Two periods in one month in perimenopause
Why periods can come twice a month in your 40s, how short cycles fit perimenopause, what else causes it, and which signs mean you should see a doctor soon.
Is this perimenopause, and is it normal?
Plain answers for women 35 to 65 on every symptom, from changing periods to brain fog, with the guidance we checked linked in each article.
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Five topics, by the question you came with
Symptoms, one by one
Hot flashes, brain fog, joint aches, palpitations, mood and the less-talked-about ones: what each feels like and when to mention it.
Periods and bleeding in perimenopause
Longer or shorter cycles, skipped periods, heavy flow, spotting and clots: which changes are expected and which bleeding to report.
Perimenopause or something else?
Pregnancy, thyroid, stress, depression, ADHD: the conditions that overlap with perimenopause and how a doctor tells them apart.
Tracking symptoms for your appointment
What to write down, how to rate symptoms as mild, moderate or severe, and how to turn months of notes into one page for your doctor.
When perimenopause starts and how long it lasts
The ages it usually starts, how long the transition runs, early and premature menopause, and what changes after the last period.
Latest articles
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Perimenopause or thyroid? Telling symptoms apart
Tiredness, weight gain, low mood and period changes fit both perimenopause and a thyroid problem. The clues that point one way, and when a thyroid test is used.
PMDD or perimenopause? How to tell mood symptoms apart
PMDD and perimenopause both bring irritability, low mood and anxiety. How timing against your cycle tells them apart, and why PMDD can get worse in your 40s.
Spotting between periods in perimenopause
Is spotting normal in perimenopause? Why light bleeding between periods happens in your 40s, the other causes, and when to report it to a doctor.
Heavy periods and blood clots in perimenopause
When heavy bleeding, flooding and clots in perimenopause are expected, the measurable signs that a period is too heavy, and when to see a doctor.
Irregular periods in perimenopause
How cycles change in perimenopause: periods closer together, longer periods, skipped months and long gaps, what is expected, and which changes to report.
Why write it down
Your notes are the evidence
For most women over 45, perimenopause is identified from symptoms and cycle changes, not from a blood test, according to the UK's NICE guideline. That makes what you remember the main thing a doctor has to work with, and memory blurs months of ups and downs into "on and off".
A useful record holds four things: the days you bled and how heavily, each symptom rated mild, moderate or severe with the time, how you slept, and anything that changed, such as a new medicine. Two or three cycles of that turns a vague worry into a page a doctor can read in a minute.
How we work
Sources you can open yourself
Every health fact on Peri Signals links the page it came from: the NHS, ACOG, NICE, MedlinePlus, The Menopause Society, the CDC or a published study. We describe symptoms and say when guidance suggests seeing a doctor. We do not give treatment advice, and nothing here ranks products.
Read our editorial policy, meet the people who write here, or see how the site is funded.