Tell me about your increasingly frequent periods in peri

[Sunshineandgrapefruit]

I used to have a really long cycle 34-36 days. I am 46 for context. In the last 7 or so years I started to notice mid cycle spotting. Had scans nothing there. I had a coil put in. Brilliant no period for 4 years then spotting started again. I took a break periods back like clockwork but 28 day cycles. I had another coil in. It took 18 months to settle. Periods? We're all over the place. Finally regulated. More scans all fine. 23 day cycle. Now they're going haywire. 20, 13, 16 days. Sometimes a few days bleed sometimes a week. I am just after a light at the end of the tunnel if anyone has one! I had my bloods done recently. Plasma oestradiol within normal limits, LHR levels the low end of normal, FSH levels the high end of normal. Anyone had anything similar. Is this just what it's gout to be like for another 5-6 years? Are they going to keep getting shorter? Is it the coil? As you can see I am out of my depth!

I’m 45 and my periods have been getting closer together for the last ten years. They’re now roughly every 21 days but occasionally throw in a random 29 day er. I don’t have the coil though.

I'm 46 and still regular as clockwork.

Have however, the last two months, dropped from a 28 to a 26 day cycle.

I’m 43 and the last 5 years I’ve gone from a regular 28 day cycle to more like 23 days. I’ve been charting it because it’s so abnormal for me! Well it was. Now it’s like the new normal!

In the last 12 months my cycles have ranged from 19 days to 40!! A lot were between 25 and 29 but then they go completely haywire other months and I’ll have a really long one and then a very short one or who knows what next month!! I’m 48 and on HRT which I hoped would make them more regular but it doesn’t seem to work that way! The only positive is that they tend to be shorter and a lot lighter than I used to get.

I'm 47 and was always a 28 day cycle, like clockwork. For about 2 years before I went on HRT they were closer to 21 days. I was miserable. Since my HRT has settled, which has admittedly taken a long time, I'm back to 28 days, with the occasional slip up 26/27. It's the progestogen (I think?) controlling them now.

at 43 mine went from regular 28 days to every 2 weeks, would last a full week and were so painful I’d be up all night unable to sleep. I was spending 50% of my life in pain. I now take the mini pill as HRT alone wasn’t sufficient and it’s 100% better.

Google the 3 stages of perimenopause.

Stage 1: cycles get shorter.
Stage 2: start missing the odd month.
Stage 3: missing more than 2 to 3 months, but still getting the odd period, which eventually trails to nothing.

Also Google Dr MarueClaire Haver and watch some of her u tube videos.

Do you still have the Mirena coil? It often stops periods altogether. Is your coil ready to be changed yet? I know they now say it can be used for ages as contraception (8 years?) but as part of HRT (where it controls the womb lining) it needs to be changed every 4 years as the level of progesterone in it starts decreasing.

You have various options like a new coil perhaps, the mini pill or the combined pill or HRT if you have other symptoms.

Do you fancy any of these?

I used to have long cycles, up to 40 days. Now in peri they're much more like 28. Once i had a period after 14 days but then it went back to 28 days again. I'm just counting the days until they stop altogether!

I’m 46, regular as Clockwork until last year , this last year I’ve had 17 days, 19 days, 40 days & this month 78!
So literally all over the place .
At the moment though I don’t have any other symptoms so I’m taking the ( slight ) win

Thanks everyone. Really useful to hear other experiences. @CreationNat1onlooks like I am in stage 1 then which doesn't bode well for the amount of time it's been! Will check out Dr MaureClaire. @JinglingSpringbellsI do still have the coil. Just two years in so not ready to be changed. The first one I had did completely stop my periods but this one hasn't even though it's exactly the same type etc. I also don't know how much influence the progesterone in the coil is having on my periods or even whether they count as periods if they are just controlled by progesterone. When I was off the pill for a bit the bleeding was much heavier.

I can't have the coil - they tried but I have a twisted wotsit. So I take a daily pill, but even so I get a period (despite no break) around the 21 day mark. It's bloody heavy (pardon the pun) but whereas my pre-peri periods were also heavy, they were less heavy and longer, about 5-7 days, these days they are about 3 days. Currently sitting here with horrible back ache thinking I might go to bed early with a hot water bottle because it has been hurting all afternoon. Also on the gel and progesterone, so am well into peri and receiving good support, but I just need to ride out this new cycle for the next year or so until hopefully it will drop down to once every 2-3 months as things level out. We shall see...

My body didn’t get that memo. I’ve gone straight to huge gaps from regular as clockwork.

Currently on day 101 of this cycle but have gone up to 122 days. I’ve only had 13 periods in the last 21 months. I’m 47. My mum had full menopause at 49 though so relatively early and it’s meant to follow in families.

When they come they are heavier though, but short. I’ve not yet started any HRT as been largely other symptom free, just a bit of brain fog, itching and running warm (but not sweats) and not been able to see a GP about it due to their ridiculous “system” for HRT appointments.

I’m very similar - same age but I came off the pill about 15 months ago and periods have come back every 3 weeks. Thought it was my body getting used to being off the pill but now I’m wondering if I’ve started peri.

Just started again
13 days since my last one 🫩. Getting hot flushes in the evenings too. Not a fan (pardon the pun)....