What stage am I at?

[Eightiesgirl]

I know this is probably going to sound really stupid but I really don't know what stage of menopause I'm classed as being at. I've looked online and seen different names peri etc but I'm still not sure what category I fall into. I'm 55 and have had erratic periods for about the last 8 years. I went through a spell of not having a period for 6 months about 8 years ago but I was going through a very stressful time in my life and put it down to that. My periods then started again and I have had occasions where they have been really heavy, literally flooding. I worked from home so just put up with it and it eventually stopped. Over the last few years they have been much lighter and I actually thought they had stopped again but after a few months I had a very light one in July 2022 and I haven't had one since. I sometimes get very hot flushes coming over me, in the supermarket, at home in the evening and in bed at night. I ache more than I used to but I've had a few stomach problems and put it down to that. In 2021 I had an ultrasound for a stomach problem and they found I had 2 large fibroids. I've never given birth (adopted due to dh's infertility) so goodness knows how long I've had the fibroids and the GP said unless they were causing heavy bleeding to just leave them and they should shrink during menopause. I haven't had a period now since last July but I still get the hot flushes. Can anyone please tell me what stage I'm classed as being at?

I would say you’re perimenopausal at the moment but if you haven’t had a period by July this year then you will be past perimenopause and into menopause

Menopause is classed as being reached upon one year with no period.

I haven't had a period now since last July but I still get the hot flushes

You could have hot flushes for many years to come. They don't stop when periods stop. Sometimes they just start then.

You are in late peri menopause by your age and the fact you are still having some periods. If you don't have another by July you will be menopausal. And then you can look back and say you reached menopause at 54.

@JinglingSpringbells thank you for adding so much understanding of peri- and menopause here on MN, btw - have paid a little more attention over the past year or so since I’m 47 now.

I had a question about HRT. AFAIK the medical stance is that it doesn’t cause weight gain however from some women’s anecdotal evidence, it has. Forgive me if you’ve already talked about this and I’ve missed it (in which case I’ll have a look around the topic here which I probably should do anyway). My guess is that it’s not HRT that causes it directly but more likely the age of the women affected when they started taking it and the fact that they would have likely gained that weight anyway. What’s your take on it? Some women report losing weight when going onto a regime. So I suppose it could just differ woman to woman depending on a whole host of variables.

I’m not particularly bothered by likelihood of a little bit of weight gain in and of itself, but I eat low carb for the most part and will continue to do so, as I’m t2 diabetic. However I have noticed that where in the past weight of about a stone used to come off quite predictably if I got more strict (taking me down from top of healthy BMI to better), it’s now much slower and this last time it hasn’t hardly moved at all. I don’t want to encourage weight gain if I can help it, for that reason, but I am suffering more with peri-menopausal issues and I’d like to ease some of these. I’d also like some of the important health benefits over the next 5-10 years, to hopefully come in handy as I, god willing, become elderly.

@AllTangledUpInThisTango Thanks :)

In all honesty, I don't know about weight gain! I can only say how I find it.

I've been on HRT for ages (almost 15 years.)
My weight hasn't changed (still low end of normal BMI) but I know I've lost some muscle.

I can't get away with over-indulging and it takes a lot longer to shift a couple of pounds compared to how it was in my 30s or 40s. I think that's partly because I'm just not moving as much (desk based work now) although I do exercise daily.

I can only think that the weight gain is a combo of lots of things.
maybe less activity ( we aren't chasing toddlers around all day), erratic periods might mean some women crave carbs as part of ongoing PMS, may exercise less if they feel tired/ lose sleep (poor sleep changes metabolism and can really upset how the body processes food.) And, older people do usually just need less food.

I also think the type of HRT may be a factor. I 'feel fat' on the progesterone part of it (possibly some fluid retention) and maybe if women are on combined HRT (both hormones every day) that could be part of it. Under guidance from a consultant I'm still using a sequential regime, and it's a variation on the 4-week one.

There was some research out a few months back on the 'myth' that metabolism changes (for men and women) over 50. They said it doesn't but after 60, we all need less food as our metabolism does slow down a bit then.

HRT is shown to help improve lipid levels and there is evidence it can help prevent diabetes.

Anyway- don't want to go on about 'me' but maybe this answers some of your questions.

Thanks so much to everyone for your replies. I know understand that I am in late peri menopause and that if I don't have another period before July this year, I will be classed as being in menopause. Thanks again to everyone.