Hey everyone, I'm 50 and had a period (very light) and lasted 2 days in march then had very light
spotting for 2 days about 2 weeks after the light period. I'm supposed to be getting my period later thismonth. I am spotting again. Is this the norm for peri menopause, to spot a couple of times between
periods? or am I very close to not getting my periods anymore and entering menopause.
Thanks for this wonderful forum.
Hi Debness.... I am 49 now, 50 this year, started peri 8/9 years ago, i was heavy, spotting, light, a few days clear, then spotting for ages then a proper heavy, spotting main problem continuously for approx 21 months in total, that was early on, never actually had much of a break, had the night sweats at that time, and odd hot flush, lost weight, felt weirdy different, fainted 3 times, dizzy spells, brain fog, vacant brain... hahahaha hope that helps... And still not reached full menopause yet ..... Jayx
Hi Debness,
That sounds rather like me!
I turn 50 later this year and have been regular as clockwork for the past few years, apart from one that was 3 weeks late last year. February the normal pattern of my period altered slightly - normally it starts with spotting and a slight dull backache, gearing up to 24 hours of excrutiating pain and heavy bleeding on day 4, with flooding on day 5 and spooting for a couple of days after that. February's period got heavy and painful on day 2 / 3, flooding day 4, then nothing - like a tap being turned off - on day 5 until that night when it started up again for a couple of days then tailed off.
Barely 2 weeks after the start of that period I had a proper bleed for one day only - then nothing! About 2 weeks on from that, on a Saturday, the dull backache came one night and another bleed happened, tailed off to spotting for a few days, then started properly again. That following Thursday it was heavy and painful with flooding at the same time.
I have been meaning to keep a diary on these symptoms - but my memory is awful and I keep forgetting! I am now 2 weeks on from the start of the last period, hoping it won't repeat this month, but several days ago I spent almost the entire day crying! Just when I thought I was calmer and settled I got one of those annoying Indian call-centre calls. After telling them to stop hassling me I put the phone down and promptly burst into tears again! I told a friend that it is still 2 weeks before my next period, allegedly, though this felt like the severe PMT I suffered last September, and she said it sounded like the menopause.
I told her I would keep an eye on my symptoms to see how they progress before seeing my doctor. Just because he did the hormone test a year ago and it was normal, doesn't mean it hasn't started.
I hope my recent experience helps you.
hi ladies...
no your right, your FSH blood test may come back normal even though your in peri... mine also did years ago, but my Doc back then said i was deffo peri... the hormones are so erractic and fluctuate that you may get a test just when they are at the okay mark, so yes, your quite right there...
in my early peri Maca really helped me, i still take it 8/9 years on... have a google Maca...
take care Jay x
Dizzy..is my permanent state. Didnt even get dressed today!
Does anyone feel like their heart misses a beat can't swallow sometimes? So weird. Struggling to get husband to grasp how I feel at the minute and I am in a cant be bothered cos I feel exhausted state and he is doing everything. He just goes quiet and I know he is fed up of me moaning.
Anyone feeling this,
Comic Tracey I feel like I am on a boat it really scares me the constant wooziness I won't leave the house I am tired and I just look dreadful
Hi Fiona
I know what you mean and often just want to stay home. I have slept 3 hours and now awake due to a hot flush.
Feeling dreadful.
Is there anything we can do for the dizziness I can't handle it
I have dizziness too. Not found the solution yet. Still looking into lots of stuff. Mine is a weird off balance thing. Head feels woozy and i also feel like im on a boat at times especially lying down. Doc thinks ive had BPPV as i had vertigo for a while so not sure if this is part of it or related to something else. Dizziness is related to so many things. Im going to ask to have my thyroid checked when i see him again, at least it will rule out another thing. Xx
Hi ladies,
Not really suffering the dizziness, though I do wobble slightly off balance sometimes for no good reason, and once in a while my brain can feel as if it's floating around in my skull for a few seconds, making my head feel tingly.
However, increasingly I am getting a weird sensation in my left ear only. Seems if I have been leaning towards my laptop on a low table for a while, a sort of faint whooshing happens in that ear and it feels sort of "full", but I don't think it affects my hearing too much. The other day I'd been standing a while before I leant forwards to pick something up off the floor, and as I straightened up it sounded as if a huge moth was flapping against that ear! They don't buzz, they sort of whir - so I was brushing at my hair and ear...until I realised the sound was still there, albeit more muted. That really scared me (moths don't) as I wondered if I was about to pass out or have an artery burst (I made the mistake of Googling the sensations and I could have anything from an inner ear problem to a blocked artery or a benign brain tumour!
I choose the first option! Just wondering if, in some crazy way, even that symptom is related to peri?
I'm sure I read somewhere that tinnitus can be related to hormone fluctuations but it also can be inner ear.xx
Of course - dizziness is generally caused by some imbalance within the inner ear. It could all be related. I have had mild tinnitus in both ears for decades but it has never caused a problem x
hi ladies... this snippet may be helpful for some
Adrenal fatigue, for example, is a common secondary condition for many women going through perimenopause. B-vitamins support healthy adrenal function, along with calming and maintaining a healthy nervous system. Many women also suffer with mood swings during perimenopause. Both B12 and B6 vitamins aid in the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, a key brain chemical needed to stabilize moods and promote feelings of wellness and contentment.
For women who suffer with brain fog, and memory issues in perimenopause, low levels of B6 could be part of the problem. Depression, confusion, and an inability to concentrate are all associated with B6 deficiency. Vertigo, dizziness, and heart palpitations are also common complaints from women going through perimenopause. All of these symptoms have been associated with (among other things) a B12 deficiency. Vitamin B6 can also help with stubborn weight gain in perimenopause. It is key in the breakdown and utilization of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in our diet, and is necessary for a healthy metabolism - both which can help manage weight.
a couple of days ago i started B6 so we shall see and i have B12 supps too...
Jay xx
Madcow... ( oh i dont like calling you that ) 😐
i too have weird things in left ear only, like it needs to pop or something, all weird stuff and a runny nose on and off like a tap... hoping the B Vit ( posted above will help) seems it could be the problem, we need more B s in peri, i am trying this now... more Bs ... I only use to take B1 and that was to keep mozzys off me as they hate thiamine and they dont bit you, it does work ( i live in spain) so now i am taking as what i read posted above, see what happens.... i will keep you posted 😃 all of you have a lovely sunday... Jay xx
Hi Jay...you did make me laugh!
My monika was never about my state of mental health (though it could be now!!), it stuck when I got married and my initials became CJD! 
Reading all you've said about B6 and B12 deficiencies has got me thinking (no mean feat at times thanks to hormones!). I will look out for your posts to see how you get on - but I think I might just try them too, especially as, out of the blue, I had an awful day on Thursday when I would burst into tears at the drop of a hat and felt a terrible sense of impending doom.
Mind you, I have a wierd but strong empathy with a close friend who actually passed out and ended up in A and E on Thursday night, unbeknown to me until later. Is it possible my subconscious "knew "something was going to happen? It turned out to be severe dehydration and was easily fixed in the end - and my mood was back to sunny again, yet we are hundreds of miles apart!
Mood swings or premonitions?? Madcow is an apt name these days! 
Hi all,
I only say this as a result of spotting at the start of my menopause, I fortunately went for a check up and they found abnormal cells on a smear. End result hysterectomy. Was I glad I checked up.
Debness you really should go to the Doctor as spotting can be a sign of cervical cancer and should always be ruled out. I don't mean to frighten you as it does I admit though sound like the start of the menopause. Doesn't hurt to rule out things. As my nurse said to me better to check than be sorry.
This is mainly for Madcow and Jayneejay but to anyone else. I had the same symptoms you talk about years ago with my right ear. Went to Doc who sent me to ENT. I had an inner ear infection. No pain just whooshing sounds, popping in my ears and feeling off balance, dizzy and not very well. Couldn't stand being in a lift and actually passed out because of the change in air pressure as the lift changed floors. Caused by sinus trouble initially that had with a cold and I left untreated. Have either of you had a cold in the past few months that left you with sinus troubles this may not be related to the menopause. I think we tend to blame it for everything.
Good luck everyone. Hope you are all okay soon.
Hi Chrisy,
I am actually about 12 months overdue for a smear test - I was having a load of medical issues from October 2012 onwards so put it off until I could walk properly again. I was just working out the best days to see the nurse when my first bout of spotting / bleeding began, throwing everything out the window. Had low back pain the last 2 days -at times it feels a bit like period pain, but I think it is some sort of muscle strain as it hurts in different directions - mostly if I compress my spine by arching back.
Smear tests are (for me) painful, and we all know they're embarassing - but who wants to die of embarassment?? So I'll heed your advice and book one as soon as I can be fitted in. I'm so sorry you had to go through a hysterectomy (a close friend did, years ago, for the same reasons, but her ovaries were left in and she forgot she would still get menopausal symptoms), but it's good it was caught in time.
All the best - and thanks for the heads up! x
Hi Good luck madcow.
I had everything removed as being over 50 I wanted the worry of ovarian cancer gone as well. I thought I would get rid of the menopause but it doesn't work that way and I still have menopause symptoms all these years later without ovaries. Consolation I don't have to worry about those cancers, so it is worth it
The back ache might be that you have been sitting or bending more than normal, particularly that you have been immobile for so long. Mine is also sore at the moment as I am waiting to have operations on my feet and I can't stand or walk for too long.
A physio told me to strengthen my core tummy muscles which apparently helps with back ache.
Hope these tips help you. All the best with your smear.
I am 56 and was without a period for 15 months until 3 days ago, out of the blue, the 2 weeks before I had painful sore boobs, ovulation symptoms I used to have, mad chocolate cravings, all symptoms of a period but pushed it out of my mind. I have been to the doc who has referred me for a scan to measure womb thickness etc and to basically have a look around (of course it sets you off worrying about all sorts of things). It's not what I would call a "real" period, just like you get when it's starting or tailing off and is mostly once I am up and moving around........ I had stopped having hot flushes,the shivering & trembling etc etc but felt very off balance for nearly a week and should have seen all this as a whole. A LOT has happened lately, my daughter moving out, obviously hub & I are more intimate so doc is wondering if my hormones are just having a last "blip" as we were like we used to be 38 years ago all of a sudden lol! Hope everyone gets answers or at least consolation knowing we're not alone.
I'm new to this pre menopausal thing too. I need answers. I'm 50 had regular periods up until this month of may. April 21st I had a 5 day period, normal. I started spotting on th 4th of may it's the 10th and I'm still spotting bright red. Went to the doctor. They did a pap smear and tested my pee for pregnancy. All negative. Doc say I may be in menopause. How long does this bleeding last? Is it ever going to stop?