.

it does sound fairly normal to me as the peri menopause, but worth having a chat with your gynae

Your description certainly matches my symptoms (from when I was perim. rather than just plain menopausal) but I went to the GP to make sure it wasn't something else. It's diagnosed through a definitive test (as opposed to "we've tested for a load of other stuff, so it must be this") which is quite reassuring.

I also kept waking up at night with a madly racing heart and massive anxiety symptoms which my GP completely poo-poohed as a menopausal symptom. Some of it was stress-related, because it improved when I ditched the work I was doing for DSis a stress source from my life, but loads of friends have also reported regularly waking with a pounding heart and those anxiety flutters in their stomach during perim. as well. I just mention it in case you're suffering similarly.

No racing heart, but insomnia. Under quite a bit of stress too. I put it down to depression but I now think it may be more to do with hormones.

I assume that treatment is different so it would be good to get to the bottom of everything. I'm not 100% confident in the medical care here so I'm a little nervous. I guess if they do a blood test it'll be more fact than opinion.

theres loads of great threads here about the peri meno x

I saw the gynae today. She's not really entertaining the idea of menopause and reckons the emotional side of things is down to depression. She ordered a blood test to check hormone levels, more to humour me I think, as she said she doesn't think it's necessary.

She's given me norethisterone to (hopefully) stop the period, which will give me another period after 10 days when I stop taking them. She then wants to see what happens - if this was a one-off.

Oh yeah, I also had an ultrasound.

£250 later....

Blood tests indicate I'm not menopausal...