Period length a good indicator of meno?

[Badders123]

Hi
So I've been in peri menopause (confirmed via blood test) since I was 40
I'm 44 next month and my last period was 1.5 days (normally 4/5 days)
I've got all the nasty peri symptoms and hrt simply made a haemorrhage
I'm very wiling to go on HRT when my periods stop but until then it's not for me
I'm taking menopace plus and vit d (as I'm deficient)
But I'm so so tired all the time. My sleep is poor and in fact am off to the sleep apnoea clinic in 2 weeks.
All bloods like thyroid etc are Normal
Please
Please
Tell me this could be the end of periods!!?
Please?

You really can't tell. The length of your period doesn't necessarily mean you will soon have no more- they can be very stop and start for years.

A better guide is whether your cycles are regular or not. Are they or are you missing a few now and then?

The lack of sleep is probably due to loss of estrogen. I can't remember the last time I went to sleep and didn't wake up till 7-8 hrs later and I've been using HRT for 8 years!! In my case it might just be old age :(

I've recently bought a Fitbit and it's alarming just how poor my sleep is
Cycle still pretty regular 26-31days apart
But usually 28/30
Ugh
Enough already!!!

Don't worry about the sleep.

It's normal, and fine to sleep for 3 hours, be awake for 1-2 hours, then sleep again for 2-3 hours.

Grown ups don't need 8 hours solid sleep (unless poorly or exhausted)

It's the sleep thing that does me in too. I'm worse at the points of my cycle where hormones are changing, so ovulation time and pre and just after AF. I literally wake up over and over again with a pounding heart, then after waking about 4 times I get a hot flush and then I can usually sleep after that. It's really horrible.
I'm 41 and still regular periods but sometimes the cycles are short. I've read that short cycles are the first sign, then when you miss a period you're well on the road and it's usually a matter of a couple of years before they stop.

Awful night again last night.
Wide awake with pounding head at 5 :(

Sorry to hear that Badders. Have you tried exercise? I'm doing couch to 5k and it's sort of helped with the sleep a bit.

I've bought a Fitbit to try and make sure I'm doing my 10000 steps a day and I seem to do more than that (unless like yesterday it's raining and I have a bad headache!)
It's confirmed how bad my sleep is though.
I'm off to the sleep apnea clinic in a couple of weeks.
I feel so tired ALL THE TIME
it's very frustrating.

Badders- I know you've said you have tried HRT which gave you heavy bleeding. It might be that you have to try a few sorts, including the Mirena coil. Sorry if you have already tried this. But I fully empathise with your lack of sleep - not sure how a sleep clinic will help tbh if the root cause is hormonal. Has your dr explained what they can offer to try to help you (at the sleep clinic?)

Hi polly
Tried the mirena - just 6 months of constant spotting and pain
Also tried;
Depo - put on 2 stone and went a bit psycho
Pop pill - made me sick
Can't have mini pill as I'm a stroke risk
I did a sleep study some time back and this is to get the results
The dr did give me another HRT to try but you - and several others at the time - pointed out it was not suitable for those who still have a uterus/ are actively bleeding
So all in all I'm assuming hrt will have to wait for me til Ive stopped bleeding

It's normal to spot with the Mirena- your dr ought to have told you- but pain is not normal. Wonder if it was inserted correctly? (I had a normal coil and spotted for weeks and found out if was half dislodged.)

Have you had a referral to a gynae? If not, ask!

I'm confused over your stroke risk: the POP pill IS the mini pill. Also, it's not the progesterone in pills that gives stroke risk- it's the estrogen.

What gives you a risk of stroke? (Out of interest.) If this is true then all HRT is out for you , unless you use transdermal.

Stroke risk is defined (by meno experts) as very high BP, obesity, previous DVT or heart attack. Not much else- definitely not migraine or family history unless a close relative at a very young age.

Hemi plegic migraine and atrial fibrillation - means pill is out for me apparently
Seen a gynae - had bloods and scan done

• all normal (family history of fibroids so no idea when mum and sister went into meno as they both has hysterectomies before 35)

Feel very low about it all This could go on for years Have put on 1.5 stone in the last year - no idea how

(And yes have had thyroid checked)
Only bloods not right were my liver function (I have Gilbert's) and vit d which I'm taking a supplement for

I can't have the pill either Badders, same thing I have migraine with aura, so it's totally out. The consultant gynae confirmed this.

You can have hrt though because the hormonal dose is so much lower than birth control pill.

Reading this with interest...

I'm sure I've been peri for a couple of years, no evidence of this apart from bastard symptoms!
Interested in your comment about headaches. This is my worst symptom.
I get them all the time.
Does anyone find this?

I tend to
Especially just before a period.
Had an awful one yesterday though...
I take paracetamol or if it's really bad co codamol.

Migraine is not a contraindication for HRT. This is stated clearly on the Migraine Trust website. See Mid life and HRT section.

www.migrainetrust.org

I've read lots of posts on this from other posters on another forum (Menopause Matters) who have had HRT prescribed by consultants. My own, doesn't see it as an issue. (I get migraine)

If you read other forums you will see there are as many opinions as consultants- some are incredibly out of date and women post about how they have suffered at their hands.

If you want to use HRT maybe get another opinion? Don't accept inaccurate info.

Sorry OP I don't think short periods mean they are coming to an end.
I have been having erratic bleeds for at 2 - 3 years, Sometimes miss a period then sometimes have one every two weeks, sometimes just what I call 'flash floods" which last about an hour and come completely out of nowhere, I had one at my sons graduation - and I wondered if any one has heard of strong emotions affecting bleeding like this?

I know you said thyroid is fine (twice in fact :) ) but did you check the actual results and was tsh under 2?

this Friend of mine was told by 'our' gynae (same one) that it's well recognised that hugely emotional events can cause flash flooding / sudden periods. They gave examples of it being documented hundreds of years ago. sorry it happened to you when it did.

The dr told me she did a test that could predict thyroid issues?
Sorry can't remember the name...
Her exact words were
"Future Thyroid disease very unlikely"
Cholesterol 4.9
Blood glucose normal
Vit d low (supplementing now)
Liver (high bilirubin but normal for me)
There are only so many blood tests you can request...

Yes! I thought so, its good to have it confirmed, also started an unscheduled period when my DF died

odd. I wonder what the thyroid test was? an antibodies test? its really normal to be told your thyroid is normal and later find out there were lots of signs it was failing. maybe get a copy of all the results?

Yes that was it
Antibody rest

Test even