Potential early menopause

[laddersandsnakes16]

My body has been acting strange over the last 6 months, and i just wanted to see if anyone had anything similar happen to them or could shed some light at all. I’ve skipped 3 periods in the last 6 months, have had symptoms similar to PMT in the week before periods were due but then had no bleeding. I’ve had periods of bad sleep, anxiety and mood swings as well as feeling hot out of the blue. I’ve taken 2 pregnancy tests, not pregnant. I have an appointment booked in with a gynaecologist for a couple of months time to hopefully get to the bottom of this, but I suspect early menopause. I was talking to my aunt about this last week and she told me that both her and my grandmother went through the
menopause at 40 - I am almost 41. I’ve read it’s hereditary, my mother passed away in her 30’s but now I know that there is a strong link to early menopause on my mums side of the family, I think it puts my likelihood of this happening much higher. Hoping for some real answers soon from the gynaecologist, but has anyone been through similar or has any advice?

Both my Mum and her Mum were 40 ish. I was 35 so yes it can happen. Hope you get some answers.

It sounds like you may be experiencing an early menopause. It's quite common to start experiencing symptoms in your late thirties, but for most women periods continue for many years after that. If your body is skipping periods that may be closer for you, but I'd look at that as a positive because it would mean you've gone through most of perimenopause without noticing. Your gynaecologist will be able to talk to you about HRT to control your current symptoms and to guard your health going forward.

@laddersandsnakes16 hi. I'm 57 and post menopausal. I was in peri menopause for over 10 years. Erratic periods, extremely heavy bleeding, mood swings etc. the blood tests were no good as the hormones fluctuate through the month. Good luck with the gynaecologist x yes some women go through the menopause early. Some have problems, some don't. Just depends x

Yes, there is a strong predisposition to follow other female members of your family like this. Happened to me, and I started peri symptoms aged 37. I was aware it might happen, as DM went straight into peri after giving birth to me when she was 40.

@ScotiaLassThis is interesting - I had been on the pill since I was 20 and aside from when I was trying to conceive or was pregnant, I only came off it fully a couple of years ago, and I’ve seen that some women do take the pill to help with menopause symptoms, so perhaps I was perimenopausal but had no clue because I was taking that.

Interesting you say about going straight into perimenopause after giving birth - this is exactly what happened to me 6 years ago aged 39 after I'd had my youngest daughter.

Literally, it was 5 months into the postnatal period and I felt horrendous, and it was as though perimenopause hit me with a tonne of bricks. I'm still struggling now but not on HRT yet.

The hormonal pill levels out your hormonal fluctuations by topping up levels throughout the month. HRT is doing a similar thing although it tends to be lower does and you often take it cyclically. It is possible that the pill has masked your perimenopause symptoms, or you might have less extreme symptoms than other women experience.

Same here. Had dc aged just before I was 37 and my periods never went back to normal.

If it runs in the family then it’s definitely a possibility but I just wanted to say, I went through all of this when I was 38 and four years later, it has actually settled down a little bit (or maybe I’ve just got used to it). Those kind of symptoms can go on for a while. My mum started getting similar symptoms in her late thirties. She had her last period at fifty.
I hope you get on ok with the gynae and get some answers. I was just told there was nothing “sinister” going on and this was my “new normal for now”.