40....now what?

[solobiker]

So...where to start...Well, I turned 40 in February and just kind of wonder if I am getting to that..umm..age if you know what I mean. After 2.5 years of not going to see the Dr. for the annual check up (I avoid Drs like the plauge because I have had several bad experiences) I decided it was time because I have found that I have been far moodier prior to my period, they have been inconsistent and heavier. So my appointment was at 3pm last Thursday. I am waiting in the main waiting area and 330 comes and I go up to see if they are behind schedule or if I was forgotten (I was forgotten before). They tell me they will be with me in 5 min. Well they finally get me into the examination room at 430. 1.5 hours after my scheduled appointment. I was pretty frustrated and they really didn't appolgize. All the Dr said was that she was behind because one of her pts started to cry. Well any ways, after the exam I explained to the Dr. my concerns/?s re: the changes in my mood and cycle including getting hot frequently and all she said was "You are getting older" and left it at that. So I was just wondering if any TE friends have experienced the same changes around the age of 40. I am just curious if it may be perimenopause.

Thanks!! Sorry for such a long post.

[marni]

it may be or it may be you are having a glum interval in your life. One suggestion I can make, and it was seconded by my gp about the time I turned 50 is to make sure that you take a vitamin E supplement-daily and without faiil. It will take a couple of weeks to kick in but it does wonders for regulating periods, helping a bit with mood, and generally helping everything function a bit better and smoothly,it helped me with night sweats/hot flashes but it doesn't do this universally, plus it won't hurt provided you don't get silly with amounts you take.

check in with your mother and sisters if you have any for a family history of peri and menopause so that you get a general idea if the timing is right and some insight into what you may experience. I didn't have that luxury as my mother and both sisters had early hysterectomies for suspected "problems" so I was the first female in my family to go through it but I muddled through with empathy and information from female frieds and wisewomen.

Like pregnancy, it happens to all of us and it is not an indication that anything is wrong or needs to be cured but rather that your body is following its natural pattern and rhythm. Yes the system could have been designed better, but it's all that we've got going for us in this incarnation so go with the flow and try to relax. This too will pass, and personally I am delighted not to have to worry about things anymore.

hope this helps

[shootingstar]

For some of us, turning 40 was a non-event, in terms of physiological changes.

Since my perimenopause symptoms are so mild compared to many women (ie. hot flash so brief, so infrequent, etc.), I attributed my moodiness to significant personal things that have happened/will happen in life.

And how my perception might be changing because of accumulated life experiences. (Sense of deja vu about certain things, makes me abit more impatient...or just more indifferent to other things.)

Like you I rarely saw a doctor in my 20's to mid 40's. Not because of unpleasant experiences but there was no need.

And even now though I know my health is excellent, I am a bit more conscious of seeing a doctor ..to make sure about certain things and correct them now along the way. (I'm 51.)

Please don't worry so much if your doctor does not see any health problems.

[indysteel]

I tuened 41 last month. I have noticed certain changs over the past couple of years, but none so extreme that they have me worried. My periods, while regular, range from barely bleeding to normal. I'm also on a BCP that caused very light periods, so it doesn't concern me too much. I find myself retaining more water; that's been the biggest annoyance.


I would suggest that you try to find a better doctor or nurse practitioner in your area. Ask friends and coworkers (or go on Angie's List) for recommendations. The reality is that you need regular checkups and somebody you feel comfortable talking with. My OB/GYN recently blew off one of my questions, and I thinking of changing docs myself.

Did your doc order any blood work? If not, call her office and state that you'd like to have it done. Preferably have it done first thing in the morning after you've fasted overnight. Now is a good time to get a baseline of your overall health. I'd be curious to know whether your thyroid numbers are normal most specifically.

Also, be sure to be specific with your doc. For instance, instead of just saying your period is heavy, you might share how many tmapons/pads your're using per day. For me, heavy is a relative term and being specific might help a doctor figure out if your periods are within the range of normal. Several of my friends have suffered with uterin fibroids and they went through tampons by the hour--something that isn't normal.

[badger]

I'm turning 40 in March, and I've definitely noticed changes in my cycle this past year. I never had much cramping before, but now I'm getting stabbing pains, and for the most part, it's becoming a hinderance to my life. I'm starting to look at the calendar more and planning events around my periods. I hate that.

I went to my gyne a couple of months ago for my post-IUD insertion check up and I asked her about the cramping (I'm even cramping when I ovulate now). She said that at our age, our bodies really do start changing, and unfortunately it's fairly common. She sort of dismissed my concerns, too; I guess they're very common.

I don't like to suffer, so I did some research and take red raspberry leaf extract to tone my uterus (another annoying thing is my periods seem to take forever to start. I'll spot for several days before finally committing to it).

I also take yarrow to help with the cramping and bleeding, as well as shepherd's purse to control the heavy bleeding I have from the IUD (which got better after about a year with my last one), but again, I hate to suffer.

And I use wild yam cream starting my 14th day to help with the breast tenderness, crankiness and the night sweats I get during my period.

[malkin]

Ack. If this is not a doctor that you know and love already, find a new doctor and make your appointment for first thing in the morning! I don't mean for tomorrow--you're probably set for another year--but take your time finding someone. My current OB sees about half the women I know (who talk about these things).

If moods are the problem, how psycho were you?
Include the risk of violence and level of hysteria in your description.

If your bleeding is a problem, arm yourself with a clear description of the problem: how much, how impossible to manage, how clotty, how painful, or whatever and be CLEAR about what solutions would be acceptable--bleeding must stop, hysterectomy is the only option or not an option, OCPs ok or not ok and why not.

Apart from that, keep up with your routine wellness stuff--have your mammogram every year and do your self-check, and mark your calendar for when you are 50 and get your colonoscopy.

[solobiker]

Thanks for all of your kind replies. I really appreciate it. My family is not one for talking about any of these issues. It has always been a hush hush kind of thing. I am also overly modest/shy when it comes to this so I have a hard time talking with friends about it as well. At least now I don't feel too crazy or out of the norm from other women as they get older:o I will find a new Dr for my next annual. Thanks again!!:)