Extended period/perimenopause question

[Emmalew]

Hi,

Sorry if I haven't picked the correct board or forum to pose this question to. I 'think' I'm going through the start of or am already in the menopause. My periods for the last 2-3 years have been odd in as much as they will be regular but stop completely for a day or two around day 5 then recommence like a new period. I get PMT in the intervening day too so it's like my body forgot what it was doing and then starts afresh with a brand new period in the middle of my period! If that makes sense?

Randomly after the above 2+ years of oddness last month's period was perfectly normal, it ran for around 6 days with nothing to report. This month TOTALLY different...I came on at around the expected time, did the whole stop/start thing but this time now after 14 days (from the original start date) I am still losing a very light brown almost stringy discharge (no odor), and have slight cramps back and front but not quite menstrual cramps, just more like a tightening.

I am 51, I had a clear smear 18 months ago, I know that I have a fibroid(s), I don't use any contraception as my partner had a vasectomy years ago and our sex life is slow because he's much older.

Can anyone relate to this please?

[Impatient]

It could be the peri pause- but do visit your GP, because a hormone check will soon confirm if this is the case and put your mind at ease.

Birth control is not just about contraception it is much more often about menstrual control, and it certainly sounds like the erratic nature of your periods could do with being taken under control, so have a word with your GP about the various options available to you.

There are IUDs. arm implants, bc pills of all sorts of hormone combinations, injections too.

All can be used with a view to stopping your periods or giving you back more of a regular cycle. taking HRT can also help too, if this is the start of menopause.

That doesn't mean ignoring the fibroids - they could have something to do with this, and if the blood tests do not show that you are headed for menopause as yet then you may need referring to a gynaecologist for further investigations.

Best of Luck in getting back to normality.

[Emmalew]

Hi,

Many thanks. It seems to have settled down so I'll see what happens with the next one :)))