Pleased to still be having periods on cusp of 53rd birthday

[3StoneStillToGo]

So, like title says I'll be 53 before the end of the year and still having regular periods. They have got shorter in cycle - so 27 days this month, down from 28 days last month. They have been 28 days for a while.
My periods when younger were every 35 days.

Don't have kids in case that is relevant to anything.

Everytime I get another one I think 'Oh good, protected for another month'

What I mean by that is I have heard the longer you have your periods the better it is for your health to still have all the relevant hormones in enough quantities to cause a period.

Obviously I am in perimenopause as my cycle is changing but apart from some quite heavy periods nothing has really changed. No hot flushes or night sweats or anything.

I sort of feel the closer I get to being 60 without them stopping the better it is for all things concerned. If I fall apart after 60 I'm not so bothered as I feel like I'll be 'old' then. Planning to stop dying my hair at 60 too although of course that could change.

Anyway just wondered if anyone else felt like that. I read often that people are sick of them and wish they would hurry up and stop but I feel the opposite way although of course I still hate the mess, sore stomach, headaches.

I sincerely hope that your therapy works for you and you find yourself in a better place.
Maybe you should ask for your thread to be deleted or even moved to the mental health part of Mumsnet - might be better for this where you can focus on your emotions?

It honestly wasn't mean to be unkind.

I am looking forward to being 'old' - it will be a relief.

I forget others actually enjoy life and don't have poor mental health.

I sort of felt once I got to 60 it didn't matter if I fell apart/dropped dead etc as I was now 'old' and so I could stop 'fighting' if that makes sense.

Don't worry - it's clearly me. I have bad mental health and for me life has been the torture and death will be the relief.

I didn't mean to offend anyone. I really didn't.

Sorry op! You’ve had such mean responses! I know what you mean, it’s oddly reassuring. Random fact, a theory around women having lower rates of bowel cancer is that we have regular “very regular” times. So bonus if your periods still come with a slightly upset stomach!

thanks. I doubt I am fixable but since they are giving me free therapy which is hard to get it seems i don't want to be ungrateful and not go.

I didn't ask for the therapy I sort of got it forced on to me by the MH team. All I did was up my tablets to the maximum dose without asking them (well I couldn't get a GP appointment). This must have highlighted me in their system as a red flag so suddenly I got requested to go for appointments with mental health.

I just planned to keep myself numb on them till I died. Seemed easier to me.

I guess my relief at what I thought was not needing HRT was just so I didn't have to deal with another issue.

Don't worry although this thread has shocked and upset me - compared to the evil fuckers that 'raised' me it's nothing.

I'm 58 and still having them.

Frankly, I wish they would stop as I have terrible sugar cravings I never used to have, and bloating. Much shorter and lighter than before though so there's that. I'm on Utrogestan 200mg/day, Evoril x2 patches /week, and Testagel.

Have had vaginal ultrasound - uterine lining thickness acceptable, no concerns (paid for a private appointment with Newson Health who reviewed the scan report as I think GP was going down the route of channeling me to Mirena coil / (possibly unnecessary) hysteroscopy, so, I'll continue as I am, periods should peter out.

I wasn't keen to go for an appointment at the 'Menopause Clinic' - a clinic which appear to be terrified / unknowledgeable about testosterone such that this clinic will actually tell women to apply testosterone every other day (which is NOT correct because it needs to be consistent, every day) and makes me think they too have as little idea as many GPs do!

I’ve had a Mirena coil since I was 45 - periods stopped immediately and I couldn’t be more delighted about it. No more anaemia. I’m
on HRT, which I intend to stay on long term (I’m 49). Can’t imagine being pleased to be still menstruating at 53!

thanks. Sometimes kindness shocks me more than anything cruel that people say. Appreciate you posting.

I am so sick of my heavy period and can’t wait for it to be over. Menopause can’t get here soon enough.

sometimes I do (watch period dramas in my pj's).

Don't worry it seems I am 'unusual' to be looking forward to being officially old.

I thought that would be at 60 but it seems not which is (for me) disappointing. I had hoped 'it would all be over' by 60 and I could quietly disappear.

I've no idea what age normal people consider officially old then.

I sure love a good graph! :)

I’m 41. Diagnosed with hormone receptive breast cancer this year. As well as hormone blockers, chemo has put me into early menopause. I’ve been told I can never take HRT. I’m not sure what is menopausal symptoms or just feeling shite from the chemo. I’m happy that you are finding comfort from your periods, it’s such a stage of unknown- how will each of us be affected when it happens.

You’re getting a hard time on here OP and for that i am sorry. You don’t deserve it.

Could you go back through this thread and cut and paste all the positive, supportive comments into one document to reread when you need it?

Try your best to ignore the posters looking for offence, who knows what they’re going through to make them feel like this.

You did nothing wrong!

I am 59 and had one in July. I also had one in November last year and then a couple just before that. I keep wondering if it is the last one…

@3StoneStillToGo If you're finding the replies here upsetting, you can Report your thread and ask for it to be taken down or moved to another part of MN where you might focus more on the MH side of this and get more support.

Not everyone reads the whole thread and you may get comments that aren't helping.

no I’m sorry for being spiky. Wasn’t really upset. It is what it is. I tried HRT and didn’t get along with it.

we all have our crosses to bear so all good.

Also I think you’re prob right to a degree. I have aged quite a bit in the last 10 years and also have osteopenia so not ideal.

Eh? I’ve really got no idea what you mean now! I was talking about myself. I’ve got a face like a bag of spanners. I’m used to it now. I wasn’t reflecting on you in any way and am perplexed how you’ve taken my post. If anything I was trying to be a bit lighthearted!

You have clearly had a lot of tough times and for that I’m really sorry, but I don’t think making unfounded accusations of cruelty towards others is going to help.

@3StoneStillToGo not at all. Do try not to berate yourself too much at the response you’ve had on here (easier said than done I know esp when struggling with your MH). I think you also got on the receiving end of a double standard on here - where on many other threads there is actually a solidarity among many of us, who feel like what I think you were trying to express, a feeling of relief that peri/menopause can bring from societal expectation. And a re-evaluation of what & how we feel we want to show up, & how we can feel a much stronger sense of giving less F’s in all areas of our lives, which can include with our appearance. How the shift in hormones can herald in an invisible kind of permission to care less, or give less, or go more for what we want, or refuse to tolerate stuff, that is celebrated by many of us as being one of the (few in my own personal experience) positive aspects of going through peri/menopause. I think you were trying to be jocular about after x age I’m going to just let myself go type thing. A sentiment many others have celebrated in prior posts on the subject. It just landed wrong in this instance but I don’t think you meant any offence. I’m sorry you’ve had to justify your post by disclosing your personal trauma to explain things, when what you were saying was not completely unusual or abnormal a sentiment about this phase of life at all. (Not to minimise your trauma or how that is understandably informing your sense of self as you go through this god awful transition) x

How refreshing to read a genuine apology on Munsmet. Thank you and I am sorry.

I lost my mum and dad in their early 60’s so am very sensitive to any suggestion (that people do make) that somehow they died because of something they had (or had not) done.

Both had cancer but were otherwise so healthy, fit and active. It just came out of the blue. People like to think they must have done something wrong (didn’t eat healthily or get enough excercise) to make themselves feel better. But it couldn’t be further from the truth.

I hope you have many happy and healthy young years left, OP. Genuinely.

Thank you. Please be happy? 💐

I’m sorry @3StoneStillToGo that my post caused you distress, I was an early responder to your original post which I took at face value and responded in the way I did because of the way your post was worded, a fair few of us took umbrage to your post. I see from your later posts that was not your intention and that you also have some personal mental health issues, I am really sorry you are struggling, I really hope you find some peace in the future and I apologise if I added to your upset 💐