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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,704
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: When did you hit menopause?

Young.  42.  Over and in the rear view mirror when I was 47.  Naturally happened that way.  @Lali1 try not to worry if your doctor says you are okay.  It will eventually occur.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,968
Registered: ‎05-23-2015

Re: When did you hit menopause?

I honestly don't remember exactly . It was somewhere in my mid 50's. My flashes usually came when I was at work, ( so embarrassing ) and I never knew when my periods would occur. All in all I had it easier than many of my friends, and I'm glad it's over.

" You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts."
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,590
Registered: ‎01-15-2017

Re: When did you hit menopause?

I have to say I am very envious of the ladies that said they had barely any symptoms. I started peri menopause when I was 42. My ob-gyn said when you start that early it could be a ten year process. It was nine. I was miserable. Hot flashes, night sweats, bloated, headaches, no sleep, crabby ( probably because I couldn't sleep ) And to top it off, I had a four year old when this started. I did do HRT for two years. There's no history of breast cancer in my family so my Dr. felt comfortable letting me do it for two years. That helped a lot. I seriously felt like aliens had taken over my body. The last couple years weren't as bad because the symptoms started tapering off. In the meantime, my sister sailed right through it. She had some minor symptoms, but nothing that bad. It would have been nice if I could have asked my mom about her experience, but she died when I was 38 and she was 60. She only got to see our youngest son twice.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,648
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: When did you hit menopause?

28, after a total hyst.  It's weird that, at this point (mid 60s) I can't really remember what it was like before.    Some of it was removed when I got very sick at 16.  There were some secrets I learned about that, way down the road.  She made it where I could not have kids at that point.  It's just as well, as I'm WAY too damaged to have been able to do a proper job of raising kids.  But I would have liked for the choice to be mine.

 

Last thing I recall was Tampax $1.99 for the big box.   Smiley Happy    I can't even imagine how much those products cost now.

 

Anyway, when they removed the rest of it when I was 28 I went through a thing right there in the hospital that ended up to be just the rapid-fire menopause thing.  They put me on Premarin right away and that fixed that.

 

But about 18 years later I learned about the animal cruelty involved in producing those products so I stopped cold turkey.   That went fine and I never had any problems from that.   

 

I can't even imagine having periods for 2-3 more decades.   I didn't like it when it was there so I felt pretty lucky that a stop was put to that.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,230
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: When did you hit menopause?

I started menopause when I was 39 and was finished by the age of 42.  Went to two doctors and both said no way I was in menopause and finally the third one ran a test and I was halfway thru it.  The doctors thought I was way too young at 39 but my Mother guessed correctly that I was.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,704
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: When did you hit menopause?

[ Edited ]

@crawford5153 same thing here.  I was told by my doctor that I was too young.  Went to another doctor, she had blood work done and it did indicate I was well on my way at about 42.  She also noticed low thyroid level and I got started on levothyroxin..  I could have need that for a long time and didn't know it.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,193
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: When did you hit menopause?

I was 47 when it started.  Hot flashes were unbearable; I would have to lay out 2 extra nightgowns at night with a towel on my sheets due to night sweats literally waking up numerous times soaking wet, ugh.  I took Estroven which really helped.  It's been 17 years and still deal with sleep issues.  I can fall asleep with no problem but wake up 2-3 times during the night.  Thank goodness I'm retired so not having to deal with work!  

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,250
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: When did you hit menopause?

16 years ago at age 45  at the same time DH was recovering from a stroke. He was 50.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 593
Registered: ‎08-21-2011

Re: When did you hit menopause?

I was 36!  I just stopped having periods.  Went to the Dr. he said you must be pregnant, so he tested me and low and behold I was not.  I remember having ONE hotflash and I was done.  I felt very lucky.  My Dr. said it runs in the family, my mother started at 40, and my neice was like me, at 36.  Sad story, my neice was still planning to start a family.  

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Posts: 23,835
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: When did you hit menopause?

[ Edited ]

@Lali1 wrote:

I ask because I'm still waiting. I get hot flashes and my Doctor even did blood work and said I'm close but I just keep waiting. I'll be 55 this year. 


@Lali1  Are you talking about post menopause? That is a full year of no periods.

 

I hit post menopause at age 47.   I started Peri  menopause at about age 38...  

 

I had no children. Not sure if that causes a woman to go into early menopause? I had it relatively easy as far a symptoms.  A few night sweats....no hot flashes at all.  I took only  black cohosh herb( natural estrogen herb)) , and used natural progesterone cream topically to help go throw the change. With a good healthy diet and healthy lifestyle it was an easy transition for me. 

Once I was a full year out from periods ( full menopause) I never had another symptom again. I. Am 65 now.

 

I hear some women continue to have symptoms even after post menopause. I think changing up your diet and  more exercise would help those women balance out their hormones to stop the hot flashes etc.  Also,  I would suggest using a natural progesterone cream as well. 

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