How did it start for you?

[ilovearainyday]

I'm 47 (nearly 48) and so far haven't really had many PM symptoms apart from very occasionally waking up in the middle of the night feeling hot. My periods are pretty regular (usually within a day or so) but this time I'm 5 days late. Am defo not pregnant (before anyone asks!!). I feel bloated and have mild cramps but nope, nothing. It's like my period is trying to arrive but hasn't yet! I'm guessing this is the beginning of PM.

Just wondering how it started for you? What were your symptoms?

I have nothing useful to add as am (nearly) 46 and in same boat really... I have a mirena coil so I don't even have the useful guide of a regular cycle! The only thing I have noticed in the past year is a few extra pounds and my body's stubborn refusal to lose them 🙄 following with interest...

At 47 I got my first hot flush sitting at my desk but it was a really hot summer day.
I don't think I had a single other symptom until the following summer. At 48 my periods went weird, starting lasting longer.

At 49 they got really heavy and I even experienced flooding a couple of months before turning 50. I went on the mini pill back to back so no periods now, thankfully, couldn't have coped with the heavy periods.
I'm 52 now and occasionally I get a headache which i put down to ''menopause''.

Sometimes I think is this it? Is it all ahead of me? But I had my first symptom five whole years ago so I think I'm one of the fortunate ones.

Oh yes, weight, I have put on weight but in all honesty the primary reason for that is that I care less about being slim. It used to be very important to me and now I think, meh,

Although I am planning to go back to my old ways of dieting every second day again. That used to work well for me, psychologically I found it the easiest diet.

Hiya

I think, any symptoms you have that are out of the ordinary are normal for you. You're five days late, that could well be the start.

My experience was - years and years of a 29 day cycle - then it just changed.

Never 29 days ever again. 21, 37, 42, 16 - etc.

It's been about six years for me now. The first year the cycles were shorter - the last hurrah at being fertile - then the appearance of the odd looong stretch.

I am now on day 180 - 180 days without a period. That's six months. I await the flooding!!

So yes any change to the cycle I think could be it.

I started on Menopace and that made a big difference. I was getting anxiety and didn't like it, and irritability, and didn't like that - Menopace made a big difference.

I changed my eating - more fasting now - keeps the weight down. And I rest a lot.

And I had to get my head together about it. It's a funny old thing but I think I'm OK with it all now.

Crazy high sex drive. Started to enjoy PIV sex for first time. Followed by sore, dry vagina ( though sex unaffected). Shortened but regular cycle.

Erratic periods started at 43, 10 weeks between the first time. This continued til they stopped at 49 but then I had one last one 6 months later out of the blue😮

Forgot to say, a few hot flushes for a year or two in the middle but nothing that bad, never felt the need to do HRT.

Internal vibrations, muscle twitching, exhaustion, then a complete sense of malaise that has wrecked my working life. And an endless UTi and pelvic floor dysfunction.

My periods had gotten a bit heavier but I had no inkling for a long time that this was perimenopause. Only through seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist and reading MN did I gradually realise what was wrong. HRT has helped most things except the severe fatigue, through a lot of trial and error.

The very high sex drive has been welcome though, when I have any energy for it! Topical oestrogen has helped a lot with avoiding discomfort during sex.

Erratic cycle, hot flushes and the dreaded brain fog! Couldn't remember words for everyday objects. Hrt patches were AMAZING. Still on them after 7 years as still get hot flushes.