Mature ladies: can we talk about perimenopause?

While not out of the realm of possibility for it to be perimenopause, you’re young for this to be happening. I’d see a Gyn about these issues and make sure that there isn’t something else going on.

When’s your next GYN appointment? The awareness of perimenopause has been around for at least 15 years, and your GYN should be able to give you some good insight. I wish I could help you more than that, but what I thought was perimenopause was actually cervical cancer. (No, I’m not trying to scare you, just explaining) If you’ve been good about yearly testing, you’re probably fine. Anyway, it seems a bit early, considering your age, but it’s diff for everyone.

30’s & early 40’s sound a big young yet. Have you gone to your GP? When I got ready for a partial hyserectomy last year then a bunch of bloodwork was done to check hormone levels, and determine if my ovaries were still viable to keep around. I think you can request something similar and like @JilltheTooth wrote, most docs seem to believe in perimenopause so I’m sure they’d try to earn their bucks by checking you out well.

I’ve had a yearly pap since I was 15 and have never had an abnormal result. Also, my maternal grandmother started menopause at 38. Just saw a gyno and all she recommended was birth control, which I will not take.

My perimenopause started at about age 38–39.
I had many of the same symptoms as you describe.
Night sweats starting about 4 AM, more irregularity in my periods and heavy clotting and flow (sorry graphic).
It can last for many, many years. As long as you have healthy functioning ovaries then they are of some value to your health. Some friends of mine swear by something called Flasheeze, (I’m not sure of that spelling) for the night sweats and hot flashes when they show up.
Good luck, I hope it doesn’t get too bad for you.

I got a lot of relief from symptoms from 50 mg of pregnenalone (a natural hormone precursor found in the body). You can get it anywhere you can get supplements.

It does take about three weeks to build up enough in the body to get symptom relief. It was prescribed to me by a naturopath.

I am a year older than @psychocandy. For me, it started a year ago. I would overheat at times (face would flush), there was the depression, I had problems sleeping through the night, irregular periods and one other embarrassing issue (p. candy and I chatted about this earlier).

Not fun. I, too, was told to go on the pill, but, I refuse.

I never paid much attention to the symptoms and experiences. I visit my doctor regularly and receive treatment as necessary for what ever comes up.

Oh yeah. Let’s not forget about the pounding heart, makes you think something is wrong. It scared me half to death (heheh) til the doctor told me it’s natural. The whole hot flash thing though….I been freezing my whole life. I love it when it gets warm!

Yep, I’d say it started around 42–43 for me. First heavier and more intense bleeding but cycles remained on a normal time schedule. That went on for about 2 years. Then, started having periods every 2 weeks or so for a few months. Then, a return to ‘normal’.

Around 47 periods would skip a month here and there, then, every other month for about a year, then every 3–4 months…and THEN, FINALLY….had what was to be my last period, EVER Yay! just before I turned 49. 6–7 years total.

2 years out, and other than the damn night sweats, it’s all good. I am not doing any HRT, and I feel fine. NO depression or anything unusual.

My doc tried to talk me into hormones by telling me I would become depressed. THAT pissed me off! haha

Not depression here.

Wouldn’t a blood test of hormones tell you something? I had an uterine ablation at 52 because of constant light flow. Later symptoms of menopause started and I’m still flashing at 56. So my only help here is to recommend blood testing. I also use pregnenolone, supposed to help arthritis.

I also had a baby during perimenopause. That shook things up just a little!

I have 2 friends that are 52 & 53 that are still cycling. I was a bit on the younger side, but, it also has to do with the age you started your periods. I was 12. They were both 15.
37 years was plenty for me, in my case the ‘empty nest’ and menopause has been nothing but liberating.
Infact, was laughing the other day, found a tampon in an old purse I hadn’t carried in, obviously 2 years. I was like..“Oh look at this!’ lol