SYMPTOMS FOR MENOPAUSE CAN BEGIN AS EARLY AS YOUR MID 30'S AND EXTEND INTO AS LATE AS YOUR 5O'S.  One full year without a period is menopause.....before then, it's all about PERIMENOPAUSE. 

It's so unrecognizable to most of us, that nearly each of us will say, "It can't be menopause.....can it?  Aren't I too young for that???"
There is no known reason that women experience menopause at different times.  Many theories are based on the time you began menstruation, your family history, your ethnicity....but whatever is the reason, it's usually totally unexpected and most of us are not prepared!  And how many of us thought menopause simply meant , 'We just stop having our periods. Period.' HA!

PERIMENOPAUSE into MENOPAUSE 

  ( usually ages 35-55)

Fatigue

Forgetfullness

Less Flexiblity

Fluid retention

Sore Breasts

Headaches, Migraines

Unexplainable Weight Gain

Irregular Periods: erratic, flooding, spotting, clotting

Gastric Issues:  Reflux, constipation, gas, bloating

Sleep Disruption:  Difficulty falling to sleep, waking after
                                     3-4 hrs, unable to fall back 
                                     asleep, 'wired' feeling,
                                     awake for 24 hrs
 
Anxiety, Unexplainable or uncontrollable anger

Hot Flashes, Hot Flushes, Night Sweats

Painful Intercourse

Depression

Loss of Libido

Joint Aches

Formication (Creepy, itchy, under the skin feeling)

Emotional Extremes:  Crying, sadness, rage,
                                                anger, intolerance

Burning Tongue

POSTMENOPAUSE
(after cessation of period for one year)

 THE GOOD CHANGES :

More Energy

Emotional Stability

Memory Improves

Sleep Problems Diminish

Hot Flashes, Sweats Diminish

THE OTHERS:

Bone Pain

Leg, Feet Cramps

Fractures

Incontinence

Burning, Itchy Vulva

Dry Vagina

Women having children later in life, around 35 and after, often begin to experience perimenopausal symptoms shortly thereafter as your body tries to hormonally balance itself again. This may or may not be the actual onslaught of irregular periods, hotflashes, and memory loss.  But understanding that hormones have already begun to change at that time of your life, regardless of the pregnancy, bears weight on the evidence that changes will likely occur.  

Those facing situations involving chemo and radiation will likely be faced with
this change head on, similar to banging your head against a brick wall, and often experience symptoms much stronger as the body is pushed into menopause unexpectedly.  Women with hysterectomys may also find different responses to the symptoms, and their symptoms can continue late into life faced with a longer span of these reactions....as can anyones!  It is not uncommon to continue experiencing hot flashes of a different degree off and on into your 60's and yes, even 70's!    Hot flashes and sleep deprivation can become a life long 'symptom' as we age unless we find the ways to handle them and change them. 

Women may have different symptoms, but whatever they are or however they occur, they can make your life miserable! Your symptoms today may be different a month or year from now, and certainly different than those your Mother or friends may have experienced.  Think about how your hormones fluctuate during your menstrual cycle for one month.  Now take that month and STRETTTTCCHHHH it into years and you'll have an idea of what you can expect.  That's why it's important for you NOW to find out what you can do......it will help you breeze through this transition with less discomfort and make you (and those around you) much happier!