Guys who are in the know, and gals who have first-hand experience:
How will I know when I am beginning “the change”?
I ask because tomorrow I will be 49 years old, and I feel no differently than I did at 39 years old from a standpoint of women’s health. I had a partial hysterectomy at 39 (ovaries still intact) which cured years and years of endometriosis to my extreme satisfaction, and I felt better than I ever had after that surgery. Still feel that wondrous relief. But it seems to me that I “should” be experiencing some of the much-heralded symptoms of menopause by now…I just can’t say that I am.
I don’t have hot flashes, in fact I am still annoyingly chilly most of the time (and moreso with my weight loss of the last 2 years). I don’t have night sweats. I don’t have either an increase or a decrease in sex drive (still what it was in my 20’s, sadly…I actually long for it to slow down a bit!). My skin is drying out a bit, but nothing else is dry if you know what I’m getting at. I obviously don’t have a halt in menses as I haven’t had any menses since before the surgery at age 39, so THAT isn’t going to be an indicator for me. I don’t have an increase in skin breakouts. No more headaches than usual. No moodiness, no feelings of depression or loss (any more than I normally would have, I believe–but then I am one of the rare types who never suffered from PMS moodiness either, luckily. OTOH, endometriosis was QUITE enough of a menstrual disorder, thank you very much).
Is it possible for menopause to start quite late in some women? What might I notice, given my history? My boyfriend says he experienced both his ex-wife (some 5 years older than me) and his ex-girlfriend (some 8 years younger than me) as they went thru peri-menopause and then full-blown menopause, but sees none of their symptoms in me.
So—when did you first notice menopause, and what symptoms arrived initially that clued you in? Interested in hearing any tales you are willing to share–guys, too. It seems like one of the last great frontiers to me…there are some things I actually look forward to—I THINK.
I’ll be 52 next week, and my period only started getting seriously irregular in the last two years. I’m definitely only in the early stages – I think I might have had a hot flash a week or two ago (suddenly got very hot, “am I running a fever?” while sitting at the computer – but I’d just sat down from doing some chores, so I’m not sure), but other than that my thermostat seems to be running much as it ever has. Sex drive is fine.
The average age of menopause in the US is 51. This of course means that many women are even older (and some are younger.) Peri-menopause is identified by increasingly irregular periods, and after 12 months of no period, you are officially menopausal. For some women, the peri-menopausal stage lasts a year or more, and may be accompanied by the common symptoms you mention.
But it’s important to know that **not **all women experience those symptoms. Don’t psych yourself into having hot flashes, it’s really not worth it! My grandmother and one aunt just stopped having periods overnight with no symptoms at all (except of course the sheer panic at the thought of a baby at 50something!). My mother at 58 is having a dickens of a time coming off her HRT (total hysterectomy and oophorectomy at 34).
I was dealing with some fairly stressful family medical/legal/financial matters when I changed. Apparently, I missed it. Just stopped adding tampons to the grocery list–some years ago.
Don’t think I ever had real hot flashes. But, here in Houston, one often feels hot because it is hot. Noted some changes in complexion & tendency to keep on weight. But I switched moisterizer brands & adjusted my food/exercize balance.
Some women have very real symptoms of menopause. You might in years to come. It’s still early.
My mother kinda went bonkers when she hit menopause. It coincided with my brother and my teenage years, so that wasn’t good. Is there a high corollation with behavioral changes, or is that just a myth?
There are tests to determine if you’re menopausal, or pre-menopausal. For me, I started missing periods. Well, not missing them, but not having them. No other symptoms, no depression or mood swings, maybe a few warm flashes. The lab test confirmed it and I started HRT (Prempro), which I probably should have continued but didn’t because of all the news reports about heart attacks.
So, for whatever reason, I ended up with osteoporosis and broke a hip 18 months ago, at age 60. I’m paying attention to calcium and vitamins now, and taking Fosamax, and fingers crossed that nothing else will break until I’m much older.
I hope you make it through without a lot of symptoms, but if you’re at risk for osteoporosis (small frame, Caucasian, post-menopausal, smoker), pay particular attention to that. A broken hip is dangerous, and it will change your life.
Here’s a terrific site that describes symptoms, treatments, myths etc. at all stages of a woman’s reproductive life. http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/
My mom went through menopause when I was a teenager - it wasn’t pretty. I’m hoping very much to avoid the emotional effects when it’s time for it to hit me because she definitely had them.
Can you ask your mother or older sisters (aunts) when and what they experienced? Family history has a lot to do with it though my younger sister stopped menustrating years before me. I followed more in my older sisters footsteps and stopped completely at 51. My mother is the only one of us who had a hysterectomy (soon after having us kids).
My mother had a hysterectomy in her 30s (partial, I think she has her ovaries) and she is now in her mid-fifties and just beginning to have symptoms. For the past few years (basically since her older sister entered menopause) she had blood tests taken to check up on whether or not she was starting, and if she needed HRT. She had these done with her regular checkups (but there might have been additional reasons to have blood tests done - we have an interesting medical history in our family!) Maybe your doctor can start testing you when you go in for your next check up?
I was 56 in August. I think I’ve been perimenopausal for about three years. Always erratic cycle got even more erratic. No hot flashes, and not officially menopausal (i.e. one year w/o period).
Whenever I felt myself being hot (and as a typically cold-natured person I would notice) I would check the ambient temp, and it was always at least 80F so I don’t think that counts. Obviously (since I’m in Denver) it’s been months since that situation has occurred. However, I can will myself hot, it’s been the only way I could get out of bed on winter mornings for the last 30 years, so I could have a hot flash if I wanted to. Hard to tell about mood swings since I’ve always been a moody bitch with a flashpoint temper–actually, I think I’m a lot less so now.
I’m 41 ( :eek: ) and having irregular periods, like more than one a month. I was usually pretty regular before. I had some ovarian cysts show up on an ultrasound and then promptly disappear, so I wonder if my irregularity has more to do with those. I have no other “symptoms” other than my ears getting hot and red when I have sex, which is annoying but also kinda funny. Not to hijack, but does 41 seem freakishly young to have this happening? My mom had hers around 50, but it was while my dad was dying of cancer so she was incredibly stressed.
No menopause here and Mom is a bit far to be asking her for details right now, but she recently mentioned that she didn’t start getting hot flashes until over a year after her last period. She’d thought she wasn’t going to get them, since she still hadn’t.
Jellyblue, I don’t know whether it will make you feel better or not, but I hit menopause about 41 (am 45 now) - it did strike me as rather early but anything I read seemed to suggest quite a large age-curve and my doctor didn’t express any real surprise or concern. No other health problems that I’m aware of (fingers crossed). So maybe it’s a bit young but not exactly “freakishly” so.
However, anyone else wishing to chime in on the age thing, please do.
A perfectly healthy friend of mine is going through menopause and she just turned 40 back in April. She hasn’t had a period in 14 months, tests confirmed it. It’s menopause.
Well, crap. I’m one of those people who doesn’t mind periods, either. My spousette is 44, hates her period with the burning fire of a thousand suns and has no symptoms at all.
Thanks for the replies **Mu Chao **and Celyn, and apologies for the hijack, Rebecca.
Eeek! I have the ears-burning sensation during orgasm myself, I never thought of it being perhaps a precursor to hot flashes! My ears stay red and hot for about 5 minutes afterwards, I supposed it was from the blood rushing to my brain…but I did “just start” getting this orgasm signal once I was into my 40’s, and not before. Hmmm…
I have heard friends of mine say that they became peri-menopausal in their late 30’s and early 40’s, so I suppose it is not all that rare (in fact, it’s why I’ve asked about it now). But I guess I doubt that the hot earlobes thing and nothing else could be indicative of very much. Anyone know for sure?
My son gets hot ears (and bright pink ears!) every time he eats, and has since he was an infant. It’s not a food sensitivity, it happens with all foods. It’s just one of those things, you know? So hot ears are not an indicator of hot flashes.
Now that you mention it, I think I’m having some perimenopause stuff (just turned 40). I’m having some irritablility, night sweats, and palpitations. Thanks for the link, Quiddity. The palpitations were a little worrying (“Why is my heart fluttering? Hearts are not supposed to flutter, are they?”) I’m finding that taking a B-complex vitamin for the second half of my cycle is helping lot.
Can I be the first to say I am totally looking forward to no more periods (and no more chance of unwanted babies)? Go menopause!
I am now 53 and beginning to experience what I think are early symptoms. Periods have got more irregular, and last either just a couple of days (down from a regular 5 days) to the occasional dribbling on for 10-12 days. Slight hot flushes, just the sensation of being very warm for a few minutes, but nothing like as traumatic as my aunt described. I have also noticed myself getting slight PMT irritability which I never had before.
Mum finished at about 55 and aunt about the same. Mum just stopped, aunt had the full gamit of symptoms but then she was always a hypochondriac so I don’t place much weight on that.
