Quote Originally Posted by thekarens View Post
I'm 45. At 43 I started bleeding all the time, got put on birth control pills and my cycle got lighter and lighter. It stopped altogether in March and I quit the pills.

I've had extreme breast pain, bloating, vaginal irritation, insomnia, muscle aches and the most annoying, frequent urination. Thankfully I haven't had any hot flashes. Oh, and for about 3 months I truly thought I was going crazy, my emotions were uncontrollable.

Every one is different, and each person's symptoms usually fluctuate over time, I think. I'm 50 and things have been irregular and unpredictable for some years now. Between November and March I had no periods but lots of hot flashes, day and night. I tend to really feel the cold in winter and in the past have worn wool camisoles and heavy sweaters to stay warm, but this past winter all that was too much. Interestingly, I also lost a few pounds and had no trouble with water retention during that time. Then in March I got a period and another in April. Which is all to say that whatever you're experiencing now will probably not last, for better or worse.

To wnyrider's point, one challenge I've dealt with in planning bike rides with sufficient rest stops is that the best areas for cycling in this area (or at least my favorite areas) are rural, and there are not many good options for stops. There aren't many stores and the ones you do find sometimes don't have public restrooms. And just stopping on the side of the road is not really feasible in open farmland with no trees or hedges. I have developed an unconscious habit of noting the location of every portapotty I see, which is kinda weird. I also have a favorite brand -- Don's Johns, headquartered in northern Virginia. They've got some very heavily-used portolets on the trails around here, and even on busy summer weekend those things still smell nice.