Menopause- gentler reactions

[Catrin]

gee, Catrin, not much of you left is there???

LOL, nope - but it was cycling that really started making me feel better - it is my fountain of youth

[zoom-zoom]

At what age do most of you suspect you hit peri-menopause? I will be 38 in 10 days and my cycles have been horribly short for probably close to 5 years. I am lucky to hit 24 days. Most months I'm in the 21-23 day range...then I spot for 7-10. Drives me nucking futs! I had thermal ablation 7-8 years ago, so that likely explains how light my actual flow is. I have endometriosis, but that doesn't explain the short duration of my cycles. I've likely had endo since my very first period and my cycles used to be in the 28 day range.

[Crankin]

Given your prior things, it may be related (endo, etc.). That said, I was your age when my symptoms started. It makes sense, since I officially was done at 48, ten years later. I had horrible PMS, which got worse as my periods got closer together. I wasn't having any real menopause symptoms like hot flashes until I was about 45-46. They did not bother me as much as having my period every 3 weeks. I hated that whole thing from the minute it started... pms with horrible physical symptoms, cramps the first day. When the periods got irregular, like not coming that often, I was thrilled.

[OakLeaf]

I went through close to ten years of perimenopause also. Irregular periods - sometimes two weeks apart, sometimes long enough that I had to buy a pregnancy test - when I'd always been very regular. Major estrogen surges with so much breast swelling and pain that I didn't even realize it was "cyclical" until about the third time it happened. Two years into it, so far menopause itself has been way easier than perimenopause. I didn't even have any hot flashes until several months after my periods stopped, when I cut way back on soy because of breast issues.

[shootingstar]

I've been fading very gradually for past 4 yrs. in perimenopause Only in the past 5 months, I've had no period. We'll see.

I turned 52 a few days ago.

Honestly, I didn't monitor my periods precisely like many women seem to. I never bothered nor cared to predict the precise day when my period would start. I knew some women who could predict on the exact day and hr. of the day. I had vague ideas when my monthly period would begin, but never actively monitored day by day as a count. I never quite monitored the length of it ...I guess in some dimwitted way over the decades, I ranged from 6-9 days before complete fade-out per period each month. Maybe I'm forgettin'..

I have had different times in life, amhorea due to being too low weight or whatever.
I did notice my period seem to start a few days later from last 30 days or so. So every month the "start date" pushed forward. That's as accurate as I could ever be.

I have not experienced pain in my abdomen nor any menstrual cramps. Just usuallly you know heavy then fading, blah, blah...like normal.

[emily_in_nc]

I have no idea when I began peri-menopause...it was gradual. I had a couple of very short, irregular cycles right around my cycling accident in '05 (I had just turned 44), but those could have been stress related. Definitely in peri-menopause in my late 40s, but as I mentioned above, my symptoms have not been severe. Shorter cycles are my main symptom. No real PMS.

My last cycle was only 21 days. Frustrating to say the least. I used to know when I needed to carry supplies, now I never know. I still have the occasional 28-day cycle.

[macopagirl]

Anyone knows the supplement MX Menopause Factor that said to be relief from night sweats and hot flashes? quite curious about this...