Menopause - Spring,TX

This might be it! Aunt Flo may have packed her bags for good this time! I have a friend going thru the exact same thing. She has been taking two different supplements to help with the moodiness, "Tropical moments" (lol) and the sleep issues. I can ask her for the name of the products if you would like. They work for her!

Hi, S.,
Your OB should be able to give you the results to the hormone testing - it can actually show whether you are no longer ovulating.

When I complained of irregular periods + those symptoms, I was told by nurse practitioner that menopause is an event (last ovulation) and the blood test proved that I had experienced menopause at age 44, because I was no longer ovulating.

Even at 44, it was not considered early menopause (which is before 40). :(

Hi S.,
Welcome to the world of menopause, I'm 49 yrs.old and have been on menopause since the age of 42, it's genetic, my mother started her menopause at that ate as well, your OB should give you lab. orders to do FHS, this test will determine your hormone levels and your OB will determine if you want to start on any hormone theraphy. Good LucK!!!

I suggest googling menopause.I think your normal.I also started around 45, now I'm 50. (still going thru the change.) I found that I had the symptons. They say if you miss your period for a year your through. I'll miss 6 months, then have a period for a couple of months. Then wait 6 weeks, or 2 months. Then another one will come. My period was very regular (every 29 days) is now whenever. I take pads with me always. I sleep with a box fan on at night to help with the hot flashes. Husband doesn't like the ceiling fan. Your body will start to loose extragen. The Dr. can give some to you.I insert a cream because of the dryness that has come with sex.It has helped to help the membranse stay "loose",and to have fluids in that area. Sometimes I think I'm going crazy. My Dr. reminds me to drink plenty of water & get rest.(yea right)good luck to you and you'll be in my prayers.

My Mom was 37 when she had my last brother and the dr told her then she was beginning to go into menopause! So, the same happened to me early in life and thank God, I had my tubes tied after the last of our 3 (I was 26). Glad you went to the dr for a check up and to get some answers to your questions. I am 56 now and don't miss the periods at all but the hot flashes are getting to me and I have trouble sleeping at night. Hang in there, my friend!

S., i am 51 and i went through all you are describing at around 45. I started using an over the counter progesterone cream (found at whole foods) it helps in the beginning. There are books to check in to about menopause and natural remedies. I tried the black cohosh, evening primrose and none of it worked for me. I now take bioidentical hormones and things have evened out . Get educated before you try something. I checked books out at the library and got online. Try the website woman to woman or just google perimenopause. Good luck!

S.,

I don't have any answers for you as I'm 42 and had a hysterectomy about 5 years ago. They say I'm perimenopausal, (I still have an ovary) but I have no signs of it to know for sure.

The reason I really responded was to say that your little funny about Shannon and Chase gave me an early chuckle this morning. At least you have humor. :)

B.

Sure sounds like the change to me. Started a lot of those things myself at about 43. Added some weight, despite not eating any more and still working out, have times of sleep difficulty, and spotty, weird periods. My Doctor said, "yep, perimenopause" two years ago.
I take Estroven. One a day. It takes a few weeks to begin to start to work, but it helps! My "power surges" are less severe, my cramping is less, and my moodiness has leveled a bit. A bit expensive at the drug store. The best deal is at Costco---the bulk package! Still not cheap like some vitamins, but my family probably thinks it's worth every penny.

I only have 1 or 2 periods a year since I was 37 and I am 43 now. I went to doctor and she said it was the beginning of menopause. I thought it was early too, but since both my mom and older sister had hysterectomies in their early 30's they could not help me either. In the beginning I took prego tests even tho my tubes had been tied for over 10 yrs. But just the relief to see the negative and that I was NOT helped ALOT!!
WELCOME!! Continue to see your doctor and research for yourself about the hormones. There has been alot of talk about the Biosynthetic vs the old hormones. Be your own advocate. Just remind your family that if you act a little whacked to just fan you off and give lots of CHOCOLATE!! Good luck and God Bless!

You are well within the window for this, S.. I see patients going through this as early as in their thirties! It is happening earlier for many of us, regardless of when our mothers experienced menopause, and I have some theories about why this is. The good news is that the worst of it doesn't last more than 18 months or so. Still, it can be a real surprise when it happens to YOU!

You sound a lot like me. I am 44 years old, and my periods have become increasingly more irregular over the past few years. I skipped three months this past summer, and took a pregnancy test to be sure I wasn't pregnant. (Like you, I used to have periods like clock work and could tell I was pregnant only after being late two days! No more...) I've been having early morning insomnia -- waking up at 3 am most mornings and not also able to go back to sleep. I asked my Mom, and she had nothing like that, and had a hysterectomy at age 51. But she also started her period later than me (age 16 vs 13). So maybe I take after my Dad's side..??

When I had my OB/Gyn visit, I asked about it, and my doctor said I was too young to be going through perimenopause, and put my on the BC pill, to regulate my period. That didn't work out, since the pill raised my blood pressure. So I'm back to nothing. There are times I am hotter than my husband (a first, except for when I was pregnant), and I'm still not always sleeping great, and I'm still irregular. But I don't want to go on any type of hormone treatment right now.

I'll be curious to see the other responses, if there's something else than can be done.

L.

I would agree, perimenopause. Be careful, you can still get pregnant, I think you have to be periodless for 6 mths to a year before you are really safe!