Hi all, well I don’t even know how long I have been going through the changes (peri) I do know that when I had my son at age 41 I had my first ever night sweat. I put that down to hormones after giving birth. Then I was just hot all the time, literally all the time. I moved to a city that was much colder and was still looking like a beetroot and like my face, upper body, neck etc were always hot. Then one day I started having what was stated to be a “hot flash” but it wasn’t hot at all, I never sweated like I did with night sweats, and I wasn’t hot like I was previous all the time. I would feel heat in my upper body/arms/upper legs/ neck and with that was like a rush… then I would feel somewhat short of breath which then would become an irregular heartbeat, a strange cramp in my lower stomach, and sometimes I would feel faint and shaky. I would also get icy cold hands and feet and afterwards chills would come. Well the other indications at that time that peri was coming was that my periods were every two weeks. I went to the doctors and I had a blood test, my iron being slightly low, and my hormones indicating early menopause. That was 2.5 years ago now. My periods evened out a bit and I was having a period every 24 days or so and usually 3 to 5 days long, with only one or two days relatively heavy. This last period has now got me thinking a new transition. I had spotting at day 19, then a week later I got my period, it was heavy for two days and literally went for 7 days, stopped, and now it is back again a day later…is this common near the end of perimenopause? Frankly over this rollercoaster ride.
Hi Jamie,
I can only say for me, but after I had light periods every 21 to 24 days for a while, I did go through a few months where it was completely unpredictable… sometimes I would bleed for 10 days, sometimes for 2. sometimes heavy, sometimes just spotting.
Now I am going through a phase bleeding every 45 days, just 2 or 3 days and very light. Still get other horrid symptoms from time to time, especially before a bleed, but I am starting to have longer periods of feeling “normal”… hope I didn’t just jinx myself.
I did go to gyne to have a scan to make sure nothing bad showed up. It was totally normal. It was worth it for me (one of my worst symptoms is anxiety–).
Hope this helps, and hope you feel better!
Sara
PS… I am 49, been having symptoms for about 6 years on and off.
That helps tremendously. I too suffer anxiety and wonder if that is part of my symptoms. You sound very similar to me. I hope you are nearing the end. I am 47 and I “think” I have bee going through this for 6 years but also am not certain. I know the worst symptoms started after a death of a loved one 2.5 years ago now…always worse before my period as well. Wishing you well also. Thank you x