Menopause Question

[rutamattatt]

When you started missing periods, did you still have period like symptoms?  Cramps, fatigue, etc?

I am 45 y.o. and have had a rough time of the month since I was a teenager - cramps, heavy periods, etc.  I have always been regular except for two times when I was late, and those two times I was pregnant with our bio kids.  My cycles have also always been short - 22-24 days.  I have had night sweats off and on (mostly on) for at least a year, so I know that menopause is looming.

I am late by about two weeks, but when I was supposed to have my period I had all the symptoms, including terrible, terrible cramps.  Like taking Advil/Tylenol every four hours to get through, heating pad, plan canceling fatigue...all the symptoms I usually have.  Just no period.  I was really hoping that with the start of menopause and no period I would reap the benefits of no period symptoms either!  

I just had my hormone levels checked and everything falls in the normal range.  Is this just what it is going to be like for awhile?  (If so, I feel robbed...)

(Oh, and I know I'm not pregnant...DH had that taken care of several years ago and was checked and is "all clear"...) ?

TIA!

 

 

[Katy]

Take a pregnancy test.  Sometimes vasectomies heal.

Otherwise, phantom symptoms can be common.  Keep a journal of them so you don't forget anything. If it persists for another month or two, schedule a visit with your doctor to make sure that's all that's going on. I'd be concerned about a few other things - fibroids, cancer, etc, and an exam might make you feel much better.

[G5052]

Yes, keep a journal.

My poor body went all wack-a-doodle in the year before my very last period. Then BOOM, it stopped. I officially, finally hit menopause at 55.

I know people who still get hot flashes and such, but I'm the same every day. It's frankly great!

[dsmith]

I still had cramping, back aches, moodiness, etc. when I missed a period going through perimenopause and even a year or so post-menopause. The symptoms did decrease over time. FWIW, the same thing happened when I was pregnant - cramps, back ache, etc. at the time I would have had my period. Thankfully the hot flashes didn't last too long once I hit menopause, but they were terrible during perimenopause.

[Kari C in SC]

Yes, this happened to me at 45. I tried several different Hormone replacement therapies to fix all of it. They all just came with more side effects. I finally tired this progessence plus oil from young living. I had never used oils, so I’m not an “oily” person, but I was willing to try just about anything. This oils blend really helps. I rub 4 drops on my neck in the morning and no more hot flashes, night sweats and my periods are normal timing. I bought mine off of eBay because I wasn’t interested in MLM.