What's the earliest a woman can go through menopause

[LittleClarkie]

I'm starting to wonder what the fuck is going on with my body. Things aren't quite happening in the same sequence as they used to.

I'm afraid I'm just being neurotic. But then, is 42 too early?

[KitchenWitch]

1. Not too early at all

Perimenopause can commence as early as 35

[LittleClarkie]

3. What is perimenopause

The menfolk are now cringing. Don't look dudes!

How would you know if you had perimenopause, or menopause?

[Left Is Write]

6. Menopause is simply the term for the end of menses.

It isn't something you "go through." It's the end of the process. The process leading up to menopause is called perimenopause, and that's when many women experience the signs and symptoms of "going through menopause."

42 is a little on the early side, but definitely in the "normal" range.

[Maine-ah]

47. actually, it can happen earlier than that.

I have read cases of some women starting as early as their 20's, and some rare ones in their teens. All of the women in my family started between 30-35. I'm 31 and am having symptoms.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. Check this out

http://www.menopause-online.com/pmsormenopause.html

[LittleClarkie]

12. Good link

Thanks!

[Shine]

15. Ditto, good link!

:)

[Left Is Write]

4. My mother stopped getting periods at age 45.

My grandmother had my uncle at age 39, and never had another period.

I'm 39, and I suspect I've been in the perimenopausal stage for at least a year.

[xmas74]

20. That's possible.

I asked my OB about it and she said that peri can stretch out over a ten year period for some women.

[Shell Beau]

5. It is truly different for every woman. I think there is an average

age, but some women go through it early. Some even go through it in their 20's.

[CornField]

7. My mother was 45 when I was born - she thought I was menopause

As did her doctor since no baby's heartbeat was found at first. Surprise! :)

One of my sisters began menopause in her late 30s... the others all about mid-40.

[u4ic]

41. My mom had me at 45, too!

:hi:

[eyesroll]

8. Anytime.

Women can go into menopause in their teens. They overwhelmingly don't (it's considered disordered if they do), but they can.

[eyesroll]

9. dupe

gah

[REP]

10. I Keep Hoping For 41

Since I just turned 41 and my ablation recently failed rather spectacularly.

[displacedtexan]

11. 39.

The women in my family are completely done by 45...
except for the hot flashes, which we never get over.

[pitohui]

13. i heard 27

that's the earliest i ever heard of anyone going into menopause, some women are unfortunate in their body clocks

42 is not necessarily too early if you're a heavy smoker altho 52 might be more expected for a lifelong nonsmoker

i would check w. an ob/gyn anyway tho

doris lessing wrote in her autobiography that because she smoked heavily she underwent menopause in her early 40s and last i heard she was in her 80s and still going strong, had a good book out too

[ccjlld]

14. I'm 43 shortly to be 44

and am offically diagnosed as perimenopausal. My cycle changed drastically, it gave me anemia so bad I had to have a transfusion.

Other than that most of the symptoms were mood/mental. When it first started happening I couldn't sit down. I had to be moving all the time. Almost a manic type of mental state that fit right in with where I was in my cycle. Starting taking anti-depressants, and after trying a few different types, finally found the one that works for me. It allows me to feel normal which is all I wanted when this 1st started happening.

Am also taking hormones to keep my cycle light enough I don't get the anemia as bad.

I'm at the point right now I just wish menopause would just get here, but unfortunately, perimenopause can last up to 10 years!

[RevCheesehead]

16. You might want to discuss this with you OB/GYN.

About 10 years ago (I'm 44), my body started doing weird stuff, and my hormones started going out of whack. I didn't know what was going on, but I ignored it. One day, I doubled over in excruciating pain. I went to the ER, ended up in surgery, etc... (delete horrid details)

Long story short, that's when I began reading up on women's health issues. There's so much that's NOT known, and a lot of symptoms that doctors often miss. That's why I monitor and report anything unusual.

I hope you can find a really good OB/GYN who is willing to discuss your health issues with you.

[Shine]

17. Girlfriend, I'm right behind ya....

I'll be 42 in March. I can totally relate. I'm in the major throes of perimenopause, myself.

I'm reading a great book right now by Christiane Northrup, MD. called The Wisdom of Menopause. I heartily recommend it. Filled with LOTS of valuable info and insights.

:hi:

Hang in there...

[lukasahero]

18. Join the club

I'm 42 and in late stage peri. Thing is, you don't want to go through it too early because there are health related issues that come along with menopause. You might want to talk to a doctor about turning back the tide, so to speak. And I'm not talking about synthetic hormones (those just help relieve the symptoms, they do not delay menopause.)

My doctor (one of those wacky whole health types that actually provided the clinical review of the latest copy of "Our Bodies, Our Selves" alternative health section) has me on "Estrofactors", an herbal supplement which is supposed to support hormone balance.

The whole deal with menopause is that certain hormones are in decline while others are increasing. This stuff helps balance out which hormone is doing what and gets them back to doing what they're supposed to be doing. It's definitely working for me but it did take some adjustment (gave me serious migraines at first so we reduced the dosage - everything's cool now).

Good luck.

[xmas74]

19. That's not early at all.

A friend began much earlier than that.
But it could be perimenopause.

[nini]

21. Perimenopause is what you're going through (well, most likely)

all kinds of fun.

Welcome to the club! Now go get a good fan for the hot flahes. :-)

[miss_american_pie]

22. My mom was 42.

Did you happen to start your cycles early?

[tigereye]

23. I just wish the medical profession

didn"t see it in such a pathological light

i do not think it has to be a negative situation

[skygazer]

24. Never before 6 a.m.

That would be uncivilized....

[Oeditpus Rex]

29. ROFL!

:rofl:

Damn, that was funny. :applause:

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. My college roomie went through perimenopause at age 19 and was menopausal

by 25. :(

[LittleClarkie]

27. While the thought of going without a "visit from my friend" every month

appeals, that musta sucked. That's too early to find out you can't have kids.

[KamaAina]

26. I knew someone in her *twenties* who had already had it

Pity. She most likely would have contributed quite well to the gene pool.

[LeftyMom]

28. My maternal grandmother was in her late 30's nt

[Hell Hath No Fury]

30. I am 45 and I have been perimenopausal for...

five l-o-n-g years. Couple of time I really didn't think I was going to make it.

The Christian Northrup book mentioned is a great start, and I recommend the website http://www.power-surge.com

As mentioned up thread, there can be a host of incredibly weird symptoms that you would not neccessarily connect to hormone shifts. I have at lease a dozen seemingly unrelated symptoms (the "bug in the ear" feeling was the strangest) that were finally traced back to being peri.

42 is just about right on target for peri.

[Skittles]

31. will be 49 soon and have noticed nothing

nothing at all

[Starlight]

44. I'm also 49 and have absolutely no signs of menopause.

Other than pregnancy, I've been regular as clockwork since age 12.

[hippiechick]

32. I'm 39 and already on HRT ...

Dr. told me last year I'm in pre-menopause :wtf: ... Estrogen Withdrawal, horrible morning-sickness like symptoms, migraines, irregular flow (when it happens at all) and bed-drenching night sweats. He prescribed me an estrogen patch which has helped alot.


Call your ob/gyn & good luck !!! :hug:

[LittleClarkie]

34. Thanks

so far, if that's what's going on, the hot flashes are mostly centered on my ears, and I got pms at the wrong time of the month (a week and a half after my period) and the next period, near as I can tell since I didn't keep track, is late. Meanwhile I'm emotional (but then that could have been the holidays without my dad). I'm just waiting for the "great flood" now.

I have this image of the menfolk on the board reacting the way my guy friends used to react to Massengill commerials. Ew ick ick. Yeah, like I wanna hear about your jock itch, guys.

It's funny how some fellows can be about such things sometimes. A guy I know used to tell me which girls he'd "do" (considering his physical and mental condition, the question was not whether or not he would "do" them, but whether they would "do" him). Like I wanted to hear about which girls he'd "do", esp. since I'd probably been subjected to the same "do-o-meter" test at some point. And yet one word re: periods and such and the guy was all uptight.

Another guy friend of mine doesn't have any problem with it, though, and so the two of us talked about it for a couple of minutes with "Mr. Do" having a fit at the end of the table. "Change the subject!!"

Ha.

[leftofthedial]

33. about 5:00 in the morning I think

I could be wrong on this

I'm not an obstetrician, although I play at being one.

[hyphenate]

35. Since it can take 10 years for actual

menopause, you might be at the beginning of the perimenopause.

In my own case, at 49, my periods are getting irregular, and it sucks since it can be like two months between, or less than 3 weeks.

[LittleClarkie]

36. Beware the great flood, I'm told

Yeah, like I wanna be surprised by such things. Early in my life as a "woman" (a mighty 13) I was subjected to such things, as well as irregular periods. So I guess it's come back to that, eh?

The link towards the top really is great. Just reading some of the responses of the women on their forum was a comfort.

We shall see. I've never been to an obgyn. I've always had things done by the intern.

[serryjw]

37. Take the test

http://www.womentowomen.com/index.asp?id=1&campaignno=perimenopause&adgroup=adgroup3&keywords=perimenopause

Your age is not too early. There is a genetic component to this. When did your mom go through it? My girlfriend was in perimenopause for 10 year and FINALLY lost here period in here early 50's

[dryan]

38. I know that ....

this is a cliche but it is different for every woman. It is a pretty accepted medical fact though that the earlier you start menstruating the later you will stop. Doctors don't know why and I have asked several. I can only tell you my expereince. I just stopped having periods in November, 2003--no hot flashes, no 'dryness', no night sweats, nothing. I feel great, my skin looks good, no mood swings.

[serryjw]

42. Yes, and we now are

having millions of woman that never had children. What we don't know is how this affect menopause. I was thrown into when I got breast cancer at 42, so I have no idea. I lost my mother at 58 and she still had her period. For me it's an unknown

[dryan]

51. I was...

51 almost 52 when I stopped menstruating. I have never had children and I am in generally good health.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

39. I was 35

Lucky me, huh? My FSH went through the roof. I'm 1 in 1000 - I feel so special! No family history; they don't know why it happened. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[SW FL Dem]

40. Not for perimenopause

Which can last for years.

[LittleClarkie]

52. Eh, the beginning was weird, so why shouldn't the end be weird too

Spotting, flooding, other weirdness when I was about 12 or so.

Thanks people, I'll talk to my doctor, and probably go see an obgyn if the . doesn't show up in a couple of weeks.

[roguevalley]

43. depends. check with your quack and see how your hormones are

doing.

[ellie]

45. No, my mom

went through menopause at 42. I have high hopes for me!

[China_cat]

46. I was completely done by the time I was 42

Both my mother and grandmother went through menopause in their mid-30's. I'd say look at your family then talk to your doctor, but no, 42 is not too early.

[bearfan454]

48. Mrs bearfan went started hers about 43.

She had a total hysterectomy 2 years ago at 45. Sometimes it's better to just not say anything when hormone imbalances are flying.

[laylah]

49. I had a friend that had

completed menopause by 29! That said, from what I have learned, our cycles will depend on our mothers' and their mothers', etc. I started at 45...blissfully completed now.

Jenn

[RebelOne]

50. Nope, I started going through it at 44. n/t