What’s happening to my periods? Perimenopausal?

[Heidi3333]

Hi ladies. Just wondering if any of you can relate?

I’m nearly 45 and nearly always have monthly periods every 3-5 weeks. Very occasionally I have missed one in the past due to stress.
I’ve started having hot flushes the last year or so and a recent FSH level was 38. My last period was 8 weeks ago. I always get cramps 2-3 weeks before a bleed and have had cramps for about 6 weeks (some really quite sore) but not one bit of bleeding. Every day i expect my period to arrive but it never does. It’s doing my head in!

My mum was undergoing cancer treatment in June and July which was a v worrying time.

What could be going on? Stress or am I perimenopausal?

Thanks

Could be everything stress of mum, stress if covid, PeriM.. Pregnancy? Always good to rule out things. It's so gars when you have other things going on.

@Heidi3333 Hi I’m 47 and I’m exactly the same, I’m currently 2 weeks late, I’ve got the cramps and all the mood swings but no period! I missed one completely a few times last year. Went to the doctors and she said it was peri. The stress with your mum would of definitely not helped. I would try not to worry. It’s the joys of peri!

Thanks ladies.

I'm hoping it's stress rather than being perimenopausal as I'm hoping to have a cycle of IVF soon. It's now over 8 weeks since my last period 😕.

Time will tell I suppose.

Thanks for the replies x

The high FSH could indicate perimenopause is on the cards, for me. That combined with irregular periods and hot flushes.

Can you get an AMH test done? I went through what you're going through last year (aged 40) and turned out i was in in premature menopause, and our dreams of IVF were in ruins so I do know how traumatic it is. The AMH test at least made it clear what was happening (that and the ultrasound which showed my ovaries were "shrivelled"). It's not expensive to have the test privately and the sooner you find out, the better.

Hi kittymeow

Sorry to hear about your dashes ivf dreams. I had a daughter 4 years ago via ivf and would love a sibling for her. I need to have an atril follicle count done before i have a consultation with my ivf clinic but god knows when my period will arrive! They also require a amh test and I know that be done at anytime.

If I am perimenopausal then I'm hoping that taking some supplements will help me - have you read 'it starts with an egg?'

I feel as if I'm pregnant but seeing as I haven't had sex for 10 years that's impossible!

We have a son we conceived naturally but apparently he must have been a bit of a miracle! My AMH was incredibly low, virtually undetectable, and I was told I had the ovaries of a 55 year old so there was no chance of a natural conception or even ivf working. Basically only chance is egg donation, which we were looking into in February and then of course Covid blew everything up, and now we’re just not sure whether to proceed at all. I got a new kitten instead.

I just try REALLY hard not to think about wanting another child.

We kittymeow it's really hard isn't it? The fact you have to try really hard to not think about another child suggests that's what you really want. Don't give up the idea of egg donation. It's my plan B if I can't have another one naturally. Good luck whatever you decide x