Irregular period: Should I see my GP yet?

[TheToldYouSoDance]

Hi,
I’m after a bit of advice please. Since I had DS 9 years ago, my cycle has mainly been 25 days with 6 days of quite heavy flow. My periods have become lighter over the past 6 months, but just recently (2 months), my cycle and length of period has reduced. So last month’s came after 23 days and I had a fairly light period lasting 3.5 days. I’m now at 19 days later and just wiped to see I seem to have come on again. My question is should I go to the GP now, or give it another month or so to establish definite pattern. I’m just about to turn 45.

Thank you.

No need to go to the GP really, unless you have other symptoms and would like to have HRT. Changes to cycle length are typically the first signs of peri and you probably have a few years to go until you go through menopause.

Thanks Paris. Main symptoms really are brain fog; which I’ve arguably had for years 🤪 and going from normal mood to verge of tears and back again within minutes. 😫

I guess thing about menop is it makes lots of women who were previously regular very irregular. So you might wait a long time for a pattern to emerge.

Is your period a problem to you?

Thanks, lljkk. My periods aren’t a problem as such as have always been regular of sorts; timing, flow, length etc. The last couple of months have changed considerably though so I get a bit panicky thinking, what if this isn’t an early light bleed, but an in between bleed.

I think that you need to see your gyn, get informed and if your symptoms affect your quality of life ask for hrt. You don’t need to suffer.

Getting used to the regular becoming irregular is difficult, I totally get what you're saying. Try not to panic - anything and everything can happen in peri regarding flow, colour, timing.

Emerald, the OP would see a GP rather than a gyn and they're not always going to be very well informed regarding peri.

My periods have been all over he place for 3 years. Sometimes 20 days in between, sometimes 3 months.
I went to the docs who said there was nothing strange, things just change on the way to being menopausal and if I could cope with it then do nothing. She didn't really want to hear me once I'd said I have no other symptoms and I felt like I'd wasted her time.

Thanks everyone. I’ll see how this month goes and then will make a decision to see my GP - just for peace of mind really. My mum’s menopause came on after a hysterectomy so I’ve no real notes to compare with (plus she’s passed away now).

It sounds as if you are in the early stages of peri. Your cycles may well settle back into the old pattern, but it's hard to tell. I had a couple of odd cycles around 47 but wasn't post meno till 53 and had very few symptoms till then.

The only reason to see your GP is if you are looking for either prescribed treatment. This could be HRT or talking therapies like CBT if you are anxious or feel down.

Latest advice though from NICE is that HRT can be used for both physical and emotional symptoms.

This explains it.

menopausematters.co.uk/newsitem.php?recordID=188/Menopausal-depression-may-be-prevented-by-hormone-therapy