Peri menopause- the stages and phases

Fellow peri menopause/menopause women!

I’ve likely been going through peri menopause for several years now, I’m 51, in my 40s my periods got seriously heavy to the point where anaemia was a problem, also they came closer together at 23-26 day cycles and were lasting 10 days so there wasn’t much of a break.

However this last year although still around 26 day cycles the flow is thankfully lightened, lighter than ever, unfortunately I’m getting cramps now when I hadn’t for years. Up and down hormones no doubt at the root of it. Not considering hrt for personal reasons (don’t feel that unwell, prefer to take natural course when possible) but wondering when this is going to finally end. Is the lightening a sign I may be nearing the last phase? My sister and mother were mid 50s before they finally finished- I’m feeling inpatient, I’m so done with menstruation lol, 39 years of it so far!

I didn't even know there was such a thing as peri menopause until many years after I was already in it! My doctor never mentioned it.

It varies among women, lasting anywhere from 5-15 years from what I've heard! Genetics play a role also.

I hear you on the periods. Men don't go through anything close to that! Once a month for at least 40 years, give or take a few years. It's a lot of trouble with its own symptoms. And the money we spend on the products that are necessary, not a luxury!

Then there's the peri stage, the menopause, then post menopause. And even with all those, the symptoms vary woman to woman. I wish it were more black and white!

The lighter periods could be a sign, but I don't know. I hope so.

Thanks yeah doctors don’t seem to mention it, I think I only realised about it from reading online, if it hadn’t been for that I wouldn’t have known. I think it’s the reason my migraines got worse too.

You’re right it isn’t at all black and white. At least in pregnancy you know what’s coming, it’s pretty much a predictable experience with a set time scale. Peri menopause seems like it’s undefined, I’m lucky to have an older sister so I’m using her experience as a guide - in that case it could be years yet. I’m so done with this!

I was fortunate and had my periods stop in 2020. However, 12 months later I had a weird period and I had to get an ultrasound to make sure it wasn't a problem. It wasn't.

But since then, zero.

Mostly I had a pretty uneventful menopause.

The only real issue I have is far more pain in the joints and bones than before. I feel like i should have been warned. I purchased a 3 floor townhome in 2014 because I didn't have joint pain. Now I really think I am going to have to get a new home. With loss of estrogen you lose pain relief.

My blood pressure has gone up as well. I was routinely in the 110/70 range and now it is 133/82.

Yes, Disco if only it was more clearly defined! Some women have practically no symptoms, just sailing through it all!

Supposedly the younger one starts periods, the more miserable menopause will be. It was something I read years ago and couldn't find it now..

Menopause was a b i t c h and now post-menopause, I have to take vitamin D and calcium daily because of loss of estrogen means loss of bone mass. I too get achy at times, in spite of exercise, which I didn't have before.

Agh the achiness you now both have sounds bad, I didn’t realise this was something that happened, so perhaps I ought not to wish for menopause too soon!

I heard something like you said Owl about early menstruation being associated with later menopause or some such thing. It was actually a nurse who came to give us the talk back in the day, I was 13 so guess what I’d already started so that talk was a little late for me and many others.

Nurtec has completely erased my migraines. They weren't related to hormones, though, and started at age 3. But if you have access to it, try Nurtec. It has been a true lifesaver to me.

Like you, my perimenopause started in my late 30s and lasted until I was 51. At 51, I transitioned to the menopause stage and it's officially been 12 months now since my last period. That said, I still get the random hormonal shift every now and then that reminds me that I still have a sex drive, which I thought vanished forever.

But the side effects of menopause are in the 100's, that some doctors have recorded.

There is no one heightening sign that tells you that you're in the final stage. It's different for every woman, literally-speaking. The final stage is when you haven't had a period for 12 months straight.

I still have a box of maxipads JUST IN CASE my hormones decide to do a full reverse. I still have hot flashes. I still am clumsy, forgetful, DRY IN EVERY ORIFICE (if you know what I mean) and no amount of lotion satiates my dry skin. I also have intense itching inside my ears that drives me crazy. And, no matter what I do, I can't lose the menopause weight that I gained, so decided to give up and try swim-walking for a while this winter.

I wish you luck on your menopause journey. It's a right of passage and one that women should be honored and proud to experience (despite the patriarchy of society and in the medical field that diminishes women's health to "anxiety symptoms").

I'm so happy I don't have to spend money on maxipads ever again. Maybe Depends is in my future though LOL.

Ah yes, you mentioned Nurtec on my other thread about migraine meds. At the time it hadn’t been authorised here but it has now, I’ve been reading about it and I’m curious. Apparently though it seems like at the moment the NHS is only prescribing where 3 other meds have been tried and failed. Thing is, propranolol does work for me as preventative even though it’s had side effects, and triptans work as relief. Apparently Nurtec is very expensive this being the reason it’s not first med prescribed.

I’m curious though, I’m reading that Nurtec is both a preventative and a relief med, is that true? How does that work?

I’ve had migraine life long but think the hormone fluctuations are bringing more, never needed a preventative med until this last year. Oh and the only time in my life migraines vanished was pregnancy.

@Motts ah no, the weight gain is so annoying isn’t it. I was always super slim lol but not recently, I just can’t shift those extra pounds and I exercise a lot too. Pool walking/running is supposed to be good especially if you have joint issues. I love swimming myself, it makes me feel relaxed even if I don’t get the weight reduction I did a few years ago.

Yes, Nurtec is Expensive. For me, more than 3 preventative meds had failed before I started it: Depakote, Elavil (a triptan), Zonisamide and Topamax.

It works both ways. You can keep it on hand and use occasionally to stop thr attacks or, of your attacks are frequent, you can use it preventatively by taking it every other day. In my case the insurance only dispensed 8 tabs at a time so I need to have it delivered twice a month. It would have been prohibitevely expensive without the insurance.

My migraines went away after menopause. I had then badly from around 5 until 50. I don’t recall the migraine meds I was on but I was limited to a certain number per month. The injectable imatrex worked but the pill form did not. So they put me on the one that was limited.

When I was nine the Mayo Clinic put me on a barbiturate to alleviate the symptoms but I didn’t like the side effects and refused to take them.

They do say age helps with migraines. I never had peri-menopause I went from having periods straight to menopause. But there’s a couple reasons for that. I had one and a half ovaries removed because of cysts, when I was in my late 30’s. I was deathly ill with sepsis when I was 50. When I recovered I no longer had migraines or periods.

The weight gain is VERY annoying. It started with my perimenopause and hypothyroid and Lymes Disease. Screwed up my metabolism permanently. I can't do intense aerobic exercise either due to exercised induced asthma (also a perimenopause symptom that won't go away).

Gone are my former days of thin-body and athletic. I used to play tennis and doubles (had the silly tennis skirt and matching top outfit and visor). Now I'm a petite lump of a woman. Thanks middle age and menopause!

All triptans are limited. Imitrex, 6 injections per month. I used nasal spray instead of injections back then. Both injections and nasal spray work instantly while pills do not and since timing is of the essence it is quite usual that injections would work while pills do not. These are limited because overuse leads to what is called rebound attacks.

I am 53 and for the last couple of years, I have had problems getting a good night's sleep. This year the emotional roller coaster began. I am more irritable and I have a hard time getting through a book without crying several times.

I came here to say I’m in the same boat as you. I’m 49 and have started to have wacky monthly cycles. Some months no period. This month I’ve had 2 periods and they’ve been heavier lately. My migraines have gotten a bit better and not as frequent, but I just has a doozy a week ago so they’re not gone unfortunately. I’m just hoping all this mess ends by next year. I wish periods would just end as abruptly as they started. Why the misery has to be drawn out over the course of years makes no sense to me.

Disco, I started having trouble with sleep, energy and weight gain in my 40’s! Since these stages are different for everyone, I don’t want to say to look forward to menopause because it has its own set of symptoms. But they may be mild to you or short lived.

For example hot flashes are common and the spectrum runs from mild flashes to heavy sweating!

I’ve been done with menopause for years now, or so I thought, because I still get a hot flash now and then. It seems impossible to lose weight in spite of doing the right things. Exercise is a chore now and it doesn’t make me feel better, such as increased energy. I just get tired and irritable afterwards.

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Yeah I feel like exercise is something I need to do rather than enjoy like I used to, never thought that might be menopause, I’ve blamed it on my meds.

My mum recently told me she got flashes into her 60s, I guess I’m prepared for that. I haven’t had any flashes yet and have a tendency to run cold - I’ll let you know when it starts!

I usually have the tendency to get cold easy or run cold usually but still I didn’t get spared hot flashes. And it didn’t make it any easier to cope with.

I sort of like the exercise class at the senior center but I have to be in the right mood. And I don’t like that place really but nowhere else to go that’s close. And sometimes I don’t feel like being around all those people. My gym has mostly young people for some reason and I really feel my age then.

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