His and Her Health

i'll be 40 next month. I've been regular all my life. periods were very heavy 6-8 months ago. so heavy, my doctor preformed a uterine biopsy. nothing abnormal. the month after my biopsy, my period was significantly lighter and continued lighter and lighter until last month when i didn't have one at all. nothing so far except for very, very, very light bleeding right after intercourse. i've tested "normal" on my blood tests and exams. doctors say it'll probably "self-correct" - but what could it be???? am i too young for menopause? my doctor took away my birth control pills early this year because i developed a blood clot in my leg, so i'm not taking any hormones right now. pregnancy results are negative(and i've been diagnosed with unexplained infertility anyway).what could it be?<BR>p.s. - my libido has skyrocketed!!<p>[This message has been edited by zgirl62 (edited 19 July 2002).]

This may be perimenopause. However if yoy go without a period for 6-12 months you dr might want to do an FSH level and an estradiol level to see if you are perimenopausal. Your libido may have increased b/c you are off BCP and sometimes perimenopausal women have increase libido.<BR>Lucky you!!!!!

You might be going through perimenapause. Menapause doesn't come until you've had no menstrual cycles for at least one year. All the symptoms prior to that including irregualar menses is perimenapause. I can think of one possible explanation for your high libido. When a woman produces excess estrogen an enzyme is released from your liver called sex-hormone binding gloubin (SHGB'S) these enzymes are released to "bind up" any excess estrogen <I>and</I> testostereone. The decrease in "free" testostereone can lower a woman's libido and make her face less oily. So if your estrogen levels are lowering you'll produce less SHBG's and have more "free" testosterone for your body to use. This is way some women will get facial hair when they're going through the "change"<P>I'm barely learning about all this but I think I've got everything straight. There are women here who are more read on this and I'm sure they'll correct any mistakes I've written.

Serena, I think you hit the nail on the head. Since my hyst my estradiol level has been around 30 , yet for some bizarre reason my test. levels are high normal even without ovaries-go figure. But what I can tell you is that boy do I have facial hair post-hyst and I never had that pre-hyst. Thank goodness I am blond, but I still have to manage the hair issue. However, I will take my high test. levels any day even with the facial hair issue.

You know, I've been shaving my upper lip since I was a pre-teen. I think I don't have an unusual amount of hair there, but my hair is black so I have been shaving arms, legs and upper lip for years! It's not something completely unique to menopause.<P>Iam, you know, probably your adrenal glands are still going strong. I hope you don't end up hitting adrenopause, because apparently not all women do, but if you do, at least you know how to get testosterone HRT! <P>Zgirl, it is not too soon to be going through perimenopause. It is NEVER too early. Some go through it at 14, some at 23, some at 40, some at 50-something. It just depends on your body. You may want to ask your mother when she started perimenopause. It's sort of like the menarche thing...you're likely to start around the age when your mom starts. <BR>Hope this helps!

thanks, i needed some direction...