Periomenopause

Hi G.:
You don't mention your age,but because you say postmenopausal,I have to guess,that your reaching that time in your life,where your hormones are going to create some problems for you.It's not unusual for you to have some heavy or sporadic periods at this time. You may even experience some blood clots,that will scare you. You can have a heavy period ,then go two months without one at all.Then maybe A light one and nothing for three months.It will be off,and vary.Then stop altogether.It's not always easy,but try to realize,that your body is going through some dramatic changes,and this will throw off a lot of different emotions. You won't have the patience,the tolerance,for those things you use to be able to just shrug off.You can get easily agitated,and it doesn't help,when you feel no one else understands,or is sympathetic as to how you feel.This probably is a large factor,in how your coping and feeling about your marriage right now.Don't throw in the towel just yet. You need to have a calm sit down with your hubby,and let him know what your concerns,and what your experiencing. The two of you,then need to sit down with the kids,and set up some ground rules,and some chores,to lighten the load for you a bit.We'd love to think,that those around us,are observant enough to notice,when we are worried,or in need of help.Whether it's moral support or merely A helping hand around the house,however,everyone gets so busy thinking about themselves,their needs,that sometimes we need to stop them in their tracks,and ask them to take A look around.This is not the time in your life,when you should be biting the bullet,or holding in those feelings of frustration,or disappointments. You take years off your life doing that. You can be effective,and accomplish your goals,by calmly sitting down those you care for,and letting them know,that you can't,do it all by yourself,and you need their help.I wish you and your (full house) the very best. J. M

Hey G.,
Before we got pregnant I was definitely in the perimenopause category. Some of the symptoms of perimenopause include: moodiness, vaginal dryness, weight gain around the middle, lower energy level, erratic periods (hard or light periods), lower sex drive, etc. May I suggest you get the book "What Your Doctor May Not have Told You about Premenopause"? The Author is John R. Lee. It explains the symptoms in detail as well as natural solutions. I ended up seeing a natural health doctor and got acupuncture as well as used bioidentical hormones and I felt back to my old self relatively quickly. If you go to you ob/gyn they can give you blood tests to check your hormones and different times during your cycle to see how you are doing. Be warned though, they will most likely put you on some form of birth control and I can say from experience it only worked for a few months and I was back to the same thing. Also, if the mood swings are severe many women get put on antidepressants during this time. I only got relief after I read the book that I mentioned and followed their course of action with my natural health doctor.

Could you be having an early miscarriage?

If the bleeding doesn't slow down within a few days, get in to see your doctor.

Another responder mentioned HRT/Hormone Replacement Therapy.
My GYN told me that it should not be started until you no longer have periods.

My nutritional counselor mentioned before that calcium and b's has helped many in reducing and eliminating cramping. If you want to ask her about it, she has a website at http://www.MomIsTheBest.com

Hi G., I know heavy cramping and heavy flow is NEVER fun. Talk to your gynecologist. Often periods before menopause get heavier rather than lighter. It happens a lot, so don't be scared. I went through the same thing. My doc put me on low dosage HRT. I know some people are scared to death to start them. I had other symptoms though- and quality of life means a lot to me. My doc also monitors me well- I'm on the same meds as she is. Whatever your decision, you need to be informed.

Hi. I noticed you're wondering about PERImenopause, not post-menopause. How old are you? Have your periods been easier than this up to this point? Have they been regular? For me, the symptoms you described were what I experienced when I miscarried (4 times).
I am 37 and have hormonal issues. I've been "perimenopausal," according to my OB-GYN, for about 3 years. I've had one period since my younger son was born in 2005 (period was in Jan '06, I think). I have the Mirena IUD which I know makes some women not have periods. My doctor's assessment was based on blood tests and follow-up blood tests 3 months later. Last year I started getting terrible night sweats. The night sweats and moodiness were not related to the IUD. I now use a low-dose estrogen patch and feel much better!
Check with your doctor, or do a pregnancy test if that's a possibility. Good luck to you!

I had this problem for over a year. My doctor finally found that I had a fibroid. It went on so long (on and off over a few years) that I became extremely anemic which they didn't catch until I needed 3 pints of blood transfused. What happens is that you loose more blood each month than your body can replace. Have him check for a fibroid and keep a watch on your blood count if this keeps happening. I almost had heart failure. sounds like you can catch it early.