Early menopause

[Thegrassroots26]

If your periods stop young (I’m 42 and over 12 months free of bleeding) does this mean you will also be out of menopause sooner? I’m a bit confused by how this is meant to work. I’m feeling quite icky and unpleasant at the moment and hoping it’s not a permanent state… sleep is also shocking etc/ low mood, body image issues that I used to have with periods.
Any advice helpful! I can’t take HRT.

Menopause is a long-term state and how long women have symptoms is very individual. Some are fine after a few years, others have symptoms for life (this is not an exaggeration- consultant gynaecologist told me this.)

If you are having an early menopause, your GP should refer you to a consultant to discuss the long term risks (bones, heart, brain.) You're on the cusp of premature menopause - periods stopping at 41. Prem meno is classed as before 40.

Why can't you take HRT?

The HRT I was given made me severely nauseous and unable to function. I’m not prepared to mess around with doses and experiment with it following this experience. That is obviously an individual decision, but I’m fairly sure I don’t want to try it again.

I’m prepared to except the risks of prem menopause but ultimately it’s my body that has stopped early so there’s not much I can do about that.

Many women do have to try a few types of HRT so that's not unusual.
Would you consider the Pill? Some types have a natural estrogen and are prescribed for women who are young, like you.

Don't underestimate the risks of early menopause. Osteoporosis is a disabling and painful disease. You've lost estrogen 10 years before the average age and if nothing else, your GP should refer you for DEXA bone scans every 3 years to keep an eye on your bone density.

The pill never agreed with me either, so I don’t want to go back on that. I guess I’m stuck feeling like this and hoping it improves at some point then! Ain’t being a woman so great!?

I ll be 46 soon, I Havnt bled in 3 months, I went 5 months period free from May to October last year, then had 3 periods and nothing since.

I felt like I was building up to a period in early Feb, I experienced two tiny indicators of very pale pink mucus when wiping, and nothing more. There was nothing to expel.

I thought I was sailing through, but I seem to have put a stone on overnight.

The hot flushes have subsided. I only noticed them for the past 6 months ish, and Havnt noticed for the last few weeks or so.

I feel like I m done and I need to get back in control of my health and fitness. It's like I ve silently devoted the last year to this change, and now I need to refocus. Get on top of my life and health.

OP, under 50, we need to be 2 years period free to be considered in menopause. No read advice from me. I always felt 26 in my head, and I suddenly feel 46, which is fine. It's just a reality check.

I had early menopause at 42. I went to the doctors and she refused to even test me.

I incrementally got worse and worse, and at 49 presented my fitbit to a different GP, who looked at the lack of sleep, and with the pain symptoms I had [of not being able to even walk up the stairs at night, and having to go up on my hands and knees], and immediately gave me HRT, and booked FSH tests which were in the 90s. And then a dexa scan which showed osteoporosis.

After 3 years of HRT the osteoporosis had moved to ostepoenia, and I've been on it ever since.

So i'd recommend keeping a log of all your symptoms, including all your sleep and look for long term patterns including pain.

The problem is, living for another 40 odd years without the hormones needed to keep bones strong is a very long time. So if you can't take HRT you will need a menopause specialist to advise on how to keep your bones healthy.

I was early 40s, OP. I also couldn't tolerate the pill (nausea, vomiting, bloating) and was worried the same would apply to HRT, especially the progesterone part. I worried about it and delayed it for years. But I did lots of reading and eventually asked my GP for oestrogel and Utrogestan, which I use vaginally. I haven't had a single side-effect. I started with a tiny bit of the gel and just took it from there.

When your body shifts into menopause early, it does make it even more important to look carefully at HRT options.

You do need to take your age of menopause seriously OP.
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At 42 the risks of osteoporosis etc may seem a million miles away but they do affect women over 50.

A little bit of 'inconvenience' now, trying out different types of HRT may prevent a lot of serious illness later and having to use drugs for your bones that can have unpleasant side effects. It is medical advice that young women use HRT, so it's not a case of this being 'opinion'.