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[Mary1962]

Would you see an intensity of peri or actual menopause symptoms if your periods just came to a sudden or abrupt halt after a year of getting further apart?  I've been 8-10 weeks between across the last year but since December nothing has started and feel different across the last month - at the moment I am having regular difficulty in sleeping, pins and needs, palpitations, temp surges (not quite sure if they are hot flushes or not yet!) and joint pain.  These particular symptoms seem to have come in a bit of a concentrated block and just wondering if this is due to real, and maybe sort of sudden, falling away of my hormones since December as things seem to have ground to a halt with my cycle?  Meanwhile things like the amount of hair I was losing seems to have improved, as does my skin - less ****ly black hairs sprouting from my chin and skin overall seems smoother again.

[Sarah2]

I think it's hard to generalise- everyone will differ.

Obviously as your periods become less regular your oestrogen levels will fall.

I had no peri symptoms really and only had hot flushes when I had the first real gap in periods- 4 months -aged 52-53ish. Then within another 6 months my periods got lighter but no real gaps. Then they stopped and the flushes began in earnest- once an hour. I then had a couple of light bleeds when I was 54, many months apart, which my dr and I are still not sure were an HRT related bleed or a late hormone surge.

There has to be a final period for all of us and if you have had them on the way out for a year then that isn't an abrupt halt, it's a fairly slow stopping. Abrupt is missing one and maybe never having any more.

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Mary1962
There is no blueprint for the menopause - everyone is different. Menopause symptoms can come and go as we go through peri meno and as our hormones fluctuate so will the symptoms.
I would certainly expect an increase of meno symptoms if there is a significant drop in oestrogen but again the severity of symptoms will vary greatly between women. How long a women experiences meno symptoms is also an unknown - a few months, 2-5 years or 20 years or sometimes more!!!
It is a personal choice as to whether you want to take HRT to relieve symptoms - it will depend on how much they are affecting your quality of life.
Do soak up all the info under the headings to the left of this screen - the more your know the more empowered you will be.  We're here to help so keep asking questions.  DG x

[mandy43]

My symptoms started when I missed my first period in december and they were very intense: hot flushes every 15-30 mins, night sweats, sore breasts, spots etc... then when I ovulated at the end of Jan they disappeared for 2 weeks, came back but not as bad and then end of Feb periods started.  I do feel my journey got off to a very quick start but Doc reckons I have another 3 years before my last period... can't see it myself.

[Dandelion]

My flushes started when I was about 45 years old.
Then I started getting periods either every three weeks or every six weeks.
I didn't know it was peri menopause, I just thought the sweats and hotness were down to medication I was withdrawing from.

[Dinnie]

Hi
I had things happen early, I'm only 43. 2011 & 2012 had periods every 2 or 3 months didn't really bother much then 2013 I took note that I didn't have a period for 6 months this was June by then, I mentioned to my GP that I had a few night sweats nothing major and lack of periods. She done bloods for meno, thyroid etc, all normal except Meno had another test and showed the same early menopause, she explained I would be better on HRT cause of my age so I started it and was ok for 3 months with period each month, July August September & October  things went wrong I got bad feeling of hot , tingly arm, bad palpitations, anxious ,stopped HRT and no period November but one December, 2 in January there nothing since and feel more back to normal before HRT. I think I was going to be ok through it and HRT just kick started hormones into overdrive! You might find your periods reappear over the months it never see them again! As said lots of great information here about HRT I'm reading through it all in case things get bad again lol the ladies here are great too,

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[Taz2]

Dinnie - I think it would be worth you trying a different type of HRT to see if you could avoid the symptoms you had before. I can't stress enough the importance of you replacing the oestrogen your body has ceased to make naturally. Without it your heart and your bones are not protected. Up to the normal meno age of 51 you are just replacing what should have been yours and so there are no risks associated with it. After 50/51 of course it is up to you whether you want to go through menopause naturally without HRT but at the moment HRT is needed to stop you possibly developing health problems in the future.

This is from this site under Menopause  "Generally, women having an early or premature menopause are advised to take HRT until approximately the average age of the menopause, for both symptom control and bone protective effect."

Taz x

[Sarah2]

Dinnie- Taz is right. You need to find the right kind of HRT to suit you.
You are having a premature menopause - roughly 10 years early- and this can have long term effects on your bones which you would not be aware of until your 50s, 60s or 70s, but you ought to take this seriously.
Old ladies with dowagers humps didn't know about or have the option of HRT but we are better informed nowadays.

[Dinnie]

Thanks Taz & Sarah, I have been thinking a lot about it lately, I tried Elleste duet but have been looking for more natural one and I need contraception so was thinking on IUD coil non hormone based, thing is which I'll need to discuss with GP is since I last had HRT another aunt in her 50's has breast cancer and my daughter had lung clots which they are testing her blood in April once the warfarin is out of her system to see if she has a clotting problem and if it is genetic. She also had a clot to her kidney which destroyed that. high blood pressure which caused brain swelling and induced coma 2 years ago and learning everything again. She's 22 and doing great but I'll probably have to wait until all of her tests are finished to see if I will get HRT again. I know she isn't allowed any hormone products now so she has IUD coil and hopefully won't go early meno.

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[Dinnie]

  By the way Sarah2 I had to google dowagers humps! When I read your post I thought god what is that am I going to have a bulge down below or have to pick up my lady bits to tuck into my pants later in life oh the thought lol 

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[Dancinggirl]

Hi Dinnie  - You've been through a very tough time with your daughter - how awful for you to see her go through this.
I had an early menopause (mid 30s) and had to kiss quite few HRT frogs before I found my prince.  You might be better with the Mirena and Oestrogel which can be a really good combo.  The Mirena coil has progesterone but carries fewer side effects - I'm not sure you can have an ordinary coil when using HRT because you need opposing progesterone to encourage your uterus to shed it's lining.  I think ones body stops producing so much progesterone when in peri and post meno.
Oestrogel is great(I had Oestrogel through peri and post meno) because, again, it's not going through your system and you can adjust the amount you use to control your symptoms. 
At 43 you are far too young to be without oestrogen (breast cancer risk doesn't really kick in till 50-52) I would suspect you are more at risk of heart and bone problems in the long run if you don't take it - can you find out whether your aunt's breast cancer was oestrogen sensitive?. Just because your daughter has clotting problems that doesn't mean you will have these problems - have you ever had high blood pressure or clotting issues?
DG x

[Dinnie]

Hi DG

I don't think it is oestrogen sensitive but I will ask her, she is only 59 and sadly her twin sister died of this 10 yrs ago quite scary. I had mentioned early meno to her wondering if any women in family had been through it early but she can't even remember said she sailed through it lucky her. My mum had hysterectomy at39 due to coil causing large abscesses so that's scary too sadly she passed away few years ago 56yrs old. I've Never had problems with BP but my dad passed away just few months after mum due to high BP causing brain stroke he was 58 again scary. I just have to talk to GP as my daughters tests will include genetic things so I've been told I might have to have tests depending on her results lol I do want to take HRT to protect me but as you can see I have a lot of issues! Maybe just go to a vet lol when I think about all this I'm surprised I'm not in a looney house! Just after my aunt, mum & dad died it was my nana 79yrs then uncle 60yrs and then mother in law 65yrs and am worried about HRT!
I will get appointment and discuss it though as I don't want all these problems in later life.
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[Dancinggirl]

Oh Dinnie
You sound so down to earth I feel sure you will find a way forward.  We are here to support you so keep posting. When you are surrounded with so much illness and then loosing family at such a young age I'm not surprised you are wary about hormones etc.  Get some good professional advice - perhaps ask to be referred to a gynae as well?
Get back to us if you have questions or want to share your experiences.  Good luck.  DG xx

[Dinnie]

Aw thanks DG
I've also been told I'm very laid back almost horizontal -my husbands wishing that anyway!  lol I will get on top (not on him  ) of these hormones.
Thanks for reading my moans now need to get dinner on hungry mouths to feed.

Dinnie
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