I understand that certain medical procedures can kick-start perimenopause. But I’ve read people who post things like “I’ve been in [peri/]menopause for xx years…” and without something significant to indicate the starting point, how do you know? My symptoms started I have no idea when. For several years I’ve had issues that at first I attributed to other things. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that it’s perimenopause but how does anyone really know? Furthermore, to what extent does it matter?
I’m not sure I knew the first year or so myself. After not feeling like myself for a few years, the hair falling out… sex drive bottomed out overnight. seemed like I went through 3 years of a spiral before getting a name to it. Started when I was 41-42? My gyn thought it was too early. She was wrong. I’m 48 now and my current gyn thinks I’m “firing blanks” now.
Does “firing blanks” mean you still have your period but don’t ovulate?
I never understood what happens to the eggs - we get them all at once (whenever they arrive - puberty? birth?) but surely we don’t have as many periods and pregnancies as we have eggs? What happens to the rest of them, I wonder?
Yes about the firing blanks. That’s what my gyno thinks. He said my hormone levels are so low he doesn’t know why I still bleed.
gahh, I don’t know why doctors think that 41 is too early!
We often come to figure out we’re in perimenopause by our symptoms, and then having those symptoms ruled out as being due to something else. So for many of us, we come to that conclusion in hindsight. It’s really difficult to pinpoint and actual start date, because the start could be something like random aches and pains, or a period that was a few days late or early…nothing significant. Then over time, we start to connect the dots.
So to answer your question…
but how does anyone really now?
We don’t.
Does it matter? Not really. The best thing you can do right now is start tracking symptoms and look for patterns. If the symptom is new and/or really unusual for you, then get it checked out by a doctor because some symptoms mimic other things (like thyroid, low iron, magnesium deficiency, arthritis, etc.)
Thanks, that confirms what I always thought! I had a look at my medical appointment history and this malarkey seems to have been going on for a good 7 years or so. Sigh.
