Dear Pharmacist,
My periods have been really erratic for the last six months. I’m only 42. Is something wrong?
Nothing is wrong. Your erratic periods and your age together are a sign that you are entering into the perimenopausal time of your life. Perimenopause symptoms can occur from the late 30’s to late 40’s prior to women entering menopause. During this time, your estrogen levels will be starting to decrease overall, but this is also a time when the levels will be surging and falling sporadically. This changing estrogen level can cause erratic periods, as well as heavier or lighter flows. Some period cycles may shorten and some will lengthen. This will vary from woman to woman.
One important thing to remember is that you can still become pregnant during this time. Your body is still capable of ovulating. I would suggest that you start to track your periods, when they occur and how long they last. Let your doctor know what is happening, especially if you are bleeding longer than 7 days, or your periods are less than 21 days apart.
