Periods stopped 13 years ago - no menopause

[Caroline_261]

Hi everyone

I've probably left everything 13 years too late, but now I've found this forum I thought I would tell you what's happened with me and see if anybody can offer advice.

13 years ago my periods suddenly stopped for 12 months. I had no other symptoms at all. Then a year later I bled very heavily (heavier than I'd ever experienced) for around 2 days. Then they stopped again completely. I was 32 years old. I saw the GP who said it was perimenopause and offered me no help or advice other than to keep my eye out for crunching bones.

Stupidly I never followed this up, I never questioned what I was told as it seemed that she knew what she was talking about. Yet here I am 13 years later, still have not had any periods but nor have I suffered any menopause symptoms (that I'm aware of). I suffer with high blood pressure (controlled with medication) and underactive thyroid (controlled by medication). I have just had my annual blood test results and told that my cholestorol is 'out of range' and one of the bone density readings is abnormal and another is borderline. I have to wait until 8th December to see the doctor for him to explain it to me.

So, I just wondered what people think about this - was/am I perimenopausal for 13 years?

I hate myself for not sorting this out sooner as I had always planned to have more children - it's only now I'm older I realise what a mistake I made.

Any thoughts much apprecaited.

Thank you

Caroline

[Hidden]

Well, looking at the meaning of the words, menopausal is when the periods have stopped for more than 12 months, so you have been menopausal for 12 years. The perimenopause refers to the time when periods stop for various lengths of time and start and you can have hot flushes etc. So from what you say you were peri-menopausal for about a year. The fact that your bone density has reduced (I would say that is what abnormal/borderline means) is another clue to say that you are in menopause - that is a side effect of menopause. The drop in Oestrogen (I think) can lead to high cholesterol so that sounds like it fits too. You can take plant oestrogens (menopace tablets have different varieties of these supplements).

It's tough that this happened to you so young but to be honest apart from reducing uncomfortable symptoms there is little to be done so don't beat yourself up for not having done more! The only thing I would say is the doctor should have recommended calcium supplements and resistance exercise (weights) to help strengthen your bones. Cholesterol can also be controlled through diet so some support in that area could have been offered.

Of course if there were no scans etc at the time there might be a possiblity that there was another reason for your abrupt menopause and if they haven't looked at the womb/ovaries etc through having a scan I would possibly ask for that now, other women here will have more experience of that side of things. It doesn't sound like anything unusual (apart from the young age) so don't be worrying yourself.

[Rachh8]

Like what the other lady wrote here and not much to add except that I started mine at age 31 but mine has gone on for many years. Bones aside you are one of the lucky ones because lots of women have terrible, terrible times. Must be hard for family planning purposes though because that's not something I've really wanted to do... hope the bone situ works out ok keep us posted. nice to have you here x