Periods getting irregular, more painful, is this perimenopause and how long will it last?

[Ramalamalama]

Hi all, my periods have always been very regular - 28 days at first then 29 days in my 30s, but for the last year or so they have started to get more and more irregular: between 25 and 31 days. They're also getting more painful after being painless after I had children and sometimes much heavier, sometimes much lighter. I'm also suddenly looking really old and haggard, and suddenly have loads of grey hairs.

I assume this peri-menopause but how long will it go on for? My mum was 55 when she finished menopause but I'm only 43, is this early?

2013 and started with hot sweats.. Then wham... Downhill since then. Skin looks crap, sleep is a few hours then I wake up, then takes ages to fall back. But still my period comes, like you becoming a little irregular. Why can't they just sod off. Lately pmt has been horrendous, more painful, feeling sick, moody, sore boobs like never before.
Not positive but you're not alone in this

I’m wondering the same, unfortunately my periods are every 3 weeks at best, and very variable whether they are heavy or not. Last one was only 2 weeks after the previous and the most painful in years, knocked me out for days!. I’m 49 so pretty sure it’s peri/menopause kicking in.

Although I’ve been looking old and haggard and being going grey since I was thirty so can’t blame that on the menopause 😁

I'm 48 and going through very similar.

Periods irregular, flow has gone from one month barely there to flooding like there's been a murder. PMT is horrendous and constant - period cramps
all month, backache, aching joints, foggy head, migraine. Extreme fatigue, memory loss, insomnia, mood swings. The only thing I haven't had yet are hot flushes.

In the past year I've aged about 10 years (or look like it). I've poked in weight without seemingly enjoying eating much bad stuff.

Just before lockdown I had a chat with GP who said I was lonely in Peru-menopause at least. She prescribed some some low-dose HRT patches. Without going into a huge complicated story I've o my just managed to get hold of some HRT tablets (low dose) as the patches I need are unavailable at the moment.

I've only taken 2 tablets so far, but I'm crossing my fingers they'll do something. Anything is better than this.

*probably in Peri-menopause.

Go and see your GP and keep complaining. It took me years to get a simple drug to control flooding and that was even though it was causing anaemia.