Perimenopause - Warning TMI!

[thekarens]

First off I'm 43...well, I'll be 43 the end of April, so I've started claiming it now.

In the "good old days" I could set a clock by my cycle every 28 days. Then about 12 years ago it switched to every 21 days. I felt cheated, but dealt with it.

So, come December, I skipped and I didn't think anything of it, skipped again in January and thought, hurrah! It's ending for good! Pregnancy never crossed my mind because I'm a lesbian and as I've told my gyn, my wife has had a hysterectomy so it's not possible :)

Come Feb I start and am bummed, but I think...oh well, it was good while it lasted. The only problem is it has NEVER ended...well, that's not true, it ends and restarts and stops and spots and oh what fun! I've always been a person that bleeds very heavily the first couple of days and then it tapers off, so the beginning of Feb heavy bleeding, tapering off, and spotting and bleeding off and on ever since.

I haven't had any hot flashes thankfully, but I have found that I'm depressed and tired and extremely forgetful. The other day I went into Walgreens for toilet paper and envelopes and came home with M&Ms! Last night I had to email my son's therapist to ask if he had an appointment this week (he has one every other week.)

I finally sucked it up and made an appointment for Monday just to confirm that it is perimenopause. That goes to show what a disruption all this has been in my life because my ded is $1750 per person and I don't EVER go to the doc.

To make this bike related and not just a rant I'll say I have no interest in getting on the bike and I love riding, especially mountain biking. I need to get on, but I'm tired, I don't feel good and I'm depressed. I struggle with endurance as it is. My partner gleefully speeds along with the 16-18 group for 45 miles and I struggle with the 12-14 for 25. On Friday we're supposed to do a Good Friday ride that's 35 miles at 15 and it's a no drop group and Saturday our club is riding with the local high school MTB race team. I'm considering pulling the covers over my head and hiding for the weekend.

I've read the average for perimenopause is 4/5 years, but can last up to a decade. I want to know how homicide doesn't occur more often if that's the case?

[ny biker]

Definitely talk to your doctor. For starters, a short course of birth control pills might be all you need to reset your cycle. But there could be other stuff going on, too, so it's worth having a checkup.

Good luck!

[indysteel]

Definitely talk to your doctor. For starters, a short course of birth control pills might be all you need to reset your cycle. But there could be other stuff going on, too, so it's worth having a checkup.

Good luck!

I'm 43 as well, and the irregularities in my period, along with mild depression and fatigue were largely due to thyroid issues, not perimenopause. In the very least, get a full blood screen to test for things like anemia, thyroid function, Vitamin D deficiency, etc.

[shootingstar]

Every woman is different. And there have been varying experiences even into menopause and onward that were posted in TE forums.

The latest for me (@54), is that I stopped having periods over 18 months ago. But now my hot flashes seem to be increasing abit. Annoying. But manageable. (I always had a history of uneven periods. Some of it was lack of iron or stress. Shrug. I've been checked over the decades. It's just "me". I could never predict my period on start and stop date accurately. Always kind of vague for me.)

Someone's mother I had heard, always had at least 1 surprise period episode annually after menopause until she died in her early 80's.

As for cycling, if you don't want to ride with others, then don't, but still ride at your own pace. Some cycling is always a good thing..and makes one happier. The natural endorphins are always a good thing. Always. :)

[SheFly]

I'm turning 45 this year, and was just at the doctor last week for a physical. I told her that my cycle is now every NINETEEN days (yup - you read that right), and some months lasts 3 days, some 4 and others 5. No rhyme or reason. I am also having more frequent occurrences of ovarian cysts, and just found out today that my pap smear was slightly abnormal. Yay. Means I get to go in for another in 6 months (and did I mention that today I got to have an ultrasound for the cysts? And that it was external AND internal?) Double yay.

My doctor hasn't indicated perimenopause, but that the abnormalities are fairly normal "at my age" :). Ah - the joys of being an aging woman...

SheFly

[Sylvia]

I've read the average for perimenopause is 4/5 years, but can last up to a decade. I want to know how homicide doesn't occur more often if that's the case?

LOL.. I hear you on that one.. I'm 50 and perimenopause has definitely been a journey for me. I've had the mood swings, the depression, the lack of energy, the inability to concentrate, the slowing of my metabolism (and accompanying weight gain) any and all of it at various times. I've had my thyroid checked and blood work done and everything checked out. Actually had it done twice. And perimenopause definitely seemed to bring out any garbage from my past that I still needed to work on too.

So I've tried various things over time to help relieve some of these symptoms. Early on just taking St Johns wort and Estrovan along with increasing soy intake helped, but with time they didn't help much as the symptoms worsened. A friend of mine who is several years older but went through much the same thing, recommended the Mannatech Plus supplements, and those really helped me. I also spoke with a gyn nurse practitioner who recommended the Emerita Progest cream. That has also helped particularly with the energy part. This year I've also added 50 miles a week of indoor cycling and juicing to my regimen. I've found all of these things to help me but they don't get rid of the problem. I think with time the really bad low, lows have decreased. And now I feel like I have various things that help relieve the symptoms.

As others will probably say, work with your doctor and hopefully you will find things that work for you.
Also ask others, like you are doing now, to see what has worked for them.

[OakLeaf]

I'm postmenopausal now, but I hate to tell you, perimenopause started in my late 30s and lasted a good ten years for me. :( And the irregular periods continued right up until they stopped. (I'd always been clockwork until perimenopause too.) Consider yourself lucky that you don't have to be spending the money on pregnancy tests that I spent every time I was two weeks late, for five years. :rolleyes:

I didn't start having hot flashes until after my periods stopped AND I quit eating soy. Thankfully, they've been very mild, and are tapering off.

Hope the symptoms become tolerable for you.

[shootingstar]

I usually have my mild hot flashes at night when am in bed. I have not noticed any relationship between tofu and hot flashes because I rarely eat tofu. I just forget to buy the stuff.

Thank goodness, the thought of hot flashes in humid summers during the day... Some of you gals are tough.

As for not wanting to bike even by yourself at your own pace, because you are tired/demotivated, I occasionally remind myself this: there are people who are paralyzed for life and can't bike like us. Our problems could be way worse.

[thekarens]

Oak and SheFly gave me things to look forward to :)

I appreciate everyone sharing their thoughts and experiences. I'm not completely miserable every day all the time. I have my good moments. It just seems like the bad have been outweighing the good lately.

Shootingstar, I have a friend that was an avid, and I mean crazy, runner. She LOVED it with a passion. She ran 24 marathons and then had to have her knee replaced. The doc told her no more running, period, so she's taken up cycling, but she's not that enthusiastic about it, so I get your point.

[Crankin]

My peri-menopause also started at 38. I had years of horrible PMS, with physical symptoms, not emotional, and it pretty much morphed into peri-menopause with the same symptoms. My periods became heavier and closer together. Or, I went 6-11 months without one. Then, they just stopped at age 48.5. Hot flashes started about a year later and lasted for 4-5 years. Nothing that kept me from doing anything. I hated having my period, so that was a reward. Of course, I have osteoporosis, but I have a strong family history, as well as other risk factors, so there's probably nothing I could have done to avoid that. It took me about 12 years to finally find a medication I can take to help with that.
I'm thankful I didn't gain tons of weight or have any cognitive/emotional symptoms.

[emily_in_nc]

I started getting heavier and closer-together periods in my early to mid-40s and had a couple of scary episodes of "flooding" in early peri-menopause. Now, finally, in the last year or two, I've started having longer spacing between periods. 40 days, 60 days, but then I'll get one at 14 days, then back to 28 days.... This last one has been my longest gap between -- my last period started Dec. 4th, and I just now started today for the first time since, so what's that, almost four months? It's been a nice break, and I was SO hoping that I was done. I'll be 52 in 1.5 weeks and ready for it to be over, but not enough to do anything unnatural to hasten it along.

I have not had terrible peri- or menopausal symptoms as yet. A few minor hot flashes, but nothing debilitating, and nothing else that serious, though my memory is not what it used to be.

At least for me, I'd have to say that peri-menopause has been about an 8 year journey so far, though it's hard to remember back to know exactly when it started.

[shootingstar]

I think I was in periomenopause for over 3 yrs. It was such gradual, gentle process that crept through me.

[Irulan]

Any comments on changes in libido levels? For the most part, things are going pretty smoothly here with occasional mild hot flashes and a real decrease in bleeding days/time. I'm down to just some spotting every few months or so. The biggest thing for me is lack of libido, and no rhyme or reason to the levels. At least when I was menstruating, I could tie in the highs and lows to my cycles, and there were highs. I suppose this is related to dropping in hormone levels.

[zoom-zoom]

I need to come back to this thread later when I have time to read all of the responses and contribute more, but at 40 my cycles are generally 23 days and have been for at least the past 5 years. Totally annoying, especially since I bleed for ~8 days, so I feel like I have my period at least a third of the time. :rolleyes: I'd have a hysterectomy if I didn't dread the thought of no activity for 6 weeks or more. I've had endometriosis and adenomyosis since my first period, so there would be benefit to being rid of the uterus and my one "hamburger" ovary. Menopause doesn't sound so bad, right now...

[Biciclista]

I'm 61 and my hot flashes are more vivid (shall we say) than ever. I am glad you are going to the doctor, although i started with all this nonsense in my late 30s too, the bleeding didn't stop until i was 54. OH BOY I was glad. woohoo! I went to the doctor after a long pause and she said, "we don't count it until a year has passed" so sure enough 11 months later, i had another period. but then it really stopped. I do not miss it. nope. But the silly hot flashes, come on, do they EVER stop?

[OakLeaf]

Any comments on changes in libido levels?

Mine is gone. Absolutely gone. :( :( :mad: But the breast stuff 3-5 years ago is another HUGE contributing factor to that (both on my part and DH's), so I can't necessarily blame it all on menopause.

[Crankin]

My flashes stopped about 6 or 7 years post meno, but I was also on a med that caused them and they didn't start for at least a year after my last period.
My libido is the same. The only issue I had was severe dryness, but the desire was still there. That coincided with the time I started riding 1,000 + miles a year and man, the combination was quite painful. I've had an E-string since 2005. It gives a tiny tiny dose of local estrogen to help that issue. My doctor told me that it is even approved for post cancer patients. She also told me "use it or lose it."

[DocZan89]

Got it all...hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, fatigue, fatigue, fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness, decreased libido and depression. It's been about 9 months since my last period. I will be 50 in July and all of this started about 3-4 years ago. It goes in cycles where I'll be great for a few months and then it hits me again for a few months. I've tried figuring out what helps and what doesn't help. For me, it seems eating right and exercise do the trick. When I am "on the wagon" doing what I'm supposed to do I feel good. When I fall off the wagon (winter is a particularly bad time or my work schedule) that's when my symptoms are at their worse. I'm off the wagon now and hoping to kick myself in the butt now that it looks like Spring will truly be here.

But...as previously suggested, make sure to check for Thyroid Issues. They can mimic symptoms of menopause.

Once you can come to grips with all this and find what works for you, your love of biking will return.

Hope this helps.

Rosanna

[emily_in_nc]

Libido -- what's that?!

[Biciclista]

Libido -- what's that?! snort

[thekarens]

Just an update...went to the gyn and she did a pap, told me the pathologist might not be able to read it because there was too much blood up there (even though there wasn't any when I went to the restroom before and after the appointment, must just be hanging out up there.) Then told me she felt "something" small on the right side...whatever that means. I had blood drawn the following day, which is a whole other story and next week I go for an ultrasound.

As far as the libido question goes I've gone from about an 8-9 to a 2-3, which actually is fine for us/me.

[indysteel]

Ugh; I sure hope it's nothing serious. Keep us posted. I'm glad you went to the doctor. I think it's important to recognize that while certain perimenopausal symptoms, like heavy bleeding, aren't uncommon, it's nevertheless important to consult a doctor to rule out other, less benign, causes.

[thekarens]

When I asked what she meant by that she said not to worry, that usually it's a cyst or fibroid so I'm not freaking out....yet :D

[Catrin]

When I asked what she meant by that she said not to worry, that usually it's a cyst or fibroid so I'm not freaking out....yet :D

Yes, try to hold onto her words to not worry - sometimes that is easier said than done! Glad to hear that she doesn't think it is anything serious and do keep us posted!

[thekarens]

So, blood work is in and she says I have a "mild case" of hypothyroidism. She said the normal range is .0450 to 4.5 and mine is 3.490, which is still within range, but I guess she would be happier if it were a bit lower, so she's asked me to take some meds for 6 weeks and do more lab work. Thursday is the ultrasound.

Crack me up, for 42 years I sat on my *** doing nothing except gaining weight and as soon as I decide to "get active" and lose 60lbs I start having problems. Yes, I know the two are not related or should I say, probably the years being lazy are what is causing the problems, but it's just ironic.

[indysteel]

Glad that showed up in your bloodwork and that you're getting treated for it. Just an FYI that by some standards, anything over 3 is hypo. The American College of Endocrinologists established a range of .3 to 3 a few years ago, but some labs and docs have been slow to adopt that. I have Graves Disease and have consistently been told that a TSH of 1 is where a lot of people feel their best, and that's true from my own experience. I hope you start to feel better with some medication.

[thekarens]

Good info Indy. I appreciate it. Hopefully the ultrasound goes fine and with the meds I can stop feeling like a nut job and go back to getting serious about getting fit.

[indysteel]

Good info Indy. I appreciate it. Hopefully the ultrasound goes fine and with the meds I can stop feeling like a nut job and go back to getting serious about getting fit.

I bet you'll feel better soon. Since I started treatment in August of 2011, I've been both mildly hypo (between 3-4 TSH) and mildly hyper. Now my TSH is pretty close to 1, at least according to my last bloodwork, and I feel as "normal" as I've felt in a long time. I felt like poo when I was mildly hypo. Not at death's door of course, but I definitely felt off. I had this undercurrent of melancholy that was impossible to shake, and I wanted to sleep all the time. I still managed to exercise, but it was a struggle. Now I'm back to working out six times a week.

I hope the ultrasound doesn't reveal anything or at least anything that can't be easily remedied.

[GLC1968]

I'm just now seeing this, but I'll be very curious to see what your ultrasound returns.

I can't remember if I ever posted about it here (probably not) but when I was 38 I all of a sudden started having ridiculously heavy periods that were all too frequent. I was never regular before I went on the pill, but at the time this was happening, I was trying to change my pill to a lower dose...so I thought that was what was causing it. When my doc tried a number of hormonal ways of 'fixing' it that didn't work, I just got frustrated. Then we moved and while looking at houses, I had to run into bathrooms because I was bleeding through super tampons and double thick pads (combined). I found a new doc and first thing he did was an ultrasound. Turns out, I had a large fibroid that was almost entirely within my uterus. It was attached just at the top wall.

After a few months of forced 'menopause', then surgery and then a few months later a second surgery to get the remainder of the fibroid, I was cured. Now, 7 years later, I'm completely regular and I no longer take any hormones (no more BCP).

At the height of this problem, I was bleeding so badly that 1) I was incredibly anemic and had to have a transfusion prior to surgery and 2) I actually gushed blood out once in an all employee meeting at work (it doesn't get any worse than that!) and once onto my OB-GYN's shoes. :o:o:o

[indysteel]

How awful, GLC! I have several friends with similar stories, and I'm amazed that so many doctors initially write off incredibly heavy bleeding as a mere hormonal problem. I had one friend who basically had to go postal at her doctor's office just to get an ultrasound. It turned out to be a giant fibroid that required a hysterectomy. When she first complained to her doctor about the bleeding, he told her it was just a normal hormonal thing. She then changed insurance companies and she didn't think to reveal it as a pre-existing condition. It then got worse and she eventually had the surgery. Well, the insurer denied the claim, alleging fraud. It was maddening.

[thekarens]

I tell you what, the internet is both a wonderful and totally terrifying thing. I love having vast information at my fingertips, but at the same time it can be terrifying. People naturally share the horror stories, not the oh, it was no big deal stories. I have learned one VERY valuable lesson....treat doctors the same way I treat cars....with total skepticism! You really do need to be your own advocate when it comes to health.

Indy, as someone who works for a major insurance company all I can say is I'm so sorry. It never would have crossed my mind to disclose that information either. If the doc says there's nothing wrong then it's not a problem or a pre-existing condition...give me a break!

[thekarens]

I put part 2 (the results and options) here http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=51457&p=673540#post673540 for anyone willing to take the time to read and give their thoughts.