So worried! Can this be perimenopause?

Women's health
1

Hi ladies,

First of all: English isn't my native language so please excuse me if I make any  mistakes. But I can't find enough info in my native language, so that's why I try this forum.

I'm 42 and I've had very regular periods until now. They always started at the right time and always followed the same pattern: starting with light bleeding the first day, followed by (very) heavy bleeding with blood clots and cramps the second day, stabilizing to a normal period without pain the 3th day. The whole thing always lasted about a week. Maybe the heavy bleeding with blood clots got worse the last 2 years but I can't compare cause I've been taken the contraceptive pill for years so I don't really remember how a natural period of mine went before that. I've stop taking the pill because my husband has had a vascetomy by the way. 

Anyway, my last period was different. It took longer until it broke through, the bleeding wasn't as heavy as usual and it also ended earlier.

Three days after the end of that pretty unusual period, I had sexual intercourse with my hubby. One day after that, I noticed some watery, pinkish discharge. At the second day, it got less watery but the pink discharge lasted for 8 days and sometimes there were very little pieces of dried blood in it. But it was never enough to use a tampon or a pad, it was only noticeable on the toiletpaper. 

Then, 8 days after I've had intercourse and 10 days after the end of that unusual period, the discharge stopped. But I still felt some abdominal bloating. And that same night, I scared myself to death! Suddenly there was a bleeding again with bright red blood! The morning after, the red blood was gone and some very, very light pinkish discharge was back. 

I've made an appointement with the doctor but that is only for the end of this week and in the mean time, I'm worried sick! :-( 

All my female friends say that I'm too young for the perimenopause.

Only my husand says it might be that. Cause I've had sleeping problems for a while. Being tired but not being able to sleep. And a few months ago, I've had this skipping heartbeat from time to time.. Sometimes that was also the reason why I couldn't sleep. That was very scary so I went to see the dr but he couldn't find anything abnormal. I also have worse PMS than I've had before, but I thought it was because my periods are natural now and not ruled by contraception anymore. I also experience hair loss. But I thought that was because of the chemical dying of my hair. So I stopped doing that recently but even when it's that, it will take a while before my hair is healthy again. So I don't know whether this hair loss comes from the dying or is hormonal. 

Is there anyone here who reconses this? Can the perimenopause start like this? Or can those symptoms I described - the skipping heartbeat, the hair loss, not being able to sleep - be symptoms and are these period troubles the next step? When I Google it, the most scary things appear so I'm really, really very scared. :-( 

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Hi Evelyn,

All of this does sound like perimeno. If you keep googling things then you are going to end up with anxiety on top of everything else, and you don’t want that!

And yes, women can start meno in their early forties. 

For me, the not sleeping started everything. Then the wonky symptoms and the erratic bleeding and spotting, sometimes a heavy period with  clots, sometimes just light spotting for weeks, sometimes brown stringy stuff, then back to a normal one. Now, after a year of that, my period has stopped for the last few months.

So this could all be totally normal for you. It’s good you are going to the doctor but don’t worry yourself sick until then. You will be ok. 

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Hi Evelyne,

Sorry to hear you are going through many frustrating symptoms.

First of all, 42 is not too young to start perimenopause, I know many woman including myself who began with perimenopause symptoms as early as 40 years old or even younger. I began perimenopause shortly after turning fourty years old and I am now going on 47. It has been a long ride for me also, and am still not currently in oficial menopause yet, but my periods are now farther and farther apart so I hopefully think that they will come to an end anytime soon. Just like you, I was worried sick with all the new symptoms that just hit me suddenly. Longer and shorter periods then usual, Spotting between periods, and periods and spotting that would last even two weeks! Since I was always very regular all of these sudden changes really scared me big time. The thoughts of cancer and many other terrible things would go through my mind constantly. After a few months of menstrual irregularties, that would come and go, I finally decided to visit my gynecologist to get some test done. Fortunatly, ultrasound and all came back fine and is when I was told I was probably going through perimenopause. From that day on there has been many ups and downs for me and I have experienced almost the complete list of perimenopause symptoms. Hot flashes (mostly excessive sweating and cold flashes), headaches, heavy periods, light periods, long periods, short periods, missing periods, waking up many times at night, palpitations and the list goes on. Now I am finally at the point where I am missing periods for 5 and 6 months as they are getting further apart. I suggest you get a full check up with a gynecologist as it is always best to make sure everything is fine and if all test come back ok, then you can just relax and be sure that it is all part of the beginning of perimenopause..

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Hello ladies,

Thank you so much for your response!

When my husband first mentioned perimeno, I was like: "No! I'm not ready for that!". But after all I've been reading, I'm at the point where I'm like: "Oh please, I really hope it's only that!" Which brings other thoughts like: maybe I'm so hoping it's only this that I'm searching for signs, you know? The bad sleeping, the hair loss, the weird heart racing, maybe all those things are a coincidence. Like I said, I pretty much messed up my hair by dying it and the heart racing could also be caused by the antihistamine I was taking for my hay fever. cause it was mentioned among the side effects. I stopped taking the antihistamine now the summer is over and my heart beats are back to normal now. I also come from a family of bad sleepers. Then again, all these weird little things might make sense now that they are followed by this abnormal menstruation. So yes, I'm constantly thinking and I must admit, I'm driving myself crazy. :-( 

Meanwhile, the discharge continues. It's more yellowish now.

So looking back at it: it's been  12 days since that first different period and I've been spotting since then (apart from 2 days I think or maybe I haven't noticed it then).. And that bright red bleeding from 2 days ago is what scares me the most. 

That and the fact that the change in my period comes so sudden. I mean: 2 months ago everything was as normal as it could be. Clockwise period, going like it always went. Although the cramps were heavier or maybe that was during the period before that one. I now remember that. There was also this period that was like all the other ones, despite the fact that the cramps were heavier. And then suddenly there's this slightly different period. But especially what happened after it stopped, was totally different. I never had irregular bleeding before and I was always told that every irregular bleeding must be checked. So to wait for my doctor's appointement is all I can do and although it's a relief to read that all of this can be perimeno, I can't stop worrying. :-(

I'll keep you posted!

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Hi, Evelyn, i too am feeling scared at the moment. i started my last period  on Thursday last week and finished yesterday. I have been experiencing mild period pains today and started to bleed red blood again today, not much just when i wipe. I have never had period pains after my period before so googled and now i am scared too. I was at the GP 2 weeks ago as had pain like period pain which lasted several days but went. My anxiety is out of control. 

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Hi Amanda, I'm sorry to hear you're so anxious. But I know all about it. I think it's normal to feel worried when unknown things are happening to your body. But like one of the ladies here already said, I'm also pretty sure we need to stop asking Dr. Google for advice. I know, it's also normal to push that search button, you want to know what's going on. But among all the quite innocent causes of something, it's always the 1 sinister cause that catches the eye... .

So I think it's idd way better to tell your story on a forum and see what real people say. I don't know much about perimeno yet, but I've read and heard so many stories in 1 week! Looks like everything is possible in this stage.

What did your GP say about it? I think that if he/she saw no reason for further examination, things might be just fine. Hormons on the wack can apparently do strange things. But if you're worried, just go back and ask for a check up. Nothing's wrong with that and it's the only thing that can give you reassurance or a good explanation. My appointement with the gyn is the day after tomorrow and I must say, my anxiety comes and goes. But I also know the dr is the only one who can really help. Although the responses from the nice forum ladies who drew my attention to the fact that it doesn't necessarely has to be something bad, also helped. So I'm going to watch Netflix now instead of Google. Keep us posted, will you? 

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Hi evelyne.  Keep us posted on what the doc says.  ((Big hugs))

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Thx. Will keep you posted. Must admit I'm really scared again. When I woke up yesterday, the discharge was gone. Then I've got some cramps who felt like the ones I have when my period comes. And yes, the discharge came back and was a bit more bloody. But then that stopped again and now it's that same thing again: light colored discharge on the toiletpaper. It's more light brownish than pinkish now (older blood?). So that's 12 days now of 'colored discharge on the toiletpaper' and 1 bright red short bleeding. And it all started 3 days after a slightly different period. The latter is the only thing what gives me some hope that all of this might be 'just perimeno'. But I'm questioning everything now, like: am I sure? Was dat period different? 

I'm so sorry for all these long threads. It makes me look like an hysterical hypcohondriac. But I've been confronted with so many nasty diseases in my environment through the years and all those people thought that those things would never happen to them... . :-( But thanks again for the support. It does helps. 

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Hi, thanks for your response. I've had an ultrasound and everything seems to be OK. I'm now waiting for the result of the smear test but the doc said he wasn't worried. Which is of course a huge relief. But when I asked if it was perimeno, he didn't seem to be convinced of that. But what is it than? I stll have a bit of spotting and the cramps etc were real. The gyn saw on the ultrasound that it isn't caused by a coming period or an ovulation bleeding. I've read here that doctors often aren't convinced of the fact that someone is starting perimeno, even when all the signsare there. And since I only have a few vague symptoms whoch can also be caused bo orher things... .

I know you can get your blood checked etc. but I've been told that those tests aren't always reliable due to the changing hormone levels. 

So to wait is all I can do, I think... . 

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I'm sorry for the typos. ;-)

 

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I'm so glad the US was normal and you have some peace of mind now.  It feels like that's all we do sometimes is just wait for results and wait for all of this peri to get over.  Several women have had to change doctors before they finally got some help from their symptoms.  Because a lot of times these peri symptoms aren't going to show on any test.  Keep us updated!((hugs))

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Hi Evelyn so glad your Us was good it is such a relief. I am waiting a date for my trans vaginal ultrasound. I  am still experiencing odd cramps and a  sharp pain inside periodically so this feeds my anxiety still. I have stopped myself googling though. My bleeding has stopped too. My nausea comes and goes but the GP says this is caused by my anxiety. x

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Hi , been having exact same symptoms as you. I went to a private gynaecologists and told him I'm convinced I had cancer. I've had a pelvic examination an ultra sound and a transvaginal scan and all ok. Blood tests ok too. Just waiting for a smear which is now worrying me. The gynaecologist seems to thinks it's hormonal, says these things happen. What i want to know is that if there was something sinister would it have been picked up in any of the scans or examinations etc. Have you had your smear results yet?

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hi evelyne. i know its been a while, but i was wondering how you were doing.