# I'm 41, could this be menopause



## Zanne (Nov 22, 2004)

Hi I'm 41 and I'm not pregnant, but my period hasn't shown up for 60 days. I was usually fairly regular, a few days forward or backward, and I have not completely skipped a month in 20 years!So could I be entering menopause, I feel kinda young for this.I've always had rough periods, but the last few years have been grueling, and of course my IBS-C feeds right along with it.My Doc sent me out for blood work, but I haven't received the results yet.I felt like it was going to start at any moment for a few weeks, but now it is just gone. So strange to not have it show up.I've taken 4 pregnancy tests at one week intervals. If I was pregnent wouldn't it have shown up by now. My husband and I were never able to conceive, but we have continued to use condoms. I was on the pill for 10 years, stopping at age 33.Thanks for reading, I just needed to tell someone. I'm just kinda feeling at a loss. Looking for an explanation.


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2005)

Hi Zanne, are you having hot flashes or night sweats? I think I might pay a visit to the Dr. just to make sure about the being pregnant, not sure if I would rely totally on those home pregancy kits. Linda


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## CathyW (Nov 17, 2004)

Hi ZannePossibly could be peri-menopause. There is a great forum at www.power-surge.com. Lots of info on menopause and the effects on ibs. Good luck!!


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## kazzy3 (Apr 11, 2003)

Home pregancy tests are usually accurate, but there are exceptions. The blood work should be able to give you a difinitive answer on that one. If it's not pregnancy then it could be peri-menopause. I think it's happening to me. I'm 40 and my periods could go anywhere from 18-33 days with 24 being the average. I was almost always a 28-30 day cycle. I get bouts of hot and cold, anxiety seems to increase 12-14 days before period, Ibs acts worse as well. I keep thinking the same thing... Isn't it too early? If this is the early stages what will it be like in the throws of menopause. This is not something I am looking forward to.


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## NancyCat (Jul 16, 1999)

I think perimenopause (the period before you stop getting your period forever)can last up to 10 yrs so it's probably not unusual for this to cccur. I'm 51 and I still get my period but the older I get the more irregular and irractic things are. You might just have this one issue and next month you'll be back to "normal" for you. A few yrs ago I'd get maybe 1 time during a year where my period would come after 2 weeks, or not come for 2 months, then the rest of the year would be "normal". My gyn told me that I would probablby stop getting it for good (have to go 1 yr w/o to say you are done with it) forever)anywhere in the next 3 yrs. I have also heard that you can get "an idea" of when its going to stop by what happened to your mother.On the other hand my SIL couldnt seem to get pregnant for the 2nd time. She tried for 10 yrs and then she did get pregnant.She was 40, shocked but thrilled. I'd suggest you run things by your gyn for your own piece of mind.BTW my gastro tells me that IBS gets better with menopause. That remains to be seen. I wish it wasnt so much "trouble" to get to that point


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## Zanne (Nov 22, 2004)

Thank you all so much for replying. I helps so much to have someone to talk to. The blood work came back, and I'm definately not pregnant. My GP says the hormone levels are high, but not super high. She is thinking either perimenopause or that my ovaries have just shut down, which she is actually leaning more towards. Regardless she is sending me to a obgyn next friday for a full workup. I've always just seen my GP for my annual paps, etc. She wants them to do an ultrasound, more blood work, etc. Her biggest concern for me is osteoporosis, since I peg the scale on risk factors. She wants to make sure I retain as much bone density as possible.So I'll see what the OBGyn has to say.Thank you all so much for responding


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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

I would think peri-menaupause. I'm only 37, i'm suppose to have started last week, i feel like i'm going to start but it doesn't. Last night i had 3 nightsweats, not very comfortable. Firt one a soaked my t-shirt, took it off and put it next to the bed, 2nd one I soaked my sheets/pillow, took my t-shirt on the floor to towel off with, changed place on the bed to find dry spot. 3rd one, soaked my husband + what was left of the dry area on bed, got up and took shower. I'm exhausted today. My mother and sister didn't have any period very young, i guess i'm next.


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2005)

Jo-jo, it's not a laughing matter I know, but I couldn't help but chuckle when I read your post. You hit it right on the button. It's all a pain in the butt and very exhausting. It disrupts sleep and then everyone wonders why we are a little moody. Till this week I haven't had a good nights sleep (that's without taking something to help sleep) in 3 years. My bio-identical hormones are finally kicking in. Or maybe they're just balancing themselves out. Take care and hope you find something that works for you. Linda


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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

The worse is when you wear acrylic. I had a cute bright orange kind of tight acrylic sweater, i had a hot flash and my cute sweater turned into a not so cute clingy wet discusting thing that wouldn't dry all day, couldn't wait to get home to get that thing off. Tip of the day? Wear only cotton and bring changes of clothes to work.


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## Bowiegirl (Oct 12, 2004)

Hi, I can't relate to menopause because I am only 28, but I can tell you that my mom started menopause at 41. She was post menopausal by 48. She had the horrible night sweats like that, too. She hadn't had a period in months and one day she got up from her desk (she's a teacher) and flooded her pants with blood. She was so embarrassed. She had to go home and change. She complained of everything that you guys are saying. Good luck to all of you!!


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## Babe (Jul 7, 2004)

I was completely through menopause at 43. So was my mother. My doctor told me that it runs in families. You will probably go through it at about the same age your mother did.My mother's mother had 12 kids, the last one at 42. After that she never had another period or another child!My suggestion--check with your mother about family history.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I started perimenopause about 41 or 42. I am 48 and haven't had a period for 4 years. I am on bioidentical HRT which has been great for hotflashes. Let us know what the tests say. I don't think it is unusual to start having irregular periods at your age.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Babe, good suggestion about checking the family history. My older sisters were completly through menopause by midforties too.


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## Zanne (Nov 22, 2004)

Hi Folks, my obgyn appointment was rescheduled from last week to this Thursday. Still no monthly visitor, it has been 10 weeks since my last period. I've been cycling through major bloat, lower back and pelvic pain. Of course I'm never really sure on when to blame it on my IBS-C or my cycle. Mood swings jumping around too, though here again I never am quite sure when to blame that on depression or my cycle. Though depression wise I've been doing very well in recent months.My Mom didn't enter perimenopause until 48, and my one sister at 46. I'm not in close enough contact to know what is going on with my oldest sister (who is now 49).I just want someone to tell me what is going on so I can move forward. If it is perimenopause, that is fine, I just want to know.Thank you all for replying. I'm glad to know I not the only one. I think I'm still young at 41, but looks like it can be the norm too.


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## Karen Savage (Dec 16, 2002)

My doctor also told me I would go into menopause around the same age as my mother did. But my mother said she got periods intil she was 55 and I got my last period when I was 50. I think I started perimenopause when I was about 45 because that is when my periods became very irregular. I would get one like every 2 weeks or when I did get one it would last for about 2 weeks. My doctor put me on something to regulate them and it worked pretty well. Then at 50 they just stopped and I must tell you I was quite happy about that. I think there are tests you can take that will tell you where you stand as far as perimenopause. If I were you Zanne I think I would ask my obgyn for a test like that. Karen


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

While I think your Mom can give you some idea of general age there seems to be other factors.My Mom went into menopause around 40 and I'm past that, but definitely in perimenopause, but nothing really bad yet.A coworker went into false menopause because of a growth on her pituitary gland that they had to remove, when it was gone they came back. Sudden stopping of periods really does need to be checked out. Usually woman have at least a few years of funkiness with the perimenopause before they stop.K.K.


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## tkelly (May 11, 2004)

O.K., I have a poser for you: All through my young adulthood, my periods were very irregular, anywhere from a 35 to 45 day cycle. Could never tell when they were going to happen, and always wondering if I was pregnant. For about the last four years or so, ever since I hit my 40's my periods have become much more regular and shorter cycle-24 to 30 day.Is this an indication of perimenopause?


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

nightsounds, short cycles were a sign of perimenopause for me although I didn't know it at the time. Then after a few years of that, I started bleeding off and on continuously. It drove me bonkers. Slowly though about 4 1/2 years ago they started pacing out again---a bleed for a day here and there and finally they stopped. Have had 1 bleed day in 4 years. Finally got through that awful irregular bleeding to no bleeding! I am on bioidentical HRT and have really enjoyed menopause. No more PMS, no more pre-period acne and horrible mood swings and depression and pre-period constipation and bloating.


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## mdonbru (Oct 15, 2003)

Nightsounds - I am exactly the same way as you. I used to have long cycles and sometimes go even 6 weeks between. Now that I am 41 I am much more like the normal 26-30 day cycle. I am also starting to have worse mood swings around my period (that could just be the fact that I work full-time, have 2 kids aged 3 and 13 and a husband and house to deal with - LOL). I am also starting to have the occasional night sweat and times when I can't sleep because of itching. I am convinced that I am in perimenopause even though my mother didn't finish menopause until she was 54. I asked my doctor and he semed to think it was a possibility but we didn't really get into it too much as I was dealing with more pressing issues. Next physical I will ask him more questions. Marty


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## tkelly (May 11, 2004)

Tiss, it's really nice to hear from someone who is actually enjoying menopause. I'm sitting here at work, with my period, feeling absolutely lousy (and it seems to get worse as I get older) thinking "menopause is WORSE than this ???? " I've heard so many horror stories about it, that it makes me hopeful to hear a "success" story.Unfortunately, my mother died 14 years ago, and we never really talked about menopause back then, so I have no idea what she went through or when she started. So it's educational for me to hear what happened to other women.No 1, I know what you mean about the full time job, husband, kids, etc. Sometimes I don't think it's fair that I have to work every month when I feel so terrible!







I have experienced night sweats, too, but am not having any right now. I asked my gyn about perimenopause a couple of years ago, but didn't really get a good answer from her. Guess I'll have to wait & see what happens.


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## Zanne (Nov 22, 2004)

Hello all, Just saw the obgyn yesterday. Short history, I had an obgyn when I was 22-25, but since then have always just relied on my GP for Paps etc. My GP sent me to an Obgyn 4 years ago when she was concerned about endometriosis. But the jerk just wrote me off, wouldn't treat it, basically said I was a woman and suck it up. Until I had been on the pill for six months he wouldn't even address my complaints. Well, the pill sends me into a depression spiral, causing me to want to harm myself. So I cannot take the pill. And needless to say I never went back to the Jerk.Well fast forward to 2005, it is now day 74 and no sign of my period. My GP said we have to find you an obgyn. Met with him yesterday for a full exam. The guy was very understanding, and treated my like I have a brain. He looked at the whole picture, the IBS, the depression, chronic pain, the woman's stuff, everything. Involved me in the discussion.Interesting, noted I had both internal and external hemes, "Does your GI know about that?", me: well you know it just sorta comes with the territory of 20 years of IBS-C.As far as "where is my period?", oh definately perimenopause, that did not phase him in the least. Though they did test one more time to make sure I wasn't pregnant.So sending me out for ultrasound for previously diagnosed uterin fibroids and pelvic pain in general. A dexa scan due to my high risk family history, and a mamo just cause I due for one.He gave me a homework assignment (said "you are an intelligent woman who definately knows her body, and is obviously capable of doing some research") to look up info on two different medications. One for depression and chronic pain (cymbalta), and the other one often used to treat endo (Lupron Depot) (but I'm not a good candidate for the endo drug). Also, I'm to research Endo, which I have done in the past. Plus talk to my GP and therapist about Cymbalta vs Lexapro and Wellbutrin XL which I'm currently on. Actually, my depression is pretty stable on the meds I'm currently on, and I don't want to mess that up, which the obgyn understood. Just another option to look at. I'm also taking Zelnorm now for the last 4 months.He also, diagnosed endo, said he could feel the nodules on the ligament that hold my uterus. I think he was surprised I hadn't pursued this, "Does this hurt?", Yes it does. But I think you all can relate, sometimes, you just deal with it, because there is nothing else you can do. I cannot take NSAIDS, not hormone treatment. You sorta reach a point that you just assume that it is how it is suppose to be.So I go back in two weeks after the tests, and after I've done my homework, to sit down and discuss where we go from here.Sorry to be so long winded on all of this. Thanks for listeningIn addition I talked to my Mom (she is 450 miles away), found that she started perimenopause around 45 - 46, first time her period stopped for months, she thought she might be pregnant again, of course you couldn't run out to the store and by a test back then. The doc gave her a "shot" and said if her period didn't come back then she was pregnant. Well it came back. Of course my Mom said you never questioned the doctor than, she didn't even know what the shot was. (1975) By age 50 she was all done. We had no health insurance, and things were bad in the family, so my Mom just dealt with it on her own. Talked to no-one about it. She is so amazed at how educated I am about the process, even explaining to her why she had those "hot flashes". Things have certainly changed.Thank you all for listening,Zanne


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