Menopause… help a motherless girl out

Yup it’s the start!

I was 46/47 when I started having night sweats. They sucked! They were off and on until I was like 51 and then the hot flashes started. About 5 years ago I found that I was struggling with words. Like I knew the word I wanted was hat, but sweater came out. I was fully in menopause of Feb this year and I do have an occasion hot flash but I am no longer struggling with words. That was scary. I was reaching the point where I thought I was going to get dementia but then it slowly stopped. I actually hadn’t thought about it for awhile.

Peri menopause is not for the weak!

My last period was June 27, 2022 so I am FRESHLY in menopause at 49 and 2 months.

Hot-flashes and night sweats were horrible in Nov 2021 (47 and 7months). I wasn’t sleeping because I had them so often- we are talking every 2 hours aal night long. The gyn put me on clonidine which took care of them for a while. Then I would have them from time to time like a cluster. Annoying but livable. Last summer, I ended up having the mother of all anxiety attacks that lasted a week plus. That put me in talk therapy even tho I figured it was hormones shifting around. Talk therapy helped a ton. Anyway- April of this year I started with them bad again a few times a night and multiple during the day. Still taking clonidine. Just as I was at my wits end with them (it summer, I’m already burning up!) they quit a few weeks back. Like tapered off. It’s magical. I’ve had a few since but nothing like I was having- throw the covers off with a fan on or rip my clothes off to sports bra and shorts.

My periods just faded into the sunset. No crime scenes, no horrible ness. I had one, went like 130 days without, had one 200 without, had one and then another and then a year went by.

Dryness is no fun but that treatable. Other than that? No issues and I’m so glad to be done!

Likely, I was having symptoms around 46 but I didn’t realize it because COVID was blamed for everything that was ailing people and I had COVID so I chalked my whatever up to that.

I also had my last kid at 42 so I figured it could be that too since I nursed him until I was 44.5.

Hopefully your journey is uneventful. I have no plans to go off the clonidine because the hot flashes are HORRIBLE. I should go in and do a blood test to get levels. I need a pap and mammogram anyway. That’s for fall break. I’m going to enjoy my last few weeks of summer break. ❤️

I had my son at 40 and at 42 I had a menopause that literally consisted of one night sweat and one hot flash--I was done in under a year. I don't remember perimenopause symptoms--what I do remember is years of hellish PMS.

I never had hot flashes during perimenopause. I just had extremely heavy periods. Like I had to get up every two hours at night or my bed looked like a crime scene. The doctor gave me several choices on how to get that under control and I chose birth control pills.

The bc pills are probably why I didn’t have any other issues. Although I am in menopause now and have been for a couple of years and I’ve only had 4 hot flashes so I guess I’m just really lucky.

I have no idea when perimenopause started, or menopause either. I knew at the time but didn’t write it down so that info is gone. I never kept track of my periods either though, which evidently, from reading other pea threads, is really weird.

I really don’t have any symptoms, other than those rare hot flashes. I just don’t have a period. Hallelujah.

This is depressing to report...  from ages 46-56 I once again had horrific menstrual pain and my once regular (every 31 days) cycles got shorter and shorter as the heaviness and length of bleeding got longer and longer.  By the last couple of years I had my period about every 23 days and it lasted for 6, the first three just shy of murder scene gory.  I was in agony.  And I had the same symptoms as I had when a teen:  pain from navel to knees, very sore and weak feeling thighs.  Aleve helped some and I took a lot of it.  I should have had a hysterectomy but I'm concerned about undergoing anaesthesia... my body reacts oddly and severely to OTC and other meds. 

6 years out, at 62, I feel like I've been emancipated from a terrible sentence. 

Oh, I never once had night sweats. I did have flashes where it felt like my body was on fire from the inside out. to this day I run very hot. When "normal" people are wearing pants and long sleeves or sweaters and jackets, I'm very comfortable or a bit too warm in shorts and lightweight tops.

Good luck managing whatever symptoms come your way.  I hope they're not life disrupting.  xo

I fussed with the odd night sweat in my late 40s and some irritation levels started to grow.

I'm now 54 and for the last year or two period timing has been off - more so in the last 6-8 months. Used to be every 28 days, 4 days of period, no fuss, no muss. Now I'm all over the map, and periods are insane heavy as well. And the hot flashes have kicked into high gear. I'm not sleeping because I'm waking 3 or 4 times a night with a flash, then I'm clammy and cold. UGH

I went to a naturopath Monday, and she has given me Livcor to take. She basically explained that the liver has 2 phases, and phase 1 is taking things apart, putting them back together in a different way for the body to process. Phase 2 is processing, and my liver isn't quite doing it well. So this will help with that. I'm stuck in more of Phase 1 over and over hence the hot flashes.

They are seriously ridiculous at this point, so I'm hoping this kicks in soon!

I am in the throes of hot flashes - it's not so much sweating (though now and then I get that too) but it is just all of the sudden I'm twenty degrees hotter than everyone else.
So lovely during summer

Ok I guess this thread applies to me 😬 I’m 52, almost 53. My period has been very irregular for about 1 1/2 years. It shows up every 2-3 months. Sometimes it’s a crime scene and extremely painful, other times it’s light and I hardly notice it. I’ve not had a single hot flash or night sweat. No sleep disturbances or brain fog. Not really any bitchier than usual 🤣. What I am really noticing is JOINT PAIN. Particularly knees, hips and elbows. I’m reasonably active and walk about 45 minutes a day with my dog. Is anyone else experiencing joint pain? I haven’t been to the doctor about it yet.

I had minimal side effects - very grateful for that.

I had my son at 34 and 2 years later went to my OB/GYN because I hadn't had a period in 6 months they tested me and said my numbers showed I wasn't even in Perimenopause, I was in full menopause. I had no idea. Go to your doctor and ask them to test you - they will come back with a number (I don't recall what the range is) but it will tell them if you are in it, and if so, how far.

I would say the only thing that has been a factor has been insomnia so I've tried oodles of things to combat that. If I stay up on my multi-vitamins and eat healthy it is better.

I should note, my Mom, my sister and her daughter have all had early menopause.  

I had a hyst at 39 so no periods to judge, but I kept my ovaries.

Hot flashes started about age 50. Really ramped up with Covid, which coincided with turning 51. They can be brutal, dozens per day or even per hour and then they fade away and quit for a month or more.

Right now I'm just having occasional flashes. Brain fog is a thing, so is joint pain. I've been on tamoxifen for 6+ years so I already had some issues from being on an estrogen blocker. Anxiety and emotional swings can be a thing (I notice this only coincides with the increased hot flashes, so it helps me to know it's all hormonal, keeps it in perspective and I know an end is in sight).

My Dr put me on an increased dose of Lexapro to help. I'm not sure it has, but it hasn't hurt.

The weight gain since turning 50 and the start of menopause has been substantial, 25 lbs in 18 mos. I have been absolutely unable to control my stress eating or cravings. It's been really awful. I just started taking mounjaro (a generic version) and though it's only been 3 days, the cravings magically stopped on the first night after taking the shot. I'm very hopeful that this will be a tool to help me get back on track. I hate not feeling comfortable in my body!

It's all for the birds.

Also, every single time one of these threads comes up I tell sufferers of night sweats and hot flashes to get a BedJet. Kind of expensive but worth its weight in gold not to wake up drenched in sweat with damp hair and sheets.

Another vote to go get hormone levels checked. And then be prepared to argue with your doctor if you are in the low range of "normal" but having symptoms. The range is huge and doctors have so little training when it comes to women's health. I had no idea perimenopause was even a thing, I'm 44.

A huge symptom I had was being itchy. I've been asking my doctor about it for at least 4 years. I have bought every lotion and oil known to man. Was told it was allergies and/or eczema. I just got on hormone replacement and I stopped itching. It's been life changing. Hormone replacement has some drawbacks, so it isn't for everyone, but not being itchy and getting better sleep these last few weeks has been amazing.

Difficulties with Word recall and brain fog sucks when working in a professional setting. My 34yo colleague has asked me if I have dementia.