I have a couple extra questions for you. When in your cycle were you tested? And did you have all your hormones tested? Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and your thyroid hormones? Do you know the levels of those as well?
I ask because there are a LOT of things that can affect whether a woman is in perimenopause or not. And because estrogen levels vary widely depending on where you are in your cycle. (Some women get tested at two different points in their cycle to learn this). A "normal" range for estrogen can be anywhere between 50 and 400 depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Here's the Mayo Clinic's list of symptoms of perimenopause. Are you having some or many of these?
■ Menstrual irregularity. As ovulation becomes more erratic, the intervals between periods may be longer or shorter, your flow may be scanty to profuse, and you may skip some periods.
■ Hot flashes and sleep problems. About 65 to 75 percent of women experience hot flashes during perimenopause. Their intensity, duration and frequency vary. Sleep problems are often due to hot flashes or night sweats, but sometimes sleep becomes erratic even without them.
■ Mood changes. Some women experience mood swings, irritability or depression during perimenopause, but the cause of these symptoms may be sleep disruption or other menopausal symptoms rather than the hormonal changes of menopause.
■ Vaginal and bladder problems. When estrogen levels diminish, your vaginal tissues may lose lubrication and elasticity, making intercourse painful. Low estrogen levels may also leave you more vulnerable to urinary or vaginal infections. Loss of tissue tone may contribute to urinary incontinence.
■ Decreasing fertility. As ovulation becomes irregular, your ability to conceive decreases. However, as long as you're having periods, pregnancy remains a possibility. If that's not what you want, use birth control until you've had no periods for 12 months.
■ Changes in sexual function. During perimenopause, sexual arousal and desire may change. But for most women who had satisfactory sexual intimacy before menopause, this will continue through perimenopause and beyond.
■ Loss of bone. With declining estrogen levels, you start to lose bone more quickly than you replace it, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.
■ Changing cholesterol levels. Declining estrogen levels may lead to unfavorable changes in your blood cholesterol levels, including an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol — which contributes to an increased risk of heart disease. At the same time, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol — decreases in many women as they age, which also increases the risk of heart disease.
Here's their whole page on perimenopause. Be sure to click on the links down the side, for causes, diagnosis and treatment information:
Comment Reply
Hi, Anon,
Welcome to EmpowHER! Thanks for your question.
I have a couple extra questions for you. When in your cycle were you tested? And did you have all your hormones tested? Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and your thyroid hormones? Do you know the levels of those as well?
I ask because there are a LOT of things that can affect whether a woman is in perimenopause or not. And because estrogen levels vary widely depending on where you are in your cycle. (Some women get tested at two different points in their cycle to learn this). A "normal" range for estrogen can be anywhere between 50 and 400 depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Here's the Mayo Clinic's list of symptoms of perimenopause. Are you having some or many of these?
■ Menstrual irregularity. As ovulation becomes more erratic, the intervals between periods may be longer or shorter, your flow may be scanty to profuse, and you may skip some periods.
■ Hot flashes and sleep problems. About 65 to 75 percent of women experience hot flashes during perimenopause. Their intensity, duration and frequency vary. Sleep problems are often due to hot flashes or night sweats, but sometimes sleep becomes erratic even without them.
■ Mood changes. Some women experience mood swings, irritability or depression during perimenopause, but the cause of these symptoms may be sleep disruption or other menopausal symptoms rather than the hormonal changes of menopause.
■ Vaginal and bladder problems. When estrogen levels diminish, your vaginal tissues may lose lubrication and elasticity, making intercourse painful. Low estrogen levels may also leave you more vulnerable to urinary or vaginal infections. Loss of tissue tone may contribute to urinary incontinence.
■ Decreasing fertility. As ovulation becomes irregular, your ability to conceive decreases. However, as long as you're having periods, pregnancy remains a possibility. If that's not what you want, use birth control until you've had no periods for 12 months.
■ Changes in sexual function. During perimenopause, sexual arousal and desire may change. But for most women who had satisfactory sexual intimacy before menopause, this will continue through perimenopause and beyond.
■ Loss of bone. With declining estrogen levels, you start to lose bone more quickly than you replace it, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.
■ Changing cholesterol levels. Declining estrogen levels may lead to unfavorable changes in your blood cholesterol levels, including an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol — which contributes to an increased risk of heart disease. At the same time, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol — decreases in many women as they age, which also increases the risk of heart disease.
Here's their whole page on perimenopause. Be sure to click on the links down the side, for causes, diagnosis and treatment information:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/perimenopause/DS00554
Let us know a little bit more and we may be able to get you more specific information.
December 18, 2009 - 9:40amThis Comment
Reply