Peri/Thyroid?? - Menopause Message Board

serbocro · 01-06-2005, 06:44 PM

I just recently learned from my ENT that I have three tiny nodules on my thyroid and will have an ultrasound on it next week. But I also have been experiencing my periods coming on day 21 or like today-- day 16!! My gyn says I'm too young for peri-- I am 44. Could my thyroid be affecting my cycle?? My sister said she experienced frequent cycles before her menopause started. I'm so confused. Is it peri? Is it thyroid? Are there any specific tests I should ask for? She checked my hormone levels about two yrs. ago but it was normal.--I also had an ultrasound in sept. which found a small fluid filled cyst on ovary that was supposed to absorb on its own-- whatever that means. Could that be causing a frequent period?

kittenlover · 01-06-2005, 06:56 PM

Nodules on your thyroid need to be investigated....but having them doesn't indicate whether you are hyper or hypo thyroid...hypo slows everything down, so your cycles would be further apart or non-existent and hyper means things speed up, so you might have them closer together.
My suspicion is that it is peri...
at 44 you are NOT too young to be going through perimenopause. I think I was 44 when mine were at 24 days for a year, then a year or so of totally, perfectly spaced 28 days and this december it was 2 weeks late.

I hope it is nothing serious with your thyroid.
Post back to let us know how you make out.

BeckyW · 01-07-2005, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by serbocro

I just recently learned from my ENT that I have three tiny nodules on my thyroid and will have an ultrasound on it next week. But I also have been experiencing my periods coming on day 21 or like today-- day 16!! My gyn says I'm too young for peri-- I am 44.

Since Peri is now recognized as the period before menopause, beginning as much as 7-10 years before the 'real thing', why on earth would a GYN say 44 is too young?

I'm coming up on 41 and firmly believe I started having little, infrequent symptoms like 'warm flushes' and little palpitations as much as 3 years ago. When I started having some heartrate/sleep/anxiety problems a few months ago, and asked my regular doc if it could be hormone/premenopause related...the first thing he said was 'you're too young for that'...but to his credit,he was half kidding. Did a thyroid test first - normal. Then did a hormone test which was first relayed to me as 'completely normal'. But after re-examining it he told me he DOES think I may be premenopausal because the results were slightly off. I could be tested again tomorrow and they may be normal....but the roller coaster has started.

I hope your thyroid issues are benign - they most often are, and certainly you want to investigate that thoroughly, but I would go ahead and request a blood draw for hormone test. At age 44 with increasingly frequent periods,that is a perfectly reasonable request.

Good luck and please keep us posted!

BeckyW.

serbocro · 01-07-2005, 03:16 PM

Thanks for the replies-- this is a great, informative site!

molly123 · 01-07-2005, 04:55 PM

Hi Serbocro,
You can have nodules (I have 6) and a thyroid condition (I'm hypo on meds) and be going thru peri all at the same time. 44 isn't too young at all. You should get your thyroid level tested too. I've read that women w/ thyroid condition can have a really hard time w/peri symptoms b/c it throws your hormones out of wack even more so. I believe that's why I was so bad off last year.

Most women start experiencing peri symptoms probably in their late 30's but often don't ever make the connection that it's peri till the symptoms become unbearable. I remember having insomnia for years, dry skin, etc. - things that were manageable w/o ever thinking it was peri. When women start getting debilitating fatigue, anxiety, internal shakes, hot flashes/night sweats, heart palps, mood swings etc. etc. - symptoms that are unusual, that come on suddenly, just feeling weird, and very difficult to handle that's when we realize it's peri related - often it's confirmed by talking or posting on these boards that other women are going thru the same thing. There's really no way to test you for peri - all results will come back normal. It's when you're in actual meno (no period for at least 6 mos) that your hormones will show something.

I don't belive the thyroid is affecting your cycle at all - it's your age (getting older) - your body going thru the change that's doing it. You should expect your cycle to change the next couple of years - some mos. you may be regular, then you might skips couple of mos., etc. When you're heading into full-blown menopause that's when you start missing it for several months consecutively to the point where you don't get it at all (12 mos. is when you're in true meno).

By the way, welcome to the club!!

molly