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Menopause

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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Lighter periods - perimenipause?

23 replies

BeyondDangerousTshirts · 15/07/2019 12:13

To start, I'm expecting (hoping for!) a very early and relatively easy menopause, based on my mum and her mum...

My last few periods have been extremely short and light. Two or three days of either light bleeding or just spotting. Pre-pregnancy I had heavy periods, and then post-pregnancy I had a mirena in for years, but it's been out for a year now so shouldn't be residual effects of that.

What do you think? Just (lucky and) normal, or the beginnings of perimenopause? I have no idea of symptoms to look for, thought I had a few years yet before it was time to think about it!

OP posts:
BeyondDangerousTshirts · 15/07/2019 19:50

Bump

OP posts:
LilyMumsnet · 15/07/2019 22:15

We're just moving this over to the menopause for the OP. Flowers

BeyondDangerousTshirts · 15/07/2019 22:32

Thank you, Lilymn

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Northernsoullover · 15/07/2019 22:35

Mine are definitely shorter and lighter. I used to have a 6 day period now I'm down to 3 days I also only have one morning of it being heavy so I am putting it down to menopause. No hot flushes yet. I'm 47 and my mum was 47 when she went through menopause.

BeyondDangerousTshirts · 15/07/2019 22:48

I'm definitely having hot flushes - DP keeps taking my temp as she can feel the heat radiating off me. And I cannot sleep at all atm, very weird as I have a chronic fatigue condition.

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BeyondDangerousTshirts · 15/07/2019 22:58

I'm still young though - only 33. My mum and nan were both post-menopausal by 40, but I'm still not really expecting it quite yet!

Though I do have an autoimmune condition and know (from reading today) that they can be linked to early menopause

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EarringsandLipstick · 16/07/2019 05:31

I'm in a similar situation OP but only 43. Since my late 30s, everything has changed with my cycle, initially starting with awful PMT, physical & emotional symptoms.

That was alleviated to an extent by taking a low dose SSRI.

But last year, major change again. Last few months really light periods BUT awful PMT but different symptoms than before including crushing anxiety, gut-wrenching sadness (it's just horrific when it kicks in) & current worst symptoms, awful disturbed sleep, aching limbs & a permanently exhausted feeling (I force myself through this as 3 kids, single parent & busy senior f/t role. Plus exercise really important to me - and helps mentally too - but not cycle I really couldn't exercise for 4 days & was very low. I exercise vigorously 4 - 5 times a week)

I'm seeing GP on Wednesday about it. It's somewhat hard to know what's what - as I am having a tough year with financial stress & a close bereavement so some of the symptoms may be attributable to that?

JinglingHellsBells · 16/07/2019 08:34

@BeyondDangerousTshirts Sorry to burst your bubble on hoping for an early menopause- it's medical condition with high risks.

If you start to miss periods, see your GP.

The risks of menopause before 45 include heart disease, osteoporosis and also Parkinson's and possible dementia.

So if you are following your mum's pattern you would need HRT to your early 50s at least (age of average menopause.)

Read the website of the Daisy Network- charity set run by drs for prem menopause.

@EarringsandLipstick- ditto for you! You should be on HRT not anti depressants- this is NICE medical guidelines. Your GP ought NOT be to medicating you with ADs as this is an estrogen- loss condition. ADs are only to be used for depression which is not related to hormones. (NICE guide.)

Lot of ignorance amongst GPs on this- do some reading around yourself by doing research on this.

BeyondDangerousTshirts · 16/07/2019 08:49

I do now know (from reading yesterday) that there are risks and I should be on hrt if I am indeed heading that way. Seems weird as my mum literally just stopped her periods one day and went unmedicated, and nearly twenty years on she’s absolutely fine. But I would of course take proper medical advice on it rather than base it on her experience (and of course who knows how her bones etc are on the inside). Can’t check anything with my Nan as she died of NH lymphoma at 45.

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EarringsandLipstick · 16/07/2019 09:00

@JinglingHellsBells I realise you are trying to be helpful but my GP prescribed low-dose SSRI a number of years ago to deal with PMT symptoms. Not perimenopausal symptoms which appear to have only commenced fairly recently.

That IS a recommended course if action

Also, as I mentioned in my post, the challenge is that some issues I am experiencing might be also explained (or at least partially) by other life events, so I need to take the wider view, in discussion with my GP (tomorrow!)

I did have hormone levels checked about 6 months ago, all normal but from my brother, who is an Obs/Gynae doctor, I understand that this isn't always very useful as hormone levels fluctuate & you are checking at a point in time.

As a side-note, you are entirely wrong about the use of ADs - they are recommended for use for PMT, either cyclically or taken constantly and also, often at sub-clinical doses, for anxiety.

A lot of what you are posting is helpful but you need to not be as directive in your approach - you aren't always right!

Finally you can't tell people they should be on a particular course of treatment. I'm open to considering HRT if needed. But I'll consider it & weigh up benefits / risks which all treatment has.

And while I expect you are correct that early menopause increases risks like osteoporosis, you need to be aware that there are a variety of ways to mitigate this - for example, if you regularly do weight bearing exercise, as I do, you greatly reduce this risk. Many women unfortunately don't.

JinglingHellsBells · 16/07/2019 13:17

@EarringsandLipstick
Whoooa stready on!

Is there any need to be quite so errrrr.... patronising :)

The advice I quoted is from NICE. It's not ME being directive, LOL. Not sure why you feel the need to be so rude. But that's your issue.

The advice from NICE is as I said. Your situation was / is unclear.
During peri, anxiety and mood can be a result of loss of estrogen. I'm not sure where you are coming from on this. It must be nigh impossible to a GP to work out if the mod swings are increased PMT or the start of anxiety and emotional issues that are peri- menopause because PMT increases for most women towards menopause.

Yes, all women need to do weight bearing exercise but it is simply not enough for anyone having an early menopause. The NICE guidelines on this are unequivocal.

Maybe read the NICE guidelines which also state that blood tests are not recommended in peri- it's all there for you to read- as well as guidance on ADs and treatment for moods/ anxiety etc during peri.

JinglingHellsBells · 16/07/2019 13:23

@BeyondDangerousTshirts I expect your mum is around my age if she was menopausal by 40 and that was 20 years ago?
With all due respect, she may have osteoporosis and simply not know- many women have no idea until they have a fracture and then it's too late to turn back the clock. Anyone who has an early menopause should be given a DEXA scan for their bones and repeated every 2- 3 years. She fits the criteria for this scanning under the NHS.

Between 1:2 and 1:3 women over 50 have osteoporosis. Most go undiagnosed until their 60s 0r 70s. Treatment is not great once it's got severe.

So do take this seriously if it might be relevant to you.

BeyondDangerousTshirts · 16/07/2019 14:09

I'll let her know, jingling. And I absolutely will take hrt if it's recommended (and double check via other resources if it isn't - used to being denied medication on dubious grounds!), I'm disabled so weight bearing exercise solving anything isn't relevant to me Grin

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EarringsandLipstick · 16/07/2019 21:49

Um, I think you are the one being patronising as well as incorrect eg re ADs🤷🏻‍♀️

You don't have all the info and I'm not sure why you think you do.

Regarding my comment about you being 'directive', I wasn't referring to the guidelines you quote, I was talking about you telling people what their choices should be and exactly whether they should or shouldn't be prescribed ADs.

Use of ADs is well documented in the literature for treatment of anxiety plus PMT. I don't know what else to say?

I have read NICE guidelines. I realise I didn't say it originally - I mean it's not ultimately that relevant - but I'm in Ireland. The NICE guidelines are part of what's used for reference but there are other guidelines & approaches. Also it's not the NHS here so primary care is (for most people) not free, as with prescriptions so some of the rationalising (eg re prescribing HRT) doesn't happen here.

Emerald13 · 17/07/2019 05:39

Earring I think that you need to get more informed. I am 43 and diagnosed with early meno 2 years ago. Early meno is a serious medical condition and we absolutely need hrt if there are no contradictions. Things will be worse with time if we do not take estrogen, we absolutely need hrt and not antidepressants.

lljkk · 17/07/2019 06:18

(OP) You haven't had the Mirena out for long enough to know, yet, I reckon.

I don't seem to be following a pattern like my mother; don't think Dd is following a pattern like me, either.

EarringsandLipstick · 17/07/2019 07:17

This thread is becoming somewhat ridiculous.

I'm not sure where in my posts Emerald13 you read that I have been diagnosed with early menopause 🤷🏻‍♀️

What I described are recent symptoms which seem like they could be perimenopausal.

My periods are regular & I've no indication that I may be menopausal - especially as you are only in menopause following a defined period of cessation of periods.

I am discussing my symptoms, which could be attributable, in part, to other issues, with my GP today.

For the final time - I am not on ADs for anything to do with perimenopause or menopause! It was for PMT - for which a low dose SSRIis clinically advised. Not sure WHY that's so hard to understand.

I'm sorry about your early menopause Emerald & hope the treatment you are on is helpful.

Time to leave the thread now for me, first time on MN for me having any kind of heated exchange 😀 unusual I know!!

JinglingHellsBells · 17/07/2019 08:07

@EarringsandLipstick If you don't want a serious discussion where people try to help you that's fine. Maybe if you post in future you can state where you live so it helps with replies? As for my 'not knowing everything' I didn't say I did. As part of my work I have read about , researched and spoken to the best meno experts (consultants.) What I post here is a bit of voluntary work, giving back, sharing. If you want to do your own research, fine, but don't dismiss NICE because these guidelines were years in the writing and a huge step for women's treatment of menopause.

In the UK I have not heard of women being prescribed ADs for PMS. I do know women use ADs if they have depression or anxiety which is not linked to hormones. Maybe in Ireland they do things differently. Here, would be given the CCP as a first option to try to balance their hormones/ prevent ovulation.

In the UK, consultants regard a change in cycle as the first sign of perimenooause and if accompanied by other signs like mood swings and anxiety, you would be offered HRT not ADs,

JinglingHellsBells · 17/07/2019 08:10

In your first post you said 'everything has changed with my cycle...' I and others assumed you meant the regularity.

BeyondDangerousTshirts · 17/07/2019 10:42

Lljkk, I had it taken out last August, at which time it was six years old. Period returned and were regular and normal, it is literally the last hmm four months or so that they have gone weird.

Mood swings and anxiety are hard to judge in my case, as I already have chronic depression and have been on ADs (tricyclics) for years.

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sandra1969 · 18/07/2019 17:04

I'm turning 50 next week and have missed two periods in not pregnant and sweat a lot at night could it be the start of early menopause help

JinglingHellsBells · 18/07/2019 19:10

Do you mean it is the beginning of your menopause - or the start of an early menopause?

At 50 it's not an early menopause as that's only relevant for women under 45.

The age of the final period in the UK is, on average, 51. So yes, you are in the winding down stage now. To be expected.

BeyondDangerousTshirts · 25/07/2019 23:01

Oh btw I had a chat with my mum, and she actually noticed her periods were going a bit wonky at about 36. So I'm not that far off the same age!!

Mine have been exceptionally weird this month, had my two day bleed on cycle day one, bang on time, then a week later I started bleeding again, for about five days (have it written down but can't check atm). Have also been suffering from migraines again, if that's related

Think I need a drs appt

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