Is this the start of Perimenopause or something else???

[Mab12]

Hello everyone. Need some advice.
I'm 40 and I was having normal, regular periods up until December on a 30/31 day cycle. Then in January I started having what felt like pregnancy symptoms of nausea, bloating, gassy and constipation and hunger, boobs and tummy felt more swollen and my period didn't come on day 30/31. I was convinced I was pregnant. I took 2 pregnancy tests both showed very faint positives but after the 10 mins ( so it says it doesn't count) Then 2/ 3 days later I stated cramping &spotting then the bleeding got heavier similar to a period and lasted for 3 days( Stopping and starting) then stopped for 1.5 days then 2 days of weird spotting lasting about a minute each day. ( My periods always last 7 days ) I took 2 more pregnancy tests a few days later and they were negative. I continued to have hunger, waves of nausea on/ off and constipation, bloating and stomach ache high up for a couple of weeks after but it gradually decreased a bit.
I wasnt sure if I had been pregnant and it was a chemical/ early loss or the start of perimenopause or some weird hormone imbalance. So I just carried on waiting for my next period but so far I'm on currently on day 51 and absolutely no sign of my period coming. Occasionally I've been getting very mild period pains/ niggles but nothing materialises. Has this happened to anyone before?
If its not here by next week which will be 8 weeks since my last period then I will make a doctors appointment

Hello. I started to skip periods from mid thirties to late forties. Sometimes a month and up to four months. Then I would have two per month. They went completely haywire and sometimes were heavier. Missed periods was the first sign of perimenopause for me. I don't recognise your other symptoms however except for the oncoming niggles when I was due a period which sometimes happened.

Thank you for your reply. Did your periods ever stop and start? Also was your discharge drier ? As whenever I look online it says it goes drier but mine is the opposite

I think they varied in length. Mostly they became longer. Sometimes shorter if I had two in one month. Yes. Discharge definitely changed in that I used to know where I was in my cycle and it kind of stopped when I wasn't ovulating. So yes, I would say drier.

This is what's confusing me as I would say like you I'm not sure where I am in the cycle but the discharge is more since my cycles went funny. Is it possible for a doctor to send you for a blood test to check hormone levels?

I got the Mirena Coil 18 months ago and I don't have periods or a cycle any longer.

I guess you need to have a talk with your GP to discuss your symptoms which may be related to perimenopause or not. As you're 40, perhaps you could have a blood test done. They are not recommended for over 45s as they are not reliable.