[Otter63]

My birthday is next week. Somehow I always figured by the time I hit fifty I would be magically done with the menace of menses.

I Still go for seven or more days (is that unusual?) and sometimes have quite heavy days. I'm just so ready to be over this!!

Some time back I was having very heavy periods, but that has improved. Then for a while, I would spot for a week before, and a few days after the actual week long period. I did tell my doc about it all, but she didn't push me to do anything about it, and I preferred to wait it out.

My mom and sisters all had either hysterectomies or ablations so I don't know when they would have stopped. I read of some women actually going to their late fifties!

I'm just venting, sorry. I know it could be worse.

Any end of periods stories?

[healingme4me]

I know my maternal grandmother was in her 40's, but my mom was closer to 50, which, was surprising to me, to realize, it could go that late, into life. But alas. Maybe 51/52 when hers did stop completely. ((racking my brain to remember, pretty sure by 52---I knew that she was concerned about BC, because her OBGYN mentioned she could still get PG, and that was after my first born, in 03, she would have been 49, then....it was a couple years later))

[Otter63]

Yeah, I don't really think I could get pregnant, but I guess as long as I'm still having periods I better be on the safe side.

[unaluna]

I think I went til about 52 or so.

[shortandcute]

I'm 50 and the last time I had my period was about a year ago; but I went without one for a year before that.

[Jolisse]

I'm 52 and just started menopause.

[Otter63]

Do you have hot flashes? I've avoided that so far.

[Jolisse]

Originally Posted by Otter63

Do you have hot flashes? I've avoided that so far.

Once in a while but they're not that bad.

I'm 49 and haven't had one since June. Before that I'd been tapering off from monthly to every six weeks, to every eight or nine weeks. I actually did spot for about a half a day some time in August.

Well, here's hoping I'm at least close to done.

[Fresia]

My Mom and Grandmother were in their mid or late 50's when they started menopause. I personally was disappointed to learn this with my endometriosis; I was so looking forward to having menses over sooner than later, but it was good to know that it does happen later sometimes too. It will end.

[Otter63]

"It will end." I need to keep that in mind

[ZeldaX]

I had my periods until 54. My mother did, too. My internist told me that 52 is the American average age for women to complete menopause, but that the range is wide. I had hot flashes in my mid forties for about a year, only a couple awful ones where my head sweated so much that my hair was dripping. All I can say is that hormones affect your mental health and so does menopause. A drag!

[Otter63]

So if I'm average, and if I understand it correctly that to "complete menopause" would mean having one year without periods, then maybe I am only one year from the end. That would be good.

I don't know why I've recently gotten so anxious to be done with it, except that they are so heavy and I guess I had it in my head that it would be over by now.

[pamj533]

Originally Posted by Otter63

My birthday is next week. Somehow I always figured by the time I hit fifty I would be magically done with the menace of menses.

I Still go for seven or more days (is that unusual?) and sometimes have quite heavy days. I'm just so ready to be over this!!

Some time back I was having very heavy periods, but that has improved. Then for a while, I would spot for a week before, and a few days after the actual week long period. I did tell my doc about it all, but she didn't push me to do anything about it, and I preferred to wait it out.

My mom and sisters all had either hysterectomies or ablations so I don't know when they would have stopped. I read of some women actually going to their late fifties!

I'm just venting, sorry. I know it could be worse.

Any end of periods stories?

has it always been norm.for you to go 7 days? that can be norm for some.was it easy for you to get preg? if you have really bad bleeding.could be fibroids.BUT. my periods were like that all my life.heavy or spot. or none. i had did not ovulate.had my first child at 32.With help of fertility drugs.was not supposed to get pg. again.THEN at 40.it happened.Got pg . twice! no fertility drugs involved.thought i was going through menopause.But no.lol MY body wanted to start having children. im not sure what to say on here.im kinda new.But watch out. your body may want to have some children. like i said im kinda new.and dont concentrate well sometimes.good luck.if you need a friend.pamj533..

[Otter63]

I used to have them more like 4-5 days. I went about three years before I got pregnant with my son, but I didn't give it much thought, because we weren't actually trying. My daughter was born two years after my son.

I'm not seeming to get any grandkids from my kids anytime soon so having my own kid doesn't sound so bad, but it seems pretty unlikely. Realistically, I don't really have the energy.

I'm glad you got your kids Welcome to the site Pam

[reesecups]

Originally Posted by Otter63

My birthday is next week. Somehow I always figured by the time I hit fifty I would be magically done with the menace of menses.

I Still go for seven or more days (is that unusual?) and sometimes have quite heavy days. I'm just so ready to be over this!!

Some time back I was having very heavy periods, but that has improved. Then for a while, I would spot for a week before, and a few days after the actual week long period. I did tell my doc about it all, but she didn't push me to do anything about it, and I preferred to wait it out.

My mom and sisters all had either hysterectomies or ablations so I don't know when they would have stopped. I read of some women actually going to their late fifties!

I'm just venting, sorry. I know it could be worse.

Any end of periods stories?

I had a hysterectomy after over 3 years of constant bleeding. My sister who is now 51 as well as my mother spent a while having irregular periods. Sometimes just spotting, sometimes heavy, and sometimes not at all. You might want to confirm with your gyno, but that is how they began menopause.

[Otter63]

Wow, 3 years like non stop every day? That would be horrible! Were they not wanting to do something sooner for some reason? My sister bled for a month straight and I thought that was bad. They gave her an ablation.

[reesecups]

Originally Posted by Otter63

Wow, 3 years like non stop every day? That would be horrible! Were they not wanting to do something sooner for some reason? My sister bled for a month straight and I thought that was bad. They gave her an ablation.

Yes! Some days extremely heavy! They tried BC pills and it worked for a few months, then it started again. Since I had a similar problem in my twenties, I did go a while without saying anything, hoping it would go away. They did three uterine scrapes and an ultrasound to try to find the reason. Could still find no problem. Finally they offered me three different surgeries. Two had a possibility of fixing the problem. The only one that guaranteed to fix it was a hysterectomy. Frankly I was 46 and if I had wanted children I felt I would have already had them. So I opted for the hysterectomy which guaranteed it would stop the bleeding. I was so tired of bleeding I didn't care anymore.

Now, I think my new doctor probably would have found the problem and fixed it. But I was limited financially as it who I could go to back then. Frankly, I believe it was a hormone issue, maybe even a hormone other than estrogen or progesterone. I'm just relieved I know longer have to worry about it.

[Otter63]

What a nightmare! I'm so glad it finally got resolved for you. Next time I'm feeling crabby about 7 days, I'll think of your 3 years and be grateful!

[ZeldaX]

No matter what, we are all individual in menopause. When it gets horrible for you, then you should go to your doctor and see if they have something to help. Sometimes all it takes is progesterone cream to stop the bleeding (I used to get it at a health store).

But I do recommend that we ALL use birth control if we don't want children. My father in law was born when his mother was 58, and my own gynecologist said that she sees a lot of pregnancies in women who though they had already gone through menopause. If you want a baby, this may be a blessing, but if not .... frankly, my 24 yr old son is still a baby. I don't think I could handle another one. (Of course, the brand new kind don't end up in jail, total your cars, punch holes in your walls, and punch you in the face.)

[Otter63]

58 and had a baby? That's wild! I do use birth control, but I guess I get nostalgic for the young kid days sometimes. If I really think about what it would mean to have a baby, I realize I don't want to deal with the car seats and all the responsibilities that come with a baby. I'll have to wait and hope my kids come through with some grandbabies at some point.

I have a question.

At this point, I still haven't had a full period since June, and had that half-a-day spotting in August. It's now toward the end of November, and nothing has happened. I know that "menopause" is one year after the last period. Would that be the June full period, or the August half-a-day spotting?

[reesecups]

I believe I heard this by a doctor on an Oprah Winfrey show, but there is peri-menopause and it can last like up to 10 years before you go through the real think. I believe the doctor who wrote a book about it had the last name of Northrup?

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by Lovebird

I have a question.

At this point, I still haven't had a full period since June, and had that half-a-day spotting in August. It's now toward the end of November, and nothing has happened. I know that "menopause" is one year after the last period. Would that be the June full period, or the August half-a-day spotting?

Not a 100%, but I'd say, go by June and use August as the double check month.

I'm 48 and my mom went into menopause very early. Hadn't had a period since last April so thought maybe that was it until - - wham! Yesterday morning started one again. I know I'm nearing the end though (with 7 months of no period), so yay for that!

I have bipolar and was stable for about 15 years. Since April mood issues have worsened. I'm hoping the worsening is due to perimenopause and that I won't be struggling with this current depression for too much longer . . .