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| Doctor, am I experiencing Perimenopause? | ||
| Q: I am 44 yrs old and haven't had a period for 3 months.
Prior to this for two months had severe hot flushes and could not
sleep. Up until this time normal periods. I have been
taking nighttime primrose oil daily, hot flushes lessened. What
do you think ?
A: This is perimenopause. With a change in menstrual pattern and sometimes hot flashes, sometimes no complaints. Maybe it is the primrose oil, but it could be estrogen production from your ovaries, which can solve the problem and a menstrual bleeding will come soon. |
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| Q:
I have been experiencing breast
tenderness during the last month. My breasts feel "full
and heavy" and they hurt, specially my left breast. I had
my period 6 weeks ago, but before that I missed my period for 6
months. My periods are very irregular and this is not the
first time that I have missed my period for so long, but I have never
experienced breast tenderness for so long. I have been
experiencing vaginal dryness also in the last months. Could breast
tenderness and vaginal
dryness be a symptom of perimenopause?
Other than breast tenderness and vaginal
dryness I haven't experienced any other symptoms.
A: Breast tenderness is a symptom of relative high estrogens or maybe low progesterone. With irregular cycle breast tenderness in the last weeks before a new period is frequently observed in perimenopause. |
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| Q: I have been diagnosed
with a fibroid tumor which is 12.5 cm. The dr. feels it is not large
enough to worry about, my periods have been very irregular for 3
years, could it be from the tumor? My G.P. feels I am in
perimenopause, she checked my estrogen and she said it was 10, my
gynecologist checked the FSH and said it was 13.2. I have no idea what
these numbers mean. Can you please help me? Is imperative for the
blood work to be drawn only at a certain time of the cycle?
A: Fibroids are not responsible for irregularity of the menstrual cycle. They can cause bleeding problems but no irregularities. The blood work-up gives the impression of ovaries that do not function as good as many years ago, as is seen frequently in perimenopause. It can not predict the future cycles. In infertility clinics the lab test are done usually on day 3 of the cycle. But for testing ovarian function one can do this on any day. |
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| Q: I'm 51 and have been perimenopausal for about 3 years.
For the last 8 months or so I've been experiencing frequent bleeding,
averaging 11 to 15 days between 5- to 7-day cycles. Bleeding can be
quite heavy, accompanied by severe cramping. I had an aspiration
just over a year ago, which was clear. After so long a time in
this phase, and with such irregular bleeding occurring, should I
consider it a normal condition? Or would you suggest that there
may be some abnormalities involved, like fibroids? Would a
hysterectomy be recommended if this were the case?
A: Short cycles of about 20 days (Including the bleeding days) are not unusual during this phase of life. When the bleeding problem causes anemia a treatment is recommended.. One can regulate the cycle with low dose contraceptive pills or by taking progestagens from day 15 to 24 or 26 of each cycle. Usually no uterine anomalies are found in this condition and no hysterectomy is advised when regulation of the menstrual cycle is easy to perform. |
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| Q:
I have been experiencing what I am now believing to
be perimenopausal symptoms for almost 2 years now. I've been
having headaches, I wake many times during the night (sometimes as
many as 20 times a night), memory loss, irritability, fatigue, cold
chills, onset of PMS symptoms, and
menstrual irregularity. I've been on a 28 day cycle, almost to the hour. For the
past two years, my periods have been fluctuating from 22 to 27 day
cycles. These symptoms started when I was 29. How
possible is it that I would be experiencing perimenopause at age 30?
A: The change of perimenopause before 30 is less than 1 in 1000. PMS is very likely to be the cause and treatment of PMS will probably be helpful. Please check-out the OBGYN.net PMS/PMDD collection for more information on your question. |
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| Q:
I am 36 years old, I have hypothyroidism and have quite unusual
periods. I used to have normal periods until I
went off the pill when I was 22. When I went off the pill my
periods ceased. We wanted to have a baby so I went on fertility
drugs, I did become pregnant, but my periods still never returned
after the birth of my baby. I was then diagnosed with hypothyroidism,
and that still did not help my periods. I have been on every
birth control pill and progesterone and nothing has helped for long.
I will start another new birth control pill maybe have a period for 2
or 3 months then back to nothing. I did at one time have
excessive bleeding and the doctor found I had varicose
veins on my uterus, he just scraped them off. I am having more
problems, I believe that I am in menopause but my doctor tells me I am
too young. I do not have periods, I have hot flashes and horrible
night sweats, vaginal dryness, and mood swings. I have had my
hormone levels checked
and the doctor says everything is fine. Do you have any ideas or
should I seek the advice of another doctor or an endocrinologist?
A: This is not a simple problem to solve by e-mail. Probably you have a normogonadotropic normoestrogenic amenorrhea. This has nothing to do with menopause and should be analyzed by a gynecologic or reproductive endocrinologist. |
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| Q:
I am 64 yrs. old and I had a Hysterectomy at age 32. I was put on Premarin
and the effects were great. Now in the last month I wake up
2x a night sweating around my hair, neck , chest and I have to get up
and change my nightgown because it is so wet. When I had the hysterectomy my uterus was taken out, but my ovaries are still in.
Do you know any reason for this problem of night sweats? This
never happens in the day or evening time, it only happens when I am
sleeping and I awaken because I am so sweaty.
A: The possibility that your ovaries were active until now is so extremely rare that it is not realistic to consider this as a cause. Women in your age can experience sometimes a hot flash. But with 2 times a month there is nothing to worry about and no need to take any measure. |
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| Q:
My girlfriend is 46, in the past 3 months after she went off the pill,
she became depressed and can not make decisions or think clearly.
Could this be perimenopause? And is there anything she should start
doing to feel better and think clearly? Thanks.
A: No, it is not perimenopause. Depression is often seen at this age. Only when combined with hot flashes you can consider depression as a perimenopausal symptom. Otherwise, usual antidepressant therapy is required. |
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| Q: Is
forgetfulness a symptom of
perimenopause? I'm 48 years old and at times my mind will go
completely blank when it comes to names?
A: No, it is not a perimenopausal symptom. |
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| Q:
I am 51 years old and postmenopausal. At present I am on Ortho-Prefest
after experimenting with Activella, Fem HRT, and changing to Ortho
because of a terrible yeast infection with excruciating itching. My
gyno prescribed Traimconolone Acetonide Cream which did very little to
ease the itching. I asked for blood tests to measure my estrogen
levels in order to decide if this is the correct hormonal treatment
for me, but she insists that is not necessary. Why not? She believes I
should stop the hormones altogether and see if that is the problem. If
I do, I am a mess: sleepless, weight gain, terrible mood swings, etc. A: Persistent yeast infection is a very troublesome disorder. It is common in fertile women and in women with oral contraceptives, because yeasts contain receptors for estrogens. The postulated reason for persistence is an immunologic problem. Stopping estrogens is very seldom a proper solution. Also estradiol levels in your blood are not important. For this kind of problem we advise a monthly course of an antimycoticum (preferable oral) also when no itching is present. Sometimes the problem cures it self and after a while no further monthly medication is necessary. |
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