Menopause at 42 😞

[Linda82]

Hello ladies

2 weeks after turning 42 I missed my first ever period in my life. Than I had hot flushes never have I felt so hot and soaked up to 8 times a day. I ignored it for 10 days but thought see a private Gyno to see if I’m ok ,I have been clockwork since I have been 14. Last week She ran blood tests and -30 estrogen is post menopausal I’m 8.7! She did an ultrasound no eggs no follicles and she said yes it is menopause and looking at your very thin lining you won’t have another period again. She didn’t need any more tests as it was all on the screen, thyroid was normal.

Im gutted absolutely! 😢 Last few years my periods were shorter and lighter but they were still coming so I thought “I’m ok” my mental
health has been so so bad last few years i am so sensitive very very anxious my poor husband doesn’t know who is waking up to in the morning. I have no interest in work I just feel flat and broken. She casually pulled out her prescription pad wrote down estrogen patches and off I went.

last few days I have been trying to digest information and educate myself. I just turned 42 and I’m in full menopause I don’t want my body to age and deteriorate by the time I get to 52 which is the average age for menopause. My friends are expanding their families and I’m sat here with tears in my eyes researching HRT.

any one my age who started menopause early will I be ok.? I just read it shortens your life span by 2 years damn you google! Unfortunately after 6 failed IVFS not one pregnancy in my life it’s just a bitter pill to swallow. I think if I had finished my family the pain would be less. I think that chapter of being a mum is finally closed and locked. I feel menopause hurts more when you didn’t get a baby. My husband has no idea of what’s happening and I don’t have it in me just yet to say “ it’s the menopause” he thinks I’m stressed and with these patches my period will start. I said to him I literally have no estrogen left, he was like fine let’s get the patches and get the estrogen in you 🤦‍♀️

I have never wanted to go on HRT I prefer natural things in life. But being 42 I need to think about me in 10 or 15 years. At work I have beads of sweat dripping off my head, I wake up 3am, my skin is itching me and my once colourful personality has faded.

any stories with ladies with Early menopause with HRT or even without. How are you coping. Not told a soul yet as I need to digest it all. I just don’t want to be poorly. I feel emotionally fragile still in denial checking my knickers to see if my period has come day 50 and nothing. With these hot flushes I know it’s over.

thank you for listening

I just wanted to say, you are not alone. I had a hysterectomy aged 36 and so have been in menopause since then (I am now 38).

I tried to HRT patches but they werent right for me so I went on a spray and antidepressants and am more 'myself' but it is very tough as you say my peers are not going through this and so I am very much isolated, trying to research stuff I just wasn't expecting to happen yet.

My menopause was early too. I thought it came out of nowhere but looking back I had perimenopause symptoms but put it down to other things. I would definitely speak to your doctor about HRT. I put it off for ages (I think partly because that meant properly acknowledging it). It made a huge difference to me. Not least because it stopped the night sweats/waking and the exhaustion that comes with never sleeping properly.

Assuming your DH is supportive, I would also speak to him about it properly. I know I didn't feel like I had anyone to speak to about it and it was a real relief to just be open about it, at least at home.

Oh it’s really crap. I feel for you. I had my ovaries out at 41 so went straight into medical menopause I went straight to HRT and it’s been ok. Manageable.
ive not had hot flushes with the HRT
i do have fatigue and brain fog and if I miss the hrt I have hip pain.
I do work with women who are going through menopause in their fifties so that has helped a little although I don’t feel comfortable to share with everyone only my closest colleagues know.

The benefits of Hrt for bone health and cognitive health’s is significant for people who are younger so it’s defo worth considering.
you’re not alone but it can feel like it. Xx

Oh I know how that feels. I started my hot flushes at 39.. was debating at the time having another baby. Periods were erratic since I had my youngest at 37, but had put it down to breastfeeding, crohns flares etc etc.
after bloods gp said my fsh was so high I'd likely not have any more periods. I'm 44 now & still get random periods every 6 months or so.
HRT was game changing for me, stopped the hot flushes & somewhat stabilised the mood swings. From a bone health & mental health perspective, I feel starting so young that it's important to consider HRT.
I started HRT just before turning 40

I had early menopause in my late 30s . We adopted 2 children (I was 40). I am 65 now and very fit and lively ... it definitely has not shortened my life. My only problem is I have the start of osteoporosis... fortunately I have been monitoring it for 20 years and managing well. I didn't take HRT or any hormone supplement. I would say I look young for my age and have no other health problems and am mentally sound too.

Sounds exactly like me, I was 36 and just came out of nowhere. Had one daughter but was a shock to be told no more. I am successfully on HRT, highly recommend, I was mid divorce when was diagnosed but I felt a different person once hrt kicked in. You need it to avoid osteoporosis like another pp has now got.
Only downside is my weight tbh. Sooo hard to shift now.
But, you need to have a proper discussion with your husband about what this means. Good luck x

Sounds exactly like me, I was 36 and just came out of nowhere. Had one daughter but was a shock to be told no more. I am successfully on HRT, highly recommend, I was mid divorce when was diagnosed but I felt a different person once hrt kicked in. You need it to avoid osteoporosis like another pp has now got.
Only downside is my weight tbh. Sooo hard to shift now.
But, you need to have a proper discussion with your husband about what this means. Good luck x

Thank you all for your kind replies. I have read each and every message twice. I do believe HRT is right for me because I’m below 45. Im an emotional wreck, I don’t think straight and get overwhelmed all the time. The hot sweats are terrible if they can all stop. Thank you ONAX64 that’s amazing that you feel wonderful at 65 without taking HRT it’s like a pendulum since I’ve been told HRT or not to. After every bunt I have read it’s better for me to start. How have you ladies taken progesterone is that stickers also or gel? All so new to me x

My menopause symptoms were mild. I would have taken the HRT had I understood the risk of osteoporosis. Fortunately I do a lot of exersize particularly weight training and yoga. Good luck, be kind to yourself and patient.

I take utrogestan for my progesterone.. it's tablets, 14 days on / 14 days off

I went through sudden menopause at 41 due to a brain tumour. Went from regular periods to complete stop in the space of a month.

Due to an obstructive GP I didn't get HRT for 10 years and ended up with osteopenia. However, have now been on HRT for seven years and bone density back to normal levels. No sign of any other ill effects at the moment so hoping I won't suffer any serious problems from the lack of hormones for those 10 years.

My advice is definitely get yourself straight onto HRT as you need those hormones. Remember it is normal at your age to still have high levels of oestrogen in your body so any tiny risk of breast cancer from HRT does not apply in your case. Hopefully with the right treatment you will avoid any serious effects from early menopause.

The same here! Menopause was a terrible shock for me at 42. I had no children and had awful symptoms. I started hrt almost immediately and it gave me my life back. I am 48 now. I feel young and I have more energy than 10 years ago.

I went into natural menopause at 33/34, it came as a bit of a shock as you can imagine. I was lucky in that I’d had all the children I was going to.
I was able to see a gynaecologist privately for investigations and treatment, she put me on HRT and told me I’d be on it until I was at least 50 as I needed to protect my bones from osteoporosis. I was about 52 when I stopped taking it on a GP managed gradual process. The HRT made a massive difference to my life and those of my family.

Yes 39. I'm fine.
Looking ahead if it helps, my mum was also 39. She is now 87. She is the fittest of her peers by a long way. Never a broken bone in her life. Could still easily walk five miles at pace and could run for a bus. No hearing aid and no glasses. She barely a wrinkle. Lucky cow. Her sister also had an early menopause and was well over 90 when she died.
So you are not necessarily on the road to rapid degeneration!

It is medical advice to use HRT to at least age 51/52 for bone and heart protection @Luminousalumnus

No one knows if they have bone density loss until it's too late. Likewise heart disease.

The signs of bone loss are invisible until there is a fracture. That usually happens after a fall. So there are plenty of women with undiagnosed osteoporosis who only find out when they fall, then have X rays and DEXA scans.

As part of preventative medicine, any women with a premature menopause (before 40) should be referred for a bone density scan within 5 years of their last period (if not before) and repeated every 3 years.