Premature/very early menopause??? Any help?
I am very confused and feeling lost. Iam 39( will turn 40 in Jan2024) and I think I am on my way to premature or very early menopause.
I have some menopausal symptoms, though I still get periods every month. Looking back, I found that I had symptoms of perimenopause since late twnties/ early thirties and continued to have symptoms till now. My cycles have been regular most of my adult life, but changed from 28 day cycles to 23-24 day cycles at around 30 years ( I recently learned that this is a sign of perimenopause) .Now I have cycles of 25-26 days average, but often period comes 1-2 days earlier or 2-3 days later than expected, so cycles are between 23 to 29 days. Some doctors say that this is normal, not a cause for concern, others say that this is abnormal and it should be strictly on time. I don't know which is correct.
My other symptoms are hot flushes, night sweats and unexplained digestive issues.
My first experience of night sweats was in 2018. I was 34, so menopause was not in mind. I was tested for other causes of night sweats ( infections, blood diseases, cancer) and all was clear.Eventually the night sweats disappeared on their own and I concluded that they were due to stress (I had a major life stressor at that time and the night sweats disappeared shortly after that stressor was over). I was free from night sweats and hot flushes for 4 years. In October 2022, I started to have the worst night sweats ever. Before they started, I had strept throat and while recovering from it, night sweats started. I was sleep deprived for weeks and suffered a lot in my daily life from exhaustion, stress and lack of sleep.I could barely work or drive. I had also occasional hot flushes during the day, though not very severe. I went to a gynecologist, had my hormones tested and they came back normal, ultrasound was done and the ovaries and uterus looked normal. This time again, the hot flushes disappeared after a couple of months. At almost the same time, I stated to have digestive symptoms (severe abdominal pain, gas, burping, diarrhea , weight loss) .Whenever I googled rhese symptoms, the result was always Cancer (colon, stomach, pancreas) so I pursued testing for all these cancers and for other possible causes like infections, IBD and celiac..Everything came back clear. I was told it was just IBS but I don't really think it is. The symptoms eventually got a bit better but did not disappear.I still have some intermittent gas and mild pain. I recently knew that these symptoms are very common menopausal symptoms.
Fast forward to August 2023, I caught an upper respiratory tract infection (probably the Covid new variant) and upon recovery from it, I started to get night sweats again.A couple of days later,hot flushes attacked me in a horrible way. I have ver frequent and severe hot flushes, to the extent that I have to stay all the time sitting motionless in front of the AC and/or fan ,so as not to get a hot flush.Any slight movement or moving away from the cold air, I get a hot flush and profuse sweating. A cold shower can trigger the worst hot flushes ever.Sometimes, especially after showering, I have hot flushes non-stop for more than an hour or 2, even with both the AC and fan switched on. When I walk outdoors and then enter into an air-conditioned place, I get a hot flush and sweating. I went to another gynecologist again, had a new ultrasoud and hormone tests. All was normal apart from reduced ovarian reserve.The gynecologist told me that the reduced reserve is not too low and is acceptable in my age, and doesn't mean menopause, so no mention of hormone replacement.Another gynecologist said the same, but I tend not to believe them as I read a lot that hormone tests are not accurate in perimenopause and that having hot flushes is a sign that the periods are going to stop very soon and probably suddenly. This gives me a lot of stress, it is no fun to have menopause at or before 40 (regarding the health and emotional consequences) .Sometimes I think that this may not be the case but at other times, when I consider my history, I believe that I am really in late perimenopause now and that I have started the transition very early and will end soon.
By the way, I had early puberty (at 10 and half years and have never been pregnant, and I am overweight/slightly obese now. I guess my mom had her menopause at 42 to 45 (not sure, just guessing) though everytime I tell her I am having menopausal symptoms she says that I am too young or that I still
have 10 years to expect menopause.
Does anyone have an experience similar to mine? and what was the timeline ? what can I do to have some answers and peace of mind ??
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@hopethereisnothing
How frustrating when you know this is not normal and providers are not providing a solution, especially the gynecologist.
Do you live in an area where you have access to clinic that has a Women's Sexual Clinic? As an example, Mayo Rochester has a Menopause and Women's Sexual Health Clinic. It specializes in treatment of women with menopausal hormonal and sexual health concerns.
This is link to some You Tube video's they have published, may not resolve your problem, just sharing incase a topic fit's your situation.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLSWR1ylG_6JY0ixgVLJXVb2L9mWgi4Peh
Laurie
Hi Laurie Thanks for your reply.I don't live in the US, and here where I live, there aren't any special clinics or centers for menopause care. Women have to deal with menopausal symptoms by themselves, even gynecologists don't help much. HRT is generally avoided here as it has a bad rap, even for women who had hysterectomy and removed their ovaries at a young age (I know some who did so). I saw some of the videos you linked, I already know most of the information there, I just need to confirm or rule out that I am in premature menopause and to start proper treatment. My symptoms (hot flushes in particular) are making me non-functioning, in the time when I need to restart my career and life after a lot of setbacks and interruptions. People up to 10 years older than me do not get hot flushes so why should I ???? I am so frustrated
@hopethereisnothing
I read few articles about premature / early menopause and it definitely sounds like what your experiencing. One cause of early menopause if first period before age 11, which is your situation. It is a shame that providers are not willing to do HRT or provide alternatives. Anti-depression meds help some patients.
This article from Cleveland Clinic has good descriptions of pre/early menopause and certainly matches what your describe.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21138-premature-and-early-menopause
This article from UK, talks about some alternatives for HRT for menopause.
https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/menopause-and-later-life/hrt-and-alternatives/
I had surgical induced menopause at age 40 and was on HRT for years. Once stopped, went through menopause and remember how hard it was to function. I live in MN, and I would step outside in freezing weather trying to cool off. A fan blowing on me during night helped. Even to this day still occasionally have hot flashes.
I hope your find some relief.
Laurie
My best friend was having crying spells and behavioral changes at that age. She did not discuss this with anyone so I don’t know her other symptoms. Apparently At 40 her period slowed down and then stopped. She kept all changers to herself. BUT during this time she was forced out of her biz partnership and let go. She had a very good job at a prestigious firm.
When she was almost 50 she finally told her Dr. it turned out all that weird and unusual behavior was caused by menopause at 40. She has always been uncomfortable discussing anything personal even with close friends.
Since I don't know what went on with her body at this time i can’t compare her to you. But i can tell you that believe it or not you can go through menopause at 40. Dont stop advocating for yourself. Perhaps check in with a teaching hospital with a gyno dept.
Wishing best of luck.