MIssing a Period or 44
 

I have been told many, many, many times, that missing a period is not a problem. "Maybe you are just stressed or something." I used to have a period every month like clockwork, never late or early. And it would last 4 days every time. Then it just stopped. I can count the number of periods I have had on one hand, and they seem to be 6 months to a year apart. So I have had 4 in the past 3 years.

Now, don't get me wrong I am not complaining, I am just a little nervous. I don't like doctors or I would go talk to one. I was wondering if anyone else has had this type of experince.

GO TO A DOCTOR

GO TO A DOCTOR

GO TO A DOCTOR

Would you rather go to a doctor now, and find out it's a simple hormone imbalance that can easily be fixed, or go to a doctor five years from now when you're in terrible pain and have a total hysterectomy and start menopause early?

Missing a period once is fine, but when you've only had four periods in the past three years.... something is going on. Might be menopause, might not be, but it's best that you find out. Also, if you're not going to a doctor, then you're not getting your yearly pap smear and checkup, and that's VERY important. Don't be afraid- your doctor is there to help you stay healthy and happy! Find one that you like, perhaps asking your friends where they go, and take control of your health!

No one likes going to the doctor. You really should see one though. I can't stress this enough.

The only thing I've ever read/heard about this is women who are very, very thin (think anorexia) or highly athletic may miss periods. Or if you are going into menopause (which has happened to women in their 30's I believe).

This isn't normal, and even if some of the gals on this board have had similar experiences...you still need to go to a doctor. Take a close friend or sister with you to make you more comfortable. This is something you need to get checked out.

When was the last time you had an annual exam? This is VERY important for all women to do, given how much can go wrong down there... PLEASE take care of yourself and get to a doctor. The TFP is a place to get advice and comfort, but not medical advice!!

(By the way, I just had my annual today, and seriously they are not that bad. This is my 3rd one with the same nurse and it's just become like any other appointment... it's just another part of taking care of our bodies, which are very valuable!)

HOLY JESUS GIRL! What are you doing posting here. Go to a doctor now! Schedule it ASAP. This is not a joke. You should hurry there. This is not a good sign at all. Your dislike of doctors should take a serious backseat to this problem. There's too many things it could be. You should be more than a little worried. I'm not saying this to scare you but to knock some sense into your head. After the first year you should have gone to the doctor's. GO TO THE DOCTOR!

try late 40s to 50s...

Hey, I've been there, Mal. She is well within the normal range of periopause. The advice to see your obgyn asap still applies.

It's rare, but it can happen. From what I've been reading online, it can run in families or happens because a womans ovaries suddenly stop functioning early.

ummmmm

This is all well and fine. Seeing my OBGYN was on my list of things to do. I was just really wondering if that has happened to anyone else.

dd, I began periopause in my early 40's. I skipped a period now and then; four missed; back to only one missed; six months missed; etc. If I recall, I finally missed a full year at 46. Menopause is a progression of diminished estrogen over time, rather than a light switch turned "off".

Your obgyn is your first source for determining what is going on with your body. If you are experiencing the onset of menopause, you have the very difficult decision of whether you wish to have ERT (estrogen replacement therapy), or go it as a natural occurance to a woman's body.

I'm afraid I cannot advise you on that decision when it becomes your time to decide. My (female) doctor and I agreed that menopause is a natural event and that ERT intervention had some serious potential downsides. There is conflicting evidence about the harmful effects of ERT, so I believe the jury is out on making an easy decision.

When I went through this, there were not easily accessible sources of information. (It's just a girl thing, doncha know?) There are now so many resources on the internet that weren't available to me and I hope you will make use of every resource at your fingertips.

It is only fair that I describe my experience with a natural menopause, but please take it with a grain of salt. Every woman's experience is different.

- The hot flashes and night sweats were physically debilitating. I got very little sleep over the period of a couple years just mopping myself dry in the middle of the night. My hot flashes were a constant embarassment to me, whether my clients were aware of it or not.

- The loss of estrogen over time has aged me beyond recognition. I had always had a "girlish" face that is now deeply etched in lines overall. Not just delightful "laugh" lines.

- Worse yet, the loss of estrogen has thinned the most delicate area of my sex. A mutually satisfactory sex life with my husband has not been enhanced by pain, tearing and bleeding. My husband is well endowed, so we look for ways to overcome the problem. Was this a better decision than risking the possibility of cancer? I will never know the answer to that.

It is not comfortable to me to share this with a group of strangers, but I so wish I had women of varying experiences to talk to at the time.

dd, your choices are completely up to you and they are not easy ones. My best to you.

A friend of a friend went into menopause when she was 32. It runs in her family apparently.

My mother began menopause when she was 35. I have heard of cases much earlier than that but in my mother's case and in the other cases they needed some hormone therapy to prevent the early onset of menopause. Menopause that early in life is not healthy in other ways other than simply a lack of menses.