Help - How long does it take?

[linniejo]

It has been 1 1/2 years since my last period.  The only symptom I really experienced during that time was hot flashes.  Recently I have been concerned that I was going through depression.  Now I don't belive that is the case.  Could I be experiencing mood swings due to menopause this long after my last period (1 1/2 years ago); even if I never experienced them when going thorugh menopause?

[june73157]

i am 55 and i had been on birth control pills for 25 years to keep my periods regular now i went to a different Dr she told me i would not start menopause while i was taking the birth control pills so she put me on angeliq a hormone pill i started taking them and after 2 months my periods and after not having 1 for 6 months i started my period again which lasted almost a month i went back to Dr and she wants to put me on prempro i don't know if i should take the prempro or start taking my birth control again. What should i do? I wasn't having any signs of menopause before taking the Angeliq.

[GrannyJules313]

Count your blessings!  Menopause is the time after you have your last period.  It is not a short time period....it is forever.  So, yes, I would guess you could have mood swings due to menopause any time after.  I am 59 and have been on Prempro for about 7 years and just went off them and my hot flashes now are worse than ever!  I have severe insomnia (I take sleeping pills every night and sometimes they don't help!)  I have been sleeping with the windows open even when it's getting down into the 30s and 40s at night and that helps a lot.  I'm on Estroven now but it takes weeks for it to build up enough to work.  Effexor takes care of the hot flashes but the nausea is unbearable!  I can see why people get depressed during menopause!  It's awful! Then there are those that have hot flashes for a month and it's all over.  I'm SO jealous!!  But at least I don't have mood swings.  Yet!