Please share your perimenopause period shifts- please!!!

[njshep]

Looking for others to share their experiences with changes to their periods in perimenopause.
I just turned 50. The last couple years my periods have become much heavier and more lately include a day or two with flooding and significant clots. This month I had what so thought was a normal 5-7- day heavy period, it tapered off as usual but I have been spotting ever since (11 days now).It goes from end of period dark brown to red to pink. It is mostly when I wipe. I’m crampy and still feeling bloated.
I do have an appt booked for two weeks time, but wanted some reassurance while I wait it out.

Nobody?

The changes I experienced were that my cycle got a bit shorter and lighter. (All hell broke loose on other fronts).

Mine are getting shorter and lighter, but I have friends whose have become heavier and longer. I’m also getting worsening symptoms on other fronts.

Mine went from one extreme to another, first sign was 10 weeks between, later 2 in three weeks and final one was 6 months after I thought I'd finished. This was across a 6 year timescale. Nothing much different about the actual periods, perhaps a bit heavier 🤔

I'm 42 and experiencing period changes, my cycle is all over the place ranging from 2 periods in 1 month to going 2 months without one. I used to have a 28 day cycle, it's mostly likely to be closer to 40 days. Really heavy bleeding for 2 days then back to what I consider normal. I haven't had the spotting like you've described, I'm that joy is still to come!!

Feeling bloated a lot, look pregnant most of the time, hot sweats at night, trouble sleeping, tired, brain fog are some of other symptoms too!

I was just about to start a similar thread!

I'm 45 and freaking out about mine currently. I had shortish cycles for a while 24 days) then early last year they got longer, closer to 40 days most months with an occasional 28 day cycle in the mix.

This cycle though I'm currently on day 82!!!! I've taken 2 pregnancy and tests (DH and I use condoms) and both were negative. One a clear blue on day 50 and one a cheaper one on day 80. Still feeling freaked out though as this.seems extraordinarily long..

Anyone had similar?

Periods became insanely heavy for 3-4 years before they tapered off and stopped at 53. Flooding so bad I couldn't leave the house, massive clots and cramps (and I'd never had period pain before). Progesterone helped a little but left me bloated and irritable. On the positive side post-menopause has been much better - maybe if you suffer more in peri you feel better post-meno? - and it is such a joy to no longer have periods!

Fizzgigg, I think
What you are experiencing is all normal stuff. Long gaps of months at a time is one feature of peri. I think it ranges wildly for each woman’. It’s a total gong show.

I'm 49 and luckily I had an endometrial ablation some years ago that made my ridiculously heavy periods substantially lighter.

I have v regular cycles still but I spot all the time, literally all the time. Every time I run I bleed, every time I do anything that jiggles my insides I bleed. I'm not sure I'm ever not spotting but it's that brown mucous like blood not red blood. I had a smear and all was fine so I guess this is just it.

My menstrual migraines have returned too which is delightful. Last time I had them was when my periods returned after the birth of ds which is more than 20 years ago. I can't wait to get through all this and out the other side.

@njshep thanks for saying that. I know irregular periods are a thing but the uncertainty of it is unsettling when it's this long! Appreciate the reassurance.

@SeagullAteMyChips I hear you on menstrual/hormonal migraines. I get them on day 10 of my cycle so the benefit of 40 day cycles or skipping periods entirely is that I'm having fewer migraines!

I'm 47, first change was cycle shortening (25/26 days from 28/29) and periods very light. Then a few months of excruciating right sided (ovary?) pain on day 1 and 2, wasn't every month and I had bloods done and an ultrasound around that time which were all clear.

That's now stopped but my periods have been horrendous for about the last year, incredibly heavy with massive clots and some flooding and can go on for weeks. The worst was 8 weeks long, really heavy all the way through and left me exhausted and anaemic. I've had 3 separate lots of tranexamic acid in the last year but it only stopped the bleeding on one occasion.

GP is unconcerned and seems to think it's all within the realms of 'normal' but I can't say I'm not worried and I'm utterly sick of never knowing when my periods are going to happen and how long they're going to last when they do.

Cantbeliveyoufakeit, that is rough! If you read enough of these threads, it does seem that all of this really is within the bounds of “normal”, however, I don’t think we should just be resigned to put up with it.
I am going to start with a naturopath. Although I pay, I am want to deal with someone who thoroughly investigates and can offer an approach to balancing the hormones. From what I understand the stage that includes heaviness, clotting, prolonged periods has to
do with too much estrogen not being balanced with enough progesterone to level it out. The result is a lining that just continues to build and build. I don’t believe we just need to accept this. There are lots of ways in which we can take charge of promoting a more balanced hormone profile. I know that we all need to deal will a certain degree of change in this transition, I think it is totally unacceptable to have to have quality of life disrupted bc of it. I don’t think enough gp’s have the breadth of knowledge to properly address perimenopause.
Seeing the Naturopath today…..

Mine got heavier and closer together. Then I discovered that I had low ferritin, so had a Mirena coil to prevent it happening again.

@Fizzgigg do you take anything for your migraines? I've ordered some imigran from the chemist (sumatriptan) because I couldn't get an appointment with the GP for love nor money. 20 yrs ago my GP told me menstrual migraines didn't exist - I've moved since then and have a new GP but as mentioned, I couldn't get an appointment. I really hope the triptan works because they are totally crippling and I can't take 3 days off work every month!

I take sumatriptan. As soon as I feel the migraine coming on - and bearing in mind I know when they're coming - I take one. They don't get rid of them completely but they take the edge off and I can function and work etc I usually have to take a few sumatriptan over the course of the 48 hours that they last.

Thanks for letting me know. I'm going to try it out for the first time this month so fingers crossed. Glad it works for you! I'll bear in mind I might need more than one tablet!

Came here searching for peri bleeding threads and found this one :) I’ve been on HRT patches for around 10 months and initially the change was great - sleeping better, more energy, less brain fog, one period every 28 days etc. But in the last 3 months I have been having a full period every other week! I literally have about a 8/9 days between periods when I’m not bleeding. Have had a scan - all clear, bloods - all normal. Now waiting for a f/up apt with GP but that takes weeks! I think the coil
will be the next step as I can’t cope with the bleeding like this and all the side effects that come with it. Ripped the patch off yesterday and thought I might have a break from them too? Not sure that’s a good idea though. Just no clue what to do next. Not enjoying this phase of life, that’s for sure!

Watching this with interest. I'm 42 and haven't had a period since March. I thought I was too young yet but apparently not!

I’m still going on day 21 today. Very distressing. I have a scan today, had bloods yesterday. It’s like a constant lighter period, always red. No signs of tapering off.

I've been bleeding constantly since 20th April. Sometimes light, sometimes clots and sometimes awful pain. I'm 40. Not sure if it's peri or just the hell of periods. Hospital next week to hopefully get some investigation done. Oh and I do get hot flushes.
It's miserable.

I was having two a month so on every day of the month I was either bleeding or had horrible pmt. Been on hrt a year now and not a drop of blood has left my nether regions.

I'm 45 and mine are all over the place, have been for about five years now. For the first few years, I had seemingly endless periods with massive flooding, debilitating pain, huge clots, acne - it was like being 14 again, but with much, much more blood. For the past couple of years it's been the occasional really bad one, with flooding so bad I can't leave the house for days, but also some light or non-existent ones. The past three months I've had just a tiny bit of spotting. This month (yesterday) my body seems to be making a half-hearted attempt to stage a proper Shark Week for old times' sake, but it hasn't progressed to flooding yet - I hope it doesn't. I feel like they are finally winding down for good, I know it's a bit early but I have had peri symptoms for years now.

I’m 49. Always used to be 30 day cycle , regular as clockwork. Now periods are usually every 23/24 days, but last summer I went 10 weeks between periods. I was practically hanging out the bunting and throwing a party as I thought I was finally done but now I’m back to 23 day cycles without fail. Periods were never light but are now stupidly heavy to the point of anaemia. On the waiting list for a hysterectomy but who knows if/when that’ll happen. Heartily sick of it all

Mine have been heavier through my 40s. Now on hrt which has regulated them a bit but they seem to last a bit longer and still have two very heavy days. My mum said she was bleeding for several weeks or more in her late 40s one time and it wasn't stopping. Her gp told her to spend a day or two mostly lying down and it did stop! I know it sounds like old wives tales, but it worked for her. Maybe gravity did something. I think it was her last period. Worth a try? At least you have a nice rest if nothing else!

I'm 51. Periods got a bit heavier and more frequent for a few years from mid to late 40s - but they've always been fairly light, so heavier for me wasn't particularly heavy. More recently they have become erratic and each one is a surprise... someone's 6 weeks between very light periods, some times heavier ones a fortnight apart, sometimes stopping them restarting, going from brown to red blood. None of it particularly problematic and I haven't thought to seek any medical advice... had assumed it was all fairly normal.