FOREVER and EVER, my periods have been 26 to 28 days apart (without the pill). In June, the gap was 37 days, followed by a normal 26 days, and now nothing after 43 days!!!!

Those of you who have hit menopause, is this how it started?

I KNOW this is supposed to be "a new door opening" and a "time to throw caution to the wind and be myself", but I can't believe how emotionally unprepared I am for this, if it is truly menopause.

The 49th birthday already had me thinking way too much about mortality and making things count. This is the icing on the cake. Rats.

Thoughts?

That sounds like perimenopause which comes before menopause. I've been going through it for about nine years now. My cycle just started to get a little different on me in the last couple of months.

Menopause is when you stop having your cycle. I've learned a bit about this since I've been dealing with it for a while now........LOL

Nine Years!!!!!!!!

:biggrin:It really hasn't been that bad. I had one problem, that isn't typical, but other than that, I just go on with my life and my sense of humor has increased.....:girl_hug:....that has helped me a lot, also I have been in different Yahoo groups since this all started with me. There are lots of different symptoms. I haven't had too many of them, kind of makes up for the first problem I had. I live in Ohio and I wear t-shirts, some long sleeve, all year ! Imagine that :thumbup: I've been doing that since just before 2000, wasn't sure why at the time.....LOL....now I know why !

I joined a very serious group to learn what I needed to learn. Now I'm in an awesome group where the women all know what you're going through and they all have a sense of humor too ! We're all very different, but similar too, just want to get through this without going totally crazy.....LOL My symptoms may last a bit longer due to a couple of things. Mom is 85 and still gets overheated....imagine that ! I hope I get rid of these symptoms before that.....LOL

Mine started kind of early due to having epilepsy, they never told me I lucked out with that........The way my symptoms are going now, I think I'm might be getting close to menopause. My cycle is changing a lot which as far as I'm concerned is great !

A lot of women have it really easy during perimenopause. Don't be too worried about it.:blushing:

Thanks for the input Rhonda. Like anything, having a sense of humor about it is the key to getting through it!

Do you know when your mom & maternal g'ma started menopause? It's amazing how close that is normally linked.

Fairy,

No idea on G'mom. She died when I was little (and they didn't speak of such things them). Mom had total hysterectomy at 40, so no clues there. Thanks for the ideas. BTW, fabulous work on that weight loss gal.

Oh, well bummer. I have to look forward, my g'ma and my mom both had hysterectomies in their early 40's.. due to cysts and tumors, so I'll likely be that route, with no menopause either!

Thank you :thumbup:)

And good luck figuring it out, I think docs can do tests now to see your hormone levels and tell you if it is in fact menopause.

yes, that is how it all starts. My last period came a year after the one before that one and then I haven't had one since. Before that, they would be regular for a few months then skip a month or be way early or be way late the next month.

Welcome to perimenopause

Edited September 8, 200817 yr by Oregondaisy

Denise,

I'm curious. When you skip the periods, do you still get Water retention and other period-type stuff, or does that go away?

I know that I am in perimenopause. My GYN diagnosed that last year after I kept complaining about hot flashes. This year is the first time that I have skipped periods without being on some type of bc pills. I am hoping that I won't have to go the route of hysterectomy. My mom had hers done in her 30s. I am already starting all of the problems she had plus PCOS. Thanks EVE for screwing it up for all womankind! lol

When you skip your period, you can still have the symptoms, it varies with everyone. Some women go through this real easy, no major problems. I've been lucky with that part, when I skip a period, my symptoms aren't too bad.

My main problem with all of this is insomnia. I never really had much Water retention with periods. I did get depressed and moody right before which is what we call the pms stuff.

If you are married, sex becomes more uncomfortable. Things get dry. You can get vaginal estrogen and that is what I recommend. You can use lubricant, but it just doesn't last long enough.

I am all for hormones. I researched this a lot and there are what they call bio identical hormones. they are closest to what our bodies produce. Premarin is made of horse urine and it is what they did all the studies on.

If you are married, sex becomes more uncomfortable. quote]

LOL. Is the sex less uncomfortable if you are not married?:redface:

oops. I said that wrong! of course it does not matter whether you're married or not, a dry vagina or losing the ability to lubricate is uncomfortable during sex.

I wish I were in perimenopause. Sigh.