A little background: I'm 51, 6 years peri, 6 years post (last period July 2002). I've been suffering with meno symptoms for 12 years (YIKES!) and instead of getting better, they've been just plain getting worse. After a summer of hell, I finally decided to bite the bullet and go on HRT. Enough was enough.

I started 1MG oral estradiol on Sept 16th and after a month, added 10MG of oral progesterone (medy... whatever - it's generic Provera). Yeah, I made the choice to cycle it, even though I haven't bled in so very long. The doc and I both figured I'd be better off not taking the p on a daily basis. I took the p days 16 - 25, then waited. The doc wasn't even sure if I would bleed, and how much or for how long. I had almost forgot about it when, OMG!!!! yesterday at work I went in the ladies room and there "it" was. Talk about freaky, I haven't seen that particular sight in more than 6 years! And the last one in 2002 was weird enough: it came after 11 months of not having a period. And totally irregular months for the few years before that. So this period business is a pre-t-t-yy darn foreign concept to this postmenopausal girl!

It's just like it was during my fertile years: a little crampy, but not agonizing; a little heavier today, on the second day, but not too bad. So far, no menstrual headache (Thank God for that!). I called the doc's office yesterday to let him know, but probably won't hear back until next week. I'm gonna keep a little log of the dates and length, just like I used to. It's just that this is SO freaky! I knew about this when I decided to cycle the p, but I'm still feeling kind of emotional about it. It's like I stepped into a time machine and went back to my younger days. Maybe that's not such a bad thing...

One plus: I've been wearing Poise pads and pantyliners for years because of a little bladder leakage, so I didn't have to rush out yesterday and buy any Kotex. Hopefully the flow will stay light to medium, just like it is today.

Sue (who feels like I'm 13 again and getting my period for the first time!)[size="3"][/size][color="#000080"][/color]

Congratulations for entering your teens again ! LOL ! :-) I just hope you can avoid breakouts and fights with your parents. :-)

LOL!! I hope my mom doesn't ground me when I stay out after curfew!

Hey Sunny, just wondering how it's going. Still have your period ? I hope it stayed on the light side and you're not having any difficulties. I also hope that you're feeling good effects from your HRT. I have no doubt I will do HRT when it's time, which I estimate will be in approx a year. I've been identifiably peri for 6 years and I can see the end of peri is nigh. :-)

Yup, it's now day 5 of bleeding. I'm getting a little impatient: everytime I think it's nearing the end, it comes back with a vengeance. I really can't complain - it's not really gushing or anything. I never had heavy periods through my menstrual years...until the last one of all. Two weeks long and I bled like a stuck pig. On a camping trip, yet. ARGH!! Then.....nothin'. No more periods, just hot flashes, night sweats, palps, anxiety, insomnia, etc, etc, etc. That's why I can't complain about my new menstruating self - I feel better than I have in years. I just hope these new periods are fairly short ones.

Hopefully things will settle down in the coming months. I think about adolescence, puberty I guess, when you first start to get your period. It takes a while for the hormones to get into their regular cycling. I imagine the same thing happens after menopause when you start HRT. I remember when I started supplementing progesterone, I was kind of hit hard by it at first, I suspect I'd been low on progesterone for several years and it took a couple of months for my body to get used to it again. My irregular periods became nearly regular then ! Now I am nearing the end of peri, progesterone alone is not enough now, and yet my estrogen measures high so I am not yet ready to supplement it yet. I just missed a period, could have been my last !

I'm glad you feel better though ! After doing so much reading I'm convinced that, for most women at least, HRT is beneficial to health and well-being.

Dear Sunny:

Sounds like it is working perfect for you, time will tell. Why not use the natural human identical hormones the same way though? They are safer for you.
Thank you,
Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.