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[thecat1227]

I am interested in finding out if others have noticed a change in the bleeding pattern in the years leading up to menopause?

I turned 49 a month ago and have noticed one difference: although my periods are still regular, they are considerably less heavy compared to what they used to be like...for years, I have used tranexamic acid (available OTC) to reduce the bleeding and it has worked well (in my 20s, I was prescribed the pill to achieve the same effect). My periods used to be extremely heavy for the first 2-3 days, and then lighter for another 3-4 days, meaning they used to last a week. This left me anemic and I have been on iron supplement for years.

In the past six months or so, my periods have only lasted for a couple of days, and are so much lighter that I no longer need to take anything to reduce the bleeding.

I saw my gynaecologist last November for an annual check-up and was told everything was OK, so I'm not really worried, more curious to find out if anyone else has noticed changes this drastic, one way or the other?

[Bettythecat]

Hi
I definitely noticed a change in the frequency and heaviness of my periods over the last 3 years or so, realising that I was starting perimenopause but didn't know it at the time. Mine were as heavy as yours about 10 years ago but were due to a fibroid. I ended up having an ablation which I hoped would stop my periods but it just made them lighter (although still heavier than other women I knew). Then they started getting irregular - 3 weeks then 6 weeks, some very light and some extremely heavy. It was only at the end of last year when I'd gone 4 months without a period that I sought HRT and that has actually stopped the bleeding completely! I had bleeding for the first three months but now, nothing. Fingers crossed! This isn't like your experience at all but hopefully underlines that everyone seems to be different and the peri period seems to be more erratic than puberty. Hopefully someone with more similar experience will come along and reassure you 

[Dorothy]

I used to be very heavy, soaking through a night-time towel in a couple of hours - I'd have to get up in the night during the first 2-3 days of my period to change as there was no towel on earth that could cope with 8 hours overnight!  Then I started getting much lighter and shorter (6 days instead of 9-10) periods although the gap between them remained the same.