Pre-menopause Care

You are likely in perimenopause, which can last for several years. Real menopause starts when you have not have a period for a full 12 months but it can take a long time to get there.
If the bleeding is very heavy and impacting your life I would ask your gyn if they can suggest options for you. I wear period underwear as a second layer otherwise everything would be stained. I would also suggest getting your iron checked. I became anemic after 3 extremely heavy periods and I still take iron supplements.

 

Do you have any link for period underwear? Haven't heard of it.

I do get heavy periods and I change pads every 2-3 hours. I do layers of pads everytime and that doesn't work either.

I just made my bed with 2 big comforters. I ended up staining my clothes and the bed spread even after placing comforters on the bed. I am low on iron and iron saturation. But not taking iron supplements as my ferritin was high last time when they checked. So the PCP told me not to take the supplements for iron.
I am 37 and my heavy periods going on only the last few years. I used to have normal periods before that. Don't know if premenopause start so soon in late 30s?

 

I didn’t know about period underwear either until some of our interns mentioned it last year. It seems women who don’t have heavy bleeding use that instead of pads or tampons. I am not brave enough to try that so I use it as an extra layer. I got “Bambody” and “Thinx” brand from Amazon last year but the price seems to have gone up since then. There are lots of other brands also now.
Even with all these precautions it’s sometimes not foolproof during sleep so I use a mattress protector as well as washable bed pads, like we used for little kids.
Do you have fibroids? That can cause heavy periods. Your gyn can test your hormones to see if you’re in perimenopause.

 

I understand about going to India. Another issue apart from practical problems is that we have to decide the dates to plan temple visits, and it becomes very difficult if it’s so unpredictable.

 

Consult OBY. They may prescribe birth control pills to control heavy bleeding. Also, you can use it when you travel.

You can use night time maxy pads together with period panties( available in amazon, search example below). Or line up the back of regular panty ( that fits / cover up well) with a thin flat long napkin horizontally at the back, then use nightime long pads for heavy periods. Locate the area of leakage and cover it up is the logic. Menstruation cups are another option.

Try to take iron( 'slow release iron' to prevent constipation) to help anemic conditions due to heavy bleeding
period panty Guide

example

 

You are most likely to be in the peri menopause stage, which is now common from anywhere from 45-51 years of age. It also depends on your genes, so better to check with your mom, aunts (including paternal) regarding their age of menopause and how it all started.

However, irregular period and related problems are not always related to perimenopause at your 40s. It can be the signs of different gynecologic problems such as PCOD, PCOS, endometriosis, and even serious diseases as well.
Therefore it is always better to get yourself thoroughly checked to rule out unwanted complications.

I had almost all the symptoms you described above, but they were not related to menopause. I had different issues, and I had to undergo hysterectomy and salpingo oophorectomy, which resulted in surgical menopause at the age of 40.

I tell you my dear, menopause at 40 is not a joke. When you are young at mind, your body becomes old, and the conflicts between mind and body makes it harder to handle. Its been a year, and I am trying my best to balance sudden estrogen withdrawal through various manners.

I would advice you to consult a specialist at your earliest.

 

You can buy period underwear from CVS. You can buy using your HSA card as it is covered under menstrual products. I wear period underwear as regular underwear just in case I forget my date.