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Irregular Periods During Menopause: What to Know
For women who have experienced decades of consistent periods, perimenopause can be quite a shock. During this time, your hormone levels fluctuate, causing your once-reliable period to become totally unpredictable. You may experience heavier bleeding, missed periods, or long gaps between periods, as well as other early menopause signs like hot flashes, mood swings, and more.
Perimenopause comes for all women, so it’s important to learn what to expect. Read on to learn all about irregular periods during menopause, what’s normal, and when to consult a doctor.
What’s Normal During Menopause?
In the 8-10 years leading up to menopause, women enter a transitional period of life known as perimenopause. During this time, your hormones begin to fluctuate, causing a number of different early menopause signs, including irregular periods.
Types of Irregular Bleeding
Changes to your period can vary greatly during the transition to menopause. You may experience any of these period changes in perimenopause:
- Flow: You may find that your flow changes during perimenopause. Some women experience unusually light periods before menopause, while others experience unusually heavy bleeding before menopause.
- Frequency: You may also find that the frequency of your period changes in perimenopause. It’s common to have long gaps between periods.
- Duration: The length of your period can also change. Periods can be shorter or longer than normal.
- Spotting: Between periods, you may find that you spot more frequently in perimenopause.
All of these changes can be normal, but it’s important to talk to your doctor if you’re concerned.
Causes of Irregular Menstrual Cycles
Estrogen and progesterone are the two primary contributors to irregular menstrual cycles and other early menopause signs during perimenopause. During this time, your estrogen and progesterone, the two key hormones that control your menstrual cycle, begin to fluctuate dramatically. These fluctuations even out as you get older, eventually settling at low levels as you enter menopause.
Tracking Your Periods in Perimenopause
If you don’t already track your period, perimenopause can be a great time to start. It can help both you and your doctor stay on top of your health and track your transition from perimenopause into menopause.
There are a number of different tools to track your periods. You can go old-school and simply mark your periods on a calendar, or you can use a period tracking app on your phone. In addition to tracking the duration of your period, make notes about your flow and other symptoms you have, like hot flashes, mood changes, or sleep troubles.
Treatment Options for Irregular Bleeding
While some irregular bleeding during perimenopause is normal, there may be cases in which you’d like treatments to better manage the bleeding. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available:
- Hormonal therapy: Hormonal treatments like hormonal IUDs and birth control can help manage heavy bleeding before menopause, as well as long gaps between periods.
- NSAIDs: Over-the-counter medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and other NSAIDs can help manage heavy bleeding.
- Surgeries: In some cases, surgery may be necessary to manage heavy bleeding, spotting, and other early menopause signs. Hysterectomies and endometrial ablation may be able to help.
Learn more about female hormone imbalance causes and treatments.
When Should You Consult a Doctor?
If you’re concerned about changes to your body during perimenopause and into menopause, it never hurts to talk to your doctor. Information about your period from your period tracking can be a huge help in these situations.
If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s advised to talk to your doctor:
- Spotting during menopause (after 12 consecutive months of no periods)
- Extremely heavy periods (going through one or more menstrual products an hour)
- Periods longer than 10 days
Conclusion
Irregular periods are one of the most common early menopause signs, and they can look different for every woman. You may notice period changes in perimenopause, such as cycles that are shorter or longer than usual, or even unexpected spotting during menopause. Some women experience light periods in menopause, while others have episodes of heavy bleeding in menopause that feel very different from their past cycles.
As hormone levels continue to fluctuate, it’s also normal to experience missed periods or long gaps between periods. These irregularities are all part of the body transitioning toward the end of the reproductive years. Ultimately, when periods stop, menopause has officially begun. Recognizing these shifts and understanding what they mean can help you feel more prepared and reassured as your body moves through this natural stage of life.
And if symptoms such as vaginal dryness or discomfort affect your daily well-being, supportive products like K-Y lubricants and moisturizers can provide added comfort and help you stay confident during this transition.
