I'm 45 yrs. old. I haven't had a normal period since the middle of June. Last month I only noticed some light blood on the toilet paper and for the last
couple of days, I've been spotting very very lightly. I've had cramps all day today. I was hoping to get my period so I could feel better but nothing. Still just a couple of drops and that's it. I also do not feel like I'm getting
a good night's rest. I sleep but I get up tired. I feel like I've turned into
a light sleeper and I was the total opposite. I don't know if all of this is related. I haven't noticed any other symptoms. Can someone tell me if this
is something I should be concerned about or is this pretty normal for the peri years. I do have an appointment with the GYN, but not for another three weeks. Thanks!

Sounds pretty normal for peri. Things could change to the other direction too, with heavier, longer periods. I think I was in peri for years without really realizing it. It's good that you have an appt. coming up, but I bet your GYN will tell you the samething. Make sure you take a list of questions for your doctor with you. Some of your symptoms might be helped with medication. Welcome to the club, like we have said before, it's not really a club any of us wanted to join! Ann

Hi:

It sounds pretty normal for peri to me as well.

My sister went the other route, lots of heavy, long periods and then suddenly going several months with no period at all. I've been getting progressively lighter periods that come closer together but haven't actually missed a month yet.

I sleep terribly now, always waking up overtired and exhausted and I used to be such a great sleeper.

It never hurts to talk to your Gyn about menstrual changes. The reassurance you get alone makes the visit worthwhile.

Thank you so much guys for responding. Last night I got my period. I was sort of happy. It was pretty light but today I am bleeding so heavy with lots of clots that I cannot leave the house. I am getting nervous about this. Does this sound normal? I'm cramping also. I am not sure if I should be
calling my doctor today, it's Sunday, but I am just so nervous. I have a pack of birth control pills from a couple of years ago, and maybe I should
start taking it today to control the bleeding. I'm so confused. Please help!
I am scared that it could be something really serious.

Liz,
I lived with what you are are going thru for weeks on end. Heavy, flooding period with horrible cramps. My longest lasted about 3 solid weeks, everyday heavy. I did become anemic, just because I was too dumb to start to a iron supplement. The heavy period is very common for peri. Most of us have been thru it. I did start BCP's 7 months ago which did help my periods. Most of the other symptoms stayed the same. I am going off the pill in October after a fall vacation. I didn't want fight the heavy period again, so I am waiting till our trip is over. I dread going back to the heavy periods, but I am 52 and can't stay on the pill much longer. I did read an article that said to take Vitamin A 25,000 IU two times a day for 15 days before your period to help with a lighter flow. Sometimes it's hard to know when the 15 days before your period would be, but I'm going to try it. When I flowing so hard I thought I'd bleed to death, the only thing that helped was knowing there were others going thru the samething. We've been there, done that! Ann

Thank you Cruisers for sharing your experiences. I have never had a day like today. I feel funny talking about this but I soaked thru my clothes twice today! It just gushes out of me and the cramps aren't that painful but certainly annoying. I am also going on vacation at the end of this month and I don't know what I will do if this happens to me again. I am so scared. I will have to speed up my doctor's appointment because I need something to slow down this flow. I took two Iron pill this morning and I will take another one before bed. I will certainly try the Vitamin A. Anything not to go thru this again.
Everyone, please share your thoughts with me. I'm so
new to this whole thing. Thank you.

Liz,
Please don't let all this scare you. What you are going through sounds very normal. Even the worrying. Health anxiety is also a symptom of peri. The bleeding is annoying and you do need to see your gyn to help get things under control. I waited too long (over 2 months). I kept thinking the bleeding was going to stop on its own and it never did. I ended up VERY anemic and had to have a D & C. Have been on low dose bcp now for several months and things are starting to get under control. Unfortunately, a lot of the other peri symptoms are with me still (hotflashes, night sweats, depression, bloating -- you name it!). But once I realized I didn't have a serious disease, that it was just peri, I am better able to deal with it. Don't leave your gyn appointment with any questions left unanswered. Hang in there!

Thank you Delaney for your words of encouragement! Last night my husband and I went out because the bleeding tapered off a little. Well, three hours later we were home and I couldn't even sit on his car seat or it would have been soaked. I ended up on laying down on my side until during the ride home. I got up twice in the middle of the night, again soaked with even the towel under me all in stains. This is day #2 and the same thing. Thank God it's a day off from work. How will I go to work tomorrow? I have a 45 min drive to work and I'm afraid before I get to work it will soak thru my clothes. My fear is...I'm doing a lot of reading about this and most web sites, and also you guys, are reassuring me that it's all normal, but I have that fear that it's not peri that I'm going thru that it might be cancer. I feel good one minute and then I read something and I'm down again. And this bleeding is NOT getting any ligther. I'm going to lose my mind before I see my gyno. Thank you guys for making me feel better, if only for a few minutes.

I had heard that if you miss your period the next one you get could be really heavy, almost making up for the one that you skipped. Is there any truth to this? Thank you.

That can be true. I skipped my period in December, January wasn't too bad, but February was terrible. That was when I decided to start the pill. I wonder now if I should have just waited it out alittle longer. Another poster had said that when the periods become heavier, you might be getting close to the end of them. I know that doesn't hold true for everyone. Let us know how your doctor's appt. turns out. Ann

My doctor's appointment got cancelled. I was told that if I got my period, I did not need to come in. I am being sent to the lab to have my Thyroid checked instead. Now I've got other symptoms, my legs seem a little bit swollen from the knees down, especially the right one. I see it and feel it more in the afternoons. I wonder if this could be related. I feel like I'm
starting to fall apart ever since I missed my period in June.

I am having muscle cramps in the middle of the night. They are in my calfs and feet. They wake me up in the middle of the night...I have to walk around to get rid of the pain. Could this be a symptom also?

I just took one of those over-the-counter Estrovan tests (it says it's 99% accurate) and it came out negative.
It's day #7 and I am still bleeding, not a lot, but it's dark red and it doesn't look like it's going away any time soon.
Could this be peri years or could it be something else since this test came out negative...I'm suppose to test myself again in a couple of weeks (per the instructions in the box).
I'm so nervous that there might be something else wrong with me other then going thru perimenopause. I'm going for my thyroid test tomorrow.
Please advise if you have any thoughts.

Still waiting on Thyroid test results. I stopped bleeding after 7 days, but I now I have to wear a pantyliner because I am having a pink discharge. Has anyone had this problem?

Thyroid test is fine. It looks like I'm starting my perimenopause years.

After not having a period from June 13th and then getting it on Sept. 3rd, I was hoping that the next one after that would be lighter than the 9/3 one. I have never in my life had such a heavy period! The one I got on 9/30 was just as bad. I could not leave the house again for 2 days. Thank God it was the weekend! I am now worried because the period hasn't gone away and it's 10/13. It's dark red but it is a very light flow. My period never ever lasted this long. I also started getting hot flashes, at least that is what I think they are. I don't know if there is something else wrong with me or if this is all related to perimenopause. I have an appt. next week with my gyno, but in the meantime, I need to vent. I just hope that there isn't something else wrong with me, that it perimeopause that is causing these bothersome symptoms. I look forward to hearing from someone who experienced similar symptoms. Thanks !

I had my gyno appt. and I had a biopsy done which came back normal. My pap smear came back normal, also. I am due for my period as of now, but nothing yet. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it gets here because I got a couple packets of birth control to see if it will help slow down the heavy bleeding. I am nervous about the heavy bleeding again because I won't be able to function at work if I get it during the week. I was hoping to be lucky enough to get it on the weekend since the first two days are the worse. It's getting ridiculous...something I never had to worry about...and now that's all I think about.

After two heavy periods, I am now about a week late. I am now wondering if I will be skipping this month. This is driving me crazy !!!!