[Closed] Women of the forum : any experience of early onset menopause

I could be wrong but don't think there is a definitive test for the menopause. Perhaps a nurse at the GP surgery would be more helpful?

There's a few girls on here seem to have gone a bit mental in their 40s.

[i]I could be wrong but don't think there is a definitive test for the menopause[/i]

I'm afraid there is. It's called 'the room temperature test'.

Put the suspected menopausal woman in a room. Make sure it's nice and hot. Time her. If within 5 minutes she complains about it being both cold and hot, BINGO!

My mother in law had it about 10 years ago so would have been mid forties. Don't remember much about it to be honest except she used to be a right stroppy mare so they whipped her gear box out and then she was all happy. My mum is going through it currently, mood swings and hot flushes seem to happen frequently. She said apparently if your periods stop for six months upwards you are considered to be through it? Other than that I know nothing.

Put the woman in a room. Time her. If within 5 minutes she complains BINGO, she's definitely a woman!

Right, that's fixed.

Yes Derek, we have experience, but GP's I find are **** all use 99% of the time and it's no different in our case. Anything specific you want to know?

Odd thread started by a bloke..

Ask your Mother.

Aye, I think you want mumsnet. You will only schoolboy humour and fear on here regarding womens bits. (Although having said that, Al with his infamous bodging skills might be able to sort something out for you)

Em it's a year if you haven't had your period.

Yes, there's a test for early menopause I think it's a hormone test that they do a couple of times a few weeks apart. Early menopause as CG says is a bit of a mystery.

cynic-al - Member

There's a few girls on here seem to have gone a bit mental in their 40s.

Would sir care to name names? 😉

Molgrips? Tandem J ?

😀 😀

JOKE !!!!

I think medically it's only counted as 'early' below the age of 40

My wife is 39 and all the signs are there. Had hormone tests and it seems its the case. Can't have HRT yet and has pretty much been told to see if her periods stop. Her mum had it early and it seems her 40 yr old sister has started too, so seems hereditary

Mrs S is experiencing the hot flushes , night sweats , itchy skin and she's a tad tetchier than normal. She's also noticed some downy hair on her face. I have too to be honest. I would have thought her GP could take bloods and have them analysed for oestrogen levels?

Yep, all sounds familiar Derek, but fortunately no hair. Saying that, she only has to shave her legs once a year. 🙂

Yes, the gp can test, as my wife had been tested

I may accompnay her to the GP and get medieval on his / her ass.

There's a few girls on here seem to have gone a bit mental in their 40s.

Thought you were experiencing the male menopause Al, what with these wacky contraptions you seem to be experimenting with. 😉

Saying that Derek, I don't think its anything conclusive. They did however find out that there wad abnormal hormone activity. I'll find out later if she's having more tests

I don't know what all the fuss is about menopause - the only slight annoyance was the hot flushes. It's what the body is meant to do, so I let it get on with it.

In response to Lady Gresley, if there is an early imbalance in your hormones (i.e. well before 50) then it is worth discussing treatments like HRT, which TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR mentioned, with your GP to act against conditions like osteoporosis.

It's what the body is meant to do, so I let it get on with it.

That could equally apply to menstruation but that's no reason or justification for suffering if you don't need to! Women can find these womanly functions quite debilitating and their quality of life can be seriously rubbish.

I do accept that some women may need help with some of the side effects, especially if it happens early. It's just my personal philosophy to get on with it! And of course the plus side - no more periods 😀

@ Lady Gresley. I'm pleased for you that it was of a minor annoyance to you, however everyone can be affected differently and ad for Mrs STR, its been quite unpleasant - constantly itching all over for example.

haven't had a period in ages.

You're only young aren't you emsz? Immaculate conception? 😉

I know women who suffer all kinds of hell and can't wait for the menopause. Emsz - thats not a good sign if you are as young as I think you are - happened to me when I was underweight - see a doctor mate !

'bout 5 months or so, can't help feeling I'm going to have a massive blob-on any day now, or there's something in the water LOL

fell on a turkey baster?

Ensz - please see a Doctor ! Not going into why on this forum, but you really should. Periods stopping and you know you aren't pregnant is not a sign of good health.

emsz - as hels says, do make that appointment with your GP.

God you lot are worse than my mum!!

booked appt. got the letter 'inviting' me to have a smear anyway LOL

Did the invite include a dress code ??

Did the invite include a dress code ??

ooh, good time for a favourite joke:

"I was due for an appointment with the gynaecologist later in the week. Early yesterday morning, I received a call from the doctor's office to telling me there was a cancellation and the 9:30am appointment was available – so I took it.

I had just packed everyone off to work and school, and it was already around 8:45 am. The trip to his office took about 35 minutes, so I didn't have any time to spare.

As most women do, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I was not going to be able to make the full effort. So, I rushed upstairs, threw off my pyjamas, grabbed the soap and wet flannel that was by the sink, and gave myself a quick wash in "my private area" to make sure I was at least presentable. I threw the flannel in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment.

I was in the waiting room for only a few minutes when I was called in. Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure you do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended that I was in Paris, Rome or some other such glamorous place a million miles away.

I was a little surprised when the doctor said, "My, my, we have made an extra effort this morning, haven't we?" I blushed a little but didn't respond, thinking he was referring to my sheer hold up stockings that I’d quickly pulled on. After the appointment, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home.
The rest of the day was normal... some shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc. After school when my six year old daughter was playing, she called out from the bathroom, "Mommy, where's my peach flannel?"

I told her to get another one from the cupboard.

She replied, "No!!!".

She yelled..."I need the one that was here by the sink, it had all my glitter and sparkles saved inside it."

dare I say, smart casual? shall we start a thread?

what tyres for rummaging around in your fanny

😆 😆

edit ho ho stoner

OK - some medical input - and from someone who used to prescribe a lot of HRT (above average by a long way) until the evidence changed... And for the sake of argument I am going to state this pretty unambiguously - but there are nuances.

1) Anyone who is having a really premature (pre aged 40) menopause should have it tested/treated asap.
2) Above that it gets more tricky... the blood tests are not brilliant and I have seen people with blood tests suggesting they are totally menopausal having regular periods restarting a year later.
3) If you do have bleeding after more than a year period-free with menopausal symptoms - seek help. It isn't always good...
4) In people with a menopause at a normal age HRT is no longer recommended as a first line preventative medication for osteoporosis, and does actually [i]increase[/i] your risk of heart disease in year 1. After that the increased risk of breast cancer and endometrial cancer on HRT (google Womens Health Initiative Trial or see here http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/whi_faq.htm ) means that manufacturers have generally changed their licenses to say for-short-term-use-only.
5) This isn't surprising. When we treat people with breast cancer - one of the first things we do is mess with their oestrogen and receptors. And the Breast Cancer risk after 5 years HRT is significant. We are likely to see a surge in prostate cancer if the current trendiness of testosterone for the male menopause continues, for the same reasons.
6) HRT does not get rid of the menopause. It postpones it. Most women are going to get symptoms if they stop HRT at age 50, 60 or 75...
7) So there is no simple safe and effective solution for women with menopause symptoms above the age of 50, below that I might be tempted to prescribe HRT aged 40 plus up to the age of 50, and definitely suggest it below that age.
8} Don't believe any one who tells you there is a simple safe solution
9) And don't blame Drs just because they cannot safely "fix" something which is -for most- a natural ageing event in women - which can be very unpleasant and really make life difficult, but is not an "illness".

Ladies, I have to disagree with you that periods and menopause are "natural" !

In other countries and in earlier times, a girl may well become pregnant before her first period, and spend her life either pregnant or breastfeeding (both preventing menstruation). Then she'd die (of exhaustion?) before reaching menopause . . .

Stoatsbrother - do you have an exclusive STW patient list please cos I would really like to be on it! You're straight-talking and your replies are always informative as well as being in easy-to-understand lingo. Thank you. 🙂