If you lost weight during peri/menopause, symptom question

[gummybear]

I had been struggling really hard with peri symptoms in the past year+ or so. Mostly around my period (which is still like clockwork). The worst part was the bloating and breast discomfort. It was so bad I could barely roll over in bed or work out and even the slightest touch was painful. None of my clothes would fit and I'd be completely uncomfortable for about a week or so before my period.

Over the winter I got more serious about improving some of my eating habits. I am one of the lucky individuals that do respond well to nutrition management (albeit a lot more slow than it was when I was younger, if I am dedicated to tracking I will lose weight). My weight fluctuations have never really been extreme, but 10-15 lbs on me is a huge difference - I am short and very small-boned. I lost about 10+ lbs and since, those peri symptoms have all but disappeared. I thought it might be a fluke but it's been 5 cycles now (all on time) and the breast pain is virtually gone and the bloat is minimal. Everything I read is about not gaining weight/avoiding weight gain but I was wondering if anyone else had experienced the same? I guess I'd like an extra incentive point to keep up with what I'm doing bc honestly the relief from the symptoms has been as rewarding if not more rewarding as looking better. 

[heygrey]

Take this with a huge grain of salt, because I'm on month three and only considered a similar correlation yesterday. I was having some health issues this spring and really cleaned up my eating and stopped drinking alcohol almost entirely at the beginning of May. For the past year+ the week leading up to my period was awful, same as you described - bloated to the point where I couldn't button my pants, my stomach and breasts were painfully tender. Yesterday my period started and I had no warning. I track it in my phone and it was on time, but none of the usual symptoms tipped me off. I feel a lot better overall because I'm eating healthier, and if it also correlates to reduced peri symptoms I will keep this up indefinitely.

[gummybear]

Jul 21, 2024 10:01:07 GMT -5 heygrey said:

Take this with a huge grain of salt, because I'm on month three and only considered a similar correlation yesterday. I was having some health issues this spring and really cleaned up my eating and stopped drinking alcohol almost entirely at the beginning of May. For the past year+ the week leading up to my period was awful, same as you described - bloated to the point where I couldn't button my pants, my stomach and breasts were painfully tender. Yesterday my period started and I had no warning. I track it in my phone and it was on time, but none of the usual symptoms tipped me off. I feel a lot better overall because I'm eating healthier, and if it also correlates to reduced peri symptoms I will keep this up indefinitely.

I stopped drinking (well, not completely but I've had maybe 5 drinks in the last 12 months) as well. I too track and I have actually thought, well I guess this is when I will start skipping bc of lack of symptoms. The only consistent ones that remain are a mild headache and an underlying desire to murder everyone in the vicinity. 

[heygrey]

Jul 21, 2024 10:07:30 GMT -5 gummybear said:

Jul 21, 2024 10:01:07 GMT -5 heygrey said:

I stopped drinking (well, not completely but I've had maybe 5 drinks in the last 12 months) as well. I too track and I have actually thought, well I guess this is when I will start skipping bc of lack of symptoms. The only consistent ones that remain are a mild headache and an underlying desire to murder everyone in the vicinity. 

yessss. everyone in this house is still pissing me off today. 

[wanderlustmom]

Yes you both sound very much like me. At 47, my symptoms for perimenopause really escalated with the worst being extra weight and more in my stomach despite a lot of exercise and decent eating. A lot of bloating! I'm 49 now and my period is always every 28 days still. I lost a little weight by stopping all alcohol since this January and cleaning up my diet some. I still have progress to go with my diet but it's getting better. I need to watch the sugar. I am small boned and short so ten pounds on me is a lot. I feel a lot better. The only symptom I now get every month is PMS moods and extra hunger and sugar cravings. No more tender breasts, no sleep issues. I'm also trying to keep to my twice a week weights and add more days. I feel really strong not drinking at all and I will add it back in 2025 but just occasionally. I have enjoyed reading about all the health benefits of going AF. My sleep is so good and I definitely think my better eating and no booze are helping my health, my BP has gone down and I may be able to get off that pill I've taken for three years.

[Susie]

Interesting.  I'm 42, short (5'2"), and experiencing symptoms that I chalk up to perimenopause.  I just got serious a month or so ago about weight loss, which I'm doing via nutrition management in combination with exercise.  I'm proceeding carefully and precisely, targeting 0.5 lb./week, because I'm also training for a marathon and don't want to sabotage that.  I've lost 4 lbs. since early June, and would realistically like to lose 6-10 more.  I don't think I'm far enough along yet to tell how it impacts me but now I will pay attention to that.

[notsopicky]

I will add that when I was going through peri, it was during the pandemic and I pretty much quit drinking around the same time. I didn't have any of the symptoms that other people describe (bloat, pain, weird periods, hot flashes, etc.); I (maybe falsely) attribute it to the elimination of alcohol.

[georgeharrison]

I think our bodies may react so differently during this time (to normal for us and to each other). It's super frustrating that there still isn't a lot of talk about what to expect during this time.

I'm 46. Over the last year and a half, I've lost around 45 pounds. My periods are HORRIBLE and I thought it was maybe FROM losing the weight. Not every period is bad, but probably every other one, I am doubled over in pain from the cramps. You know how when you're in a lot of pain, you don't really think rationally? I nearly called the ambulance for myself one time. Last time this happened a couple months ago, I was throwing up from the pain.

I just wanted to offer another side of the coin and say that our bodies are really mean to us at this time and it sucks to not have more info.

I'm glad your symptoms are lessening.

[nicolewi]

@georgeharrison, have you had this checked out? That level of pain sounds like it could be beyond “normal”.

[mrsukyankee]

georgeharrison,I agree with nicolewi, please talk to your doc about this. I did get more pain with my periods as I got more into peri, but with HRT, it's gotten a lot better. Some people develop polyps and other things which can cause pain.

[eb777888]

I feel like my body will get down to a certain weight when I do everything right, but will not lose one more pound more. It's fine, I'm not necessarily trying to lose weight as it's fine but it would be nice, lol. After so many recommendations, I bought all of Dr. Marie Haver's books and but have only skimmed them so far. I bought them at the beginning of summer and just haven't had time to dig into them yet. BUT, I skimmed the diet portion and it looked like very low carb, sad, IF diet. Like...FUCK that. I'll keep my belly thanks.

[lavenderblue]

I'm still very overweight, but have lost just about 35lbs since April. The two most notable changes for me has been the elimination of hot flashes and I'm actually able to sleep through the night again, for a long while I was waking up at least once an hour and the interrupted sleep was really taking its toll on me during the day time. My period has gotten to the point of all over the place, with some long cycles and some super short cycles, but any PMS symptoms have pretty much gone away, though admittedly it was never terrible for me. I know that I need to continue to lose weight but I'm also really focusing on building muscle before my hormones get completely out of whack. I'm a fan of Dr Mary Clare Haver and Dr Gabrielle Lyon, both who have great books out.

[doctoranda]

I have also heard anecdotal evidence that when people lost a lot of weight (peri) menopause symptoms got better. I lost 22 lbs in the last 2 years and aim to loose about 10 more, am 48 and luckily never had terrible symptoms. I do feel better overall with less weight. I started to notice that I feel even better when I don't drink. I already didn't drink much but have cut that amount in half now. Feeling good in your body is a very strong incentive.

[CloudBee]

I haven't had my period since December, and turned 41 in June. It suddenly just stopped. Completely out of the blue. After having a few negative pregnancy tests, my OBGYN ordered some lab work. She was shocked that I haven't had hot flashed or any other typical menopausal symptoms.

Since the start of the year I've been walking at least a mile a day, and some combination of using a stepper in front of the TV, and lightly lifting weights some days. Once winter was behind us, I started walking 2-4 miles per day. The timing of my increase in exercise had nothing to do with approaching menopause, as I had NO idea I was even in peri-menopause when my period stopped. It was just a change I needed to make in my life to overcome a few really difficult years. I needed a refresh.

I've lost about 7 lbs (with practically no change to my diet), which had been gained through Covid. We had back to back losses in the family where I was the primary family member sitting with them in their final days. Looking back I realize what a toll that took on me. My body just hadn't felt like itself since 2020. All that to say, I actually have more to lose to feel like "myself". 7 lbs was just the start. Losing weight has been REALLY slow. I'm trying more to feel healthy vs. look a certain way. Not having any symptoms of menopause has been a huge perk that seems to have come along with my uptick in exercise. (Per my OBGYN.)

I'm still waiting to see what a hot flash even feels like, and wonder if I'll ever have one at this point. Having gone most then 7 months without a period, my doctor says it would be surprising if I have another period at this point. She's pushing hormone replacement therapy. Knowing that may cause breakthrough bleeding, I've been putting it off. I may pull the trigger next month. From what I read, it's normally used to alleviate symptoms. I would take it to help with premature aging, I suppose? I still need to read a lot more about it.

[mrsukyankee]

CloudBee, it's also good for bone density, which is a very big typical loss as we age. There are various types of HRT, and you would likely get the continuous testosterone one as you aren't having a period. I just moved onto it now that I'm 55. It's likely that you won't have breakthrough bleeding with it (I never had any breakthrough bleeding, just normal periods, while on a different sort).

[stmonica2]

My doc just had my FSh levels tested.

I'm bleeding like a mofo and night sweats are drenching my bed

[isabel]

Jul 23, 2024 15:25:51 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I haven't had my period since December, and turned 41 in June. It suddenly just stopped. Completely out of the blue. After having a few negative pregnancy tests, my OBGYN ordered some lab work. She was shocked that I haven't had hot flashed or any other typical menopausal symptoms.

Since the start of the year I've been walking at least a mile a day, and some combination of using a stepper in front of the TV, and lightly lifting weights some days. Once winter was behind us, I started walking 2-4 miles per day. The timing of my increase in exercise had nothing to do with approaching menopause, as I had NO idea I was even in peri-menopause when my period stopped. It was just a change I needed to make in my life to overcome a few really difficult years. I needed a refresh.

I've lost about 7 lbs (with practically no change to my diet), which had been gained through Covid. We had back to back losses in the family where I was the primary family member sitting with them in their final days. Looking back I realize what a toll that took on me. My body just hadn't felt like itself since 2020. All that to say, I actually have more to lose to feel like "myself". 7 lbs was just the start. Losing weight has been REALLY slow. I'm trying more to feel healthy vs. look a certain way. Not having any symptoms of menopause has been a huge perk that seems to have come along with my uptick in exercise. (Per my OBGYN.)

I'm still waiting to see what a hot flash even feels like, and wonder if I'll ever have one at this point. Having gone most then 7 months without a period, my doctor says it would be surprising if I have another period at this point. She's pushing hormone replacement therapy. Knowing that may cause breakthrough bleeding, I've been putting it off. I may pull the trigger next month. From what I read, it's normally used to alleviate symptoms. I would take it to help with premature aging, I suppose? I still need to read a lot more about it.

I would check out The New Menopause. Dr. Haver has me convinced HRT is really important even with minor symptoms. Taken early, it can have a significant impact on reducing risk for heart disease and osteoporosis, among other things.

[mrsukyankee]

Jul 26, 2024 18:50:00 GMT -5 stmonica2 said:

My doc just had my FSh levels tested.

I'm bleeding like a mofo and night sweats are drenching my bed

They can't really test for peri - our levels at this point can change day to day. What defines peri are the symptoms and that is all you should need to get HRT, if you want it. Push back if your doc says you aren't in peri due to hormone levels!

[cap]

I'll be 46 in about a month, and for the past 4 or 5 months I've been having terrible breast pain and bloating. The breast pain seems to be more when I'm ovulating and will taper off when I get close to my period. The bloating is more constant, but is worse from when I'm ovulating to when I start bleeding. The bloating is quite extreme and sudden - I can put on a pair of pants and they'll be really loose, and then an hour later they're tight to the point of being painful.

This last cycle, I didn't start bleeding, then had more ovulation symptoms, then had light period bleeding for like 2 days, then spotting for about 10 days, then another 3 day of light period bleeding. I also have other gastro symptoms, mainly poop-related.

I have a lot of other medical stuff going on, too. I can't take HRT b/c I had a PE a little over a year ago. I have both ulcerative and microscopic colitis, I had a thyroid lobectomy in May, and I seem to have a yet-to-be diagnosed rheumatic condition (I know that my ANA level is very elevated). I also have a mildly dilated aortic root that was discovered when I had a repeat CT scan in December to see if the PE had resolved. I'm basically a hot fucking mess of medical issues right now.

So at this point, I really don't know for sure what's causing all of the symptoms. I have an echo next week and a f/u the week after and I see a rheumatologist in mid August. I'm ready to get some answers about what the hell is going on so my doctors can come up with a treatment plan.

I have started cleaning up my diet, but I know I can get better about it. I lost 20 lbs about 5 years ago by tracking and counting macros (1/3 of calories each from fat, carbs, and protein), which meant no grains at breakfast or lunch and basically no alcohol or sugar. I'm also trying my best to exercise, but I don't feel entirely well a lot of days.

[bee20]

I lost weight during Peri and still had bad symptoms. I've never been a drinker of alcohol, soda, or tea, and eat pretty healthy.

What helped immensely was continuous low-dose birth control. I'd had a lot of negative mental health symptoms on hormonal BC in my early 20s and had been medication free for years and years. Insurance wanted more hoops for actual HRT but my doctor said the bc would be covered immediately so that's what we did.