What happens after peri?

[Howdoesitend]

I’m 48 and well into peri after a year of thinking I was going crazy. Have never missed a period in my life but have had two long cycles where I seem to have just completely missed a period out (so two periods in the time I would usually have had four). Each time I’ve had all my usual PMT symptoms, but then nothing…. Just wondering if, when you are fully in menopause, you still get those hormonal fluctuations on a monthly basis, or whether you just stay consistent through the month. For me my actual periods have never been a big problem, it’s more the terrible PMT in the run up that I really struggle with. I’m not on HRT at the moment and was really hoping that the PMT would stop along with my periods, but that hasn’t been the case for the last few months. Am reluctant to try HRT as I really struggle with hormones (never got on with the pill and had several horrific rounds of IVF with progesterone supported pregnancies, and really really hate the way I feel on progesterone). Does the monthly hormone fluctuation eventually stop, or is that something that will continue forever😩?

I've wondered this too. Plus, if you don't do HRT, do your hormones just decrease completely eventually and stay that level forever? And do symptoms then plateau or get better? Or will they stay the same as they are at their worst? I'm not sure i could cope with that forevermore! 😳😫

I had hormonal ups and downs for ages but then eventually settled down.

My pmt type symptoms stopped pretty much when my periods stopped. My main issue now is hot flushes, which are mostly manageable for me. I’m lucky that I wake up quickly as my temp rises, so a good drink of cold water or a few minutes without covers seems to cool me back down.

Thank you - I feel like I’ve read loads how what happens during perimenopause but nothing really about after! If you do take HRT, does that mean you have monthly bleeds and hormone cycles for the rest of your life?

It will probably help to read some stuff online about HRT.
Menopause Matters and the Balance website (Dr Newson) are good.

There is no one size fits all to your questions about symptoms. You won't get the cyclical symptoms once your periods stop for good. You might find post meno symptoms appear and these can last for a few years or decades. That's why HRT is an option, to relieve them. Some women find that without as much estrogen they have a lot of symptoms, others hardly any- but the 'hardly any' are around 15%

HRT- there are 2 types and once your periods are over you'd take the sort that doesn't give a withdrawal bleed. No HRT 'restarts' periods anyway - the bleed is a withdrawal bleed like the monthly one in the Pill. But HRT is not the Pill- it's natural hormones in much smaller doses than the Pill.

Unfortunately there's no absolute answer, it's individual for every woman. I was fine in peri, no symptoms bar skipping periods and maybe the start of my insomnia. My life completely fell apart physically and mentally post menopause but I didn't realise what was causing the symptoms. Started HRT 7 yrs post meno and life improved greatly

Yes it’s really individual. I am through peri now. So moods are more stable and don’t get the horrific PMT. However for me the lack of progesterone and oestrogen meant I had awful hot flushes (every hour at night) and increased anxiety at night. So I was getting very little sleep.

HRT has improved the hot flushes, anxiety and I sleep a little better.

Not sure how long I’ll stay on it for. But I always tolerated the pill well (felt very emotionally stable on it!). I also like the osteoporosis benefits. (And other benefits tbh but I know there needs to be more research on this):

Had early menopause, all done by 46. No HRT.

Classic symptoms during peri (hot flushes, palpitations, moods, all seemed to come individually in three month stretches then stopped), but since 46 had nothing at all apart from vaginal dryness which is treated and my body runs a little hotter than it did before, which just means no PJs in bed lol.

Stable moods, no periods, all’s good.

Everyone is individual, but I was lucky to sail through everything really and come out the other side without much issue.

No, when you are in postmenopause there are no periods or cycles, your body is done with that side of things. The HRT you take is enough to deal with the consequences of the lack of hormones in the other body parts/processes they play a role in eg progesterone and sleep/anxiety, oestrogen and bone health