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Dear Dearest |
Name: Bette
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Question: | |
I have been post menopausal for around two years now. But I want to know how come occasionally I still get "phantom cramps". They usually last around a day or two and then are gone for months at a time.
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Answer: | |
A phantom period is when all the symptoms of an impending period are there -- replete with PMS, breast tenderness, cramps, the headaches many women suffer prior to their period starting, and then ... nothing happens. No period. You wonder if something is wrong, but in most cases, it's nothing more than the body's reaction to and confusion by fluctuating hormones and after years of menstruating, suddenly it's as though your body is saying, "Well, maybe we'll have a period and maybe we won't!" It can be annoying, but it's not unusual. Hormones can fluctuate even after you've become menopausal. Sometimes it takes the body a few years for hormones to level off. During perimenopause, while a woman's body is preparing to cease menstruating, this isn't uncommon at all. A woman may experience many episodes of phantom periods. It's nothing to become alarmed about. Remember, we menstruated for many years, and it takes the body quite some time to stop having periods. Even women who've been postmenopausal have experienced "phantom periods" -- including me! You might want to discuss this with other women who are experiencing the same thing. You can do so on the
Power Surge message boards.
Best, |
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