Is this the end?!

[alphajuliet123]

I’ve had regular periods all my life until I hit about 45 and since then they’ve been a bit more frequent and much heavier than before. Last one was 2nd April so I was expecting it again end of month, but here we are on 9th May and no sign of it at all. Not pregnant and not on HRT.

Could this be it? The end?! God I hope so.

Not in my experience!
I had the same - increasing in frequency and heavier for several years. When I reached 50 I started getting longer gaps some months. For the last few years I've had 7 periods, 2 periods, 5 periods. None since December last year. Not getting my hopes up though - I got to a 7 month gap once and then another arrived....

Oh bugger, I thought it was too good to be true. My mum was 57 when she finally stopped. I only needed two years of the sodding things to have my family, four decades seems excessive!!

I agree! I'm 55 now and really hope I've reached the end 🤞

Sounds like I might have a bit of stopping and starting still to go. It’s annoying because I’ve always been able to predict dates fairly accurately and have avoided being on on holiday, but with three months til my summer holiday I’m hoping to avoid it!

Well it wasn’t the end, and it’s still literally bloody not. Since I posted this in May I’ve gone anything from 3 to 7 weeks between periods. Light or heavy, anyone’s guess. Really annoying being so random. This time was a 7 week wait and today I feel like I’m bleeding like a running tap, I have never had such a heavy one in my life! Is this normal?! Am I just jammed up with 7 weeks worth of womb lining?

I. Am. Sick. Of. It. Now.

Sounds familiar. Over last 5 years I’ve had random gaps, really heavy periods, really light periods. Have twice had gaps of 11 months. Currently at 9 months and hoping this might finally be it but who knows?!

Oh god @AliMonkey, I’d love longer gaps but I hate just not knowing. Please tell me it’ll peter out to something resembling normal tomorrow!

Well it’s not the literally bloody end. I’m going anywhere between 3 and 7 weeks between periods and have just come on today after the last one on 16th April - a new low record of 18 days. God I am bored of it, when’s it going to stop?!

I feel you OP. My periods were coming slowly closer in frequency over the last few years. But nothing too extreme and always clockwork. Around turning 45 they just started getting irregular. 3 weeks, 5 weeks.... also get quite bad PMS (never did much) and 7-10 days before my period my sleep goes to shit. And only a few cycles in, I worry it's just the beginning...

That’s interesting about the sleep thing @imeanwhy as I’m struggling a bit at the moment, which is very abnormal for me. So I’m tired as well as grouchy. I used to be able to accurately predict dates (even booked holiday dates for when I wouldn’t be on) but now I’ve got no clue. It’s just so inconvenient and pointless, frankly!

Me too. It's quite a change after a lifetime of regular periods to suddenly have this mess. Have to carry pads or pants with me a couple of weeks into a cycle as I never know when it's coming. I appreciate I was lucky to be regular and others struggle with this unpredictability their whole life - but as it's entirely new to me, it feels so radical. I am not on hRT but might consider it if the sleep situation doesn't improve as it impacts my mood. Let's see...

I can report that I have finally got over the 12 months so am hoping for me this is really the end. I suspect @alphajuliet123 you've got a while to go yet though, but at least try to enjoy when you do get longer than a month between periods, it gives you at least a hint of the freedom I'm now enjoying!