What’s your period like now age 42-44?

[LovedMyLastNameItHadToGo]

I’m 43 my period is pretty debilitating today.

It’s day 3 probably my heaviest day of 5 days.

My cycle varies from 23-27 days. I have pretty bad PMT the week before. Very low mood, just very sad. I’m not overly irritable, just really sad.

I also suffer from insomnia 1-2 days before my period. It’s awful.

I could barely keep my eyes open last night in bed for 1015pm slightly disturbed night of sleep.

I work for myself so I can have an off day. But I don’t know how I’d cope if I didn’t work for myself.

Following

I forgot to add I get them every 3 to 6 weeks now they use to be every 28-29 days in my 30s

My cycle has reduced to about every 23 days but I then bleed for just over two weeks, with about 5 days being really heavy. Thought I would be done by now as per every other woman in my family 🙁

heavy and painful - got to 40 before i ever had a painful period

I'm 44. Cycle is about 28 days, which is slightly shorter than it used to be. Period had become erratic in flow (very heavy some days, very light others) meaning it was hard to know what absorbency of tampon I needed, but I started using a mooncup 2 years ago and that has helped a lot. Cannot wait to be done with periods, hideous things.

I am 43 and my cycles have got a bit shorter, between 25-30 days, used to be 28-32. My periods still last the same length (about 3 days heavier, 2 days light)

I think my pmt is worse, I am tired and very ratty the week running into Day 1.

Have been lucky with periods all along though, most months they aren't too heavy or painful

Honestly, I would recommend mirena. So many of my friends have it, and it acts as the progesterone part of HRT.

I had adenomyosis and was told to go on the mirena coil, this completely fixed my heavy periods and bloated tummy

42 and cycle has slowly decreased from 32-34 days when I was young, to 24-28 days now. Much shorter too, used to be 7-8 days, now usually 4 but very heavy on day 2. I don't get mittelschmertz every month anymore, but I do still get it regularly.

Three days before my period I get a terrible headache which doesn't really respond to painkillers. I'm also very clumsy, but less PMT-y than I used to be. My mum's periods stopped at 52 so I expect I'm in early peri but have a long while to go.

I was only saying how my cycles have got shorter over the years, I never knew this was a thing!

They were 35 days when conceiving dc in my early twenties, now down to 24 days! Not amused.

I'll be 44 next month. My periods used to be 31 days prior to children; then settled into 26-8 days after having DC. But recently are anything from 24-29 days. Makes it hard to plan.
Few days before I'm very irritated & angry, with a short fuse & very tired.
Pain varies - some months barely anything, others it's crippling cramps, headaches etc.
Struggle with sleep but that seems to throughout the month. No sweats yet.
Mine start heavy, peter out on day 3, then return on day 4-5. Almost like it's doing a final rinse.
I think I am in peri but not been to the GP yet.

I'm 43, still regular as clockwork - 28 days and last 4/5 days. However they seem heavier and more painful than ever. TMI but the flooding drives me mad!

Late forties - regular as clockwork but now the pmt mood swings would rival that of a teenager at times. Almost chronic depression & bizarrely if I drink any alcohol just before they kick off I can look forward to debilitating cramps & some nausea & retching. If I am lucky add in numbness & tingling in my hands & feet for a hour.

Cycle has been 23-25 days long with a 5 day heavy bleed for years. Last year I had a random 40 day cycle, but just once.
Currently on day 3 and after flooding for days 1 and 2 it's all but stopped. I was actually coming to post and ask if this is the beginning of the end. In reading previous comments it's occurred to me that I don't have ovulation pain anymore either, and this period has been painless despite being super heavy and short-lived. It also took me by surprise when it started as I usually get a very definite cramp like a half hour warning before it starts, and this time, nothing.
I've been taking Health & Her Peri Mind+ tablets and they're amazing...really stabilized my moods which had been getting more erratic and just terribly low the week beforehand.
I'm 43.

I’m nearly 42 and they’re fucking shit. I used to have a long, not v regular cycle (35-45 days between periods) and now they’re so much heavier and closer together and I also seem to have a slightly shorter, lighter one inbetween so it feels like I’m getting my period every 14 days which surely can’t be right. Then this month I was in the bath and a clot and some blood came out 7 days after a super heavy period (tampons and sanitary towels doubled up a necessity). I had an ultrasound months ago and they said it looks like cysts, but I’ve been on the waiting list for gynaecology for most of the year - hopefully I’ll get seen soon.

oh and bad anxiety before my period too - like a horrible sense of impending doom. Like most (all?) women I’m used to just riding it out but it’s not fun at all.

Never used to be too bad but it’s definitely worse now.
The week before I am so ridiculously tired I struggle to stay awake, I’m really short tempered, so hungry and tearful but the worst thing is the migraines. I feel like my head is going to explode and I feel really sick.

My periods are so heavy I’m using ultra tampons and have to change them every 2 hours for at least a day. I really should go and speak to someone about it all but I don’t know if it’s worth it from hearing about other people’s experiences.

I am almost 42 and mine are all over the place too and I have very similar symptoms as you.

I had the copper coil a few years ago - prior to this my periods was heavy, but every 27/28 days and lasted 5-7 days. Followed the same pattern most months.

Had the coil removed 2 years ago, and since then I can’t predict what they will be like from one period to the next. Initially following the coil they were much lighter.

Now they can come anywhere from day 24 to day 30. Some months they are fine - regular tampons usually sufficient with the odd super one. Then suddenly I will have a month where they are very heavy with episodes of flooding. Some months barely any cramp, other months in agony. Headaches throughout but these are bearable, though not nice.

Insomnia before my period every month too - usually 1-3 days before despite feeling exhausted. Low mood those days too. Almost like a flat feeling. And sore legs!!

It’s all great fun isn’t it.

Mine are more regular now than they've ever been - suspect it's because I've lost a lot of weight.

I get about 36 hours of really significant pain, then 10-ish days of sore boobs and rage. Then my period itself is no bother - I only change my mooncup once every 24 hours.

It's just that it seems to last at least half the month now. I feel like it's either there, or just starting or just stopping. Rarely a week when I don't think about it or have any symptoms.

I am 42. Periods are every 3/4 weeks at the moment. Very bad anxiety week before. They have become lighter and shorter. Cramps not as bad as pre babies but still there. Feel rise in body temp when period is due and more tired than usual on first few days.

I knew I was approaching menopause when my cycle got longer and my periods heavier. I have always had anxiety and PMT and I don't think these worsened per se but I just felt a bit worn down so I went on sertraline. It was and is brilliant. I'm on the lowest dose and always have been and it works so, so well. I did have a scan for my heavy periods and my womb lining was a bit thicker than it should have been - gynae diagnosed hyperplasia and put the coil in. Wonderful, no more periods. It took 9 months for the on and off cramping to go away!

Age 50, regular as clockwork 28-30 days. Flow unchanged since having DD aged nearly 40 (got much lighter after).

tbh it’s pissing me off a bit. I’m done with all this shit.

I was 44 when all the above happened and I had the coil fitted. I'm in my third year of the coil now.

Interested to read this thread. Mine are regular at almost-44 and very heavy for 2 days or so. I’ve never really suffered with mood swings but for the last year I have been noticeably anxious, paranoid, over-feeling everything and having some very dark thoughts for a couple of days each month as the oestrogen levels drop (apparently).

GP was very sympathetic and said it defo sounds like peri. I’m on the waiting list to see a gynae as they won’t prescribe HRT under 45 or something without a consultant approval. I dunno. I just want to feel a bit more consistent and less bonkers tbh.

I was on the pill for 20 years (minus 2 kids) and at 17, my periods were fairly random. They're every 28 days now pretty much, which is the most regular I've ever been. I tend to get a day, then nothing, then 3 or 4 days of proper period.

I do get night sweats and jittery anxiety before. Sometimes a short migraine for variety. I've been quite manic this week and worked every evening and all weekend, like my battery is wonky.

I'm due on this week. Everyone in my family is irritating me. The way they speak, behave, look at me. I would usually run it off, but I'm injured, so I'm just a short tempered bitch instead. As soon as I come on, I'll be an emotional wreck and probably run out of energy- like the aliens in batteries not included.

Mine were regular as clockwork every 28 days but got heavier and more painful as I went through my forties. Clots the size of a sausage and awful floods. The pain was truly awful.

I had night sweats that kept me awake every single night. Joint pain that woke me as I needed to turn every hour. The sheets would get hard with sweat and ruck up under me - that made the pain worse. They'd be cold if I got up for a pee and got back into bed. Miserable.

However, the anxiety and PMDD was the worst symptom of all. Prozac helped the PMDD but not the anxiety.

Menopause was a nightmare and it took me years to get HRT right. I was told by one doctor "patch or pills" when I asked for gel (the patches got sweated off and irritated my skin, and the pills made me suicidal). This was the same GP who recently told me I didn't need a cholesterol test as my DP's was fine!

The first gynaecologist told me menopause only lasts 4 years and as I was two years in I didn't need HRT as it would soon be over (damn right! I was suicidal at the time). As a parting shot she mentioned that older women only want HRT to make themselves look more attractive to younger men!

Any women suffering here need to see a medical professional and if what you're given doesn't work, try something else. Don't give up. Life is too short to spend it in misery.