Just wondering if you can just start having all kinds of symptoms and be that way for awhile and then all at once you just quit having your periods. Now that I am having the internal shaking, anxiety, nausea, no appetite etc, I am starting to look back at all the other things I have had for the past couple of years. Those being night sweats, tiredness, forgetfullness, irritability, waking up alot at night, having to pee at night, facial hair(just a little) headaches right before I start, more pain with ovulation. So could I have been entering peri a few years ago and now I am having more symptoms? Does this mean I could start seeing my periods become erratic and stopping. or am I just dreaming that I am farther along than I thought. I just want it to be over with as soon as possible. lol/.... I just thought those symptoms over the last few years was just tiredness etc from work, taking care of the kids, just stress really. Maybe I was wrong

Hi pumpkin - I never started having bothersome symptoms until my periods were pretty light and far apart. When I was about 47, my periods began to be pretty erratic and progressively lighter. It wasn't until I turned 50, that I slowly began to accumulate all of the symptoms that you have listed above. By then, I was having about 4 periods/year. Now, I'm about to turn 52 and haven't had a period in 6 months. In Dec. 08, my symptoms were all happening at once and starting to get the best of me, so I decided to start on BHRT. I've been on it for about 7 weeks and getting a bit or relief, but not nearly enough, so I know that I need to up my dosage. But, my Dr. wants me to start at a low dose and work up, which takes some time. I'm impatient and wanted total relief yesterday, but I know that it takes time. Good luck- it sounds like you are definately suffering from estrogen withdrawal. It's not fun!

Hi Pumpkin . . .

I've wondered the same thing myself, and will be happy when this whole peri thing is a thing of the past! I've been suffering from most of the symptoms you mentioned for about five years now, to varying degrees. One thing you mentioned that I haven't noticed, until possibly now, is increased pain at ovulation. I've rarely noticed when ovulation takes place, but this month, for the past three days, I've had a very full feeling in my lower right abdomen. The only way I can describe it is that it feels like I'm carrying around a balloon full of water. Its not painful, but just uncomfortable when I move. Is this anything you've felt before? Someone on another forum suggested it might be ovulation pain.

Anna in Texas

No mine feels more like a real bad crampiness and my lower abdoment gets extremely sore. I get really constipated at that time too. I can tell you almost the exact minute I pass an egg. Then the pain goes away within a couple of hours usually.

Hi pumpkin:

I keep thinking one of these days I will just stop. I keep hoping it will be sooner than later. Over the last few years (9) things have changed and changed. Symptoms I mean, I first noticed the anxiety and racing thoughts. I thought that was all anxiety and nothing else, until I started having hot flashes, night sweats. Speed up to now, I have insomnia, hotflashes, nightsweats, hair on my face , more than I have ever had. the anxiety is the absolute worst. It seems that it has gotten more intense as time goes on. I experience the dizziness more frequently than before, slips of the tongue, brain fog. Lord have mercy!

I will be so glad when peri stops and I get to actually start counting down my 12 months to being officially postmenopause.

Hugs to you,
Jeaninne