'Menopause isn't really that bad'...said no woman ever.
For those who are approaching or experiencing 'the change' (think reverse puberty), a time where hormone levels decline either through the aging process or by medical/surgical means.
Menopause and Perimenopause (the transitional time before Menopause) are unique to every person, and while there's no one-size fits all, we support each other on this roller coaster ride of wacked out hormones, absurd mood swings and random sweaty hot flashes.
Be kind. Be respectful. We are all in this together!
RULES
1. All genders can post We are all here to learn about menopause and how to help anyone experiencing menopause, so be supportive and respectful.
2. Don't be a bully, creep, jerk or troll This means no personal attacks, no misogyny, no misandry, ageism, racism, or otherwise hateful or disrespectful commentary.
3. Read the Wiki and use the search tool before posting a new question
4. No selling products or services You can recommend products/methods that work for you, but soliciting clients or patients is not allowed. No advertising or self-promotions, including using this sub to drive traffic elsewhere.
5. Research surveys/studies are allowed ONLY after contacting the mods with details of the survey (purpose of survey, academic associations, how will the data be used, privacy/confidentiality policy) Mods will determine whether to approve the post or not. Those choosing to participate in surveys, must do so at their own risk.
6. No posting lab results We are not a substitute for medical advice. Questions about your lab results should be directed to your medical professional. Hormonal tests are not an accurate diagnosing tool for perimenopause.
Hormonal testing only shows what your hormones were doing on the day the test was taken -- nothing more. So your levels don't mean anything really. You know you're post-menopausal after you've gone 12 full months without a period, and that's it. There's no other test that confirms this. It's just being w/o a period for 12 months.
So if you still have periods (even irregular), you are in perimenopause and not post-menopausal at all.
I had a similar result at a similar age. I still had more and more sporadic periods for several more years and peri symptoms during that time, progressing to full menopause. I started very low dose estrogen at 49 which helped a lot with the worst symptoms, brain fog etc. Hot flashes continued but have mostly ended now (53.) Not sure about long term effects of entering menopause early. If we even were early?