How do you know?

My mum suspected she maybe going through the menopause but her GP has told her will not know until she has gone through it completely ios this true because i thought that hrt was used during the menopause and if so this does'nt quite add up?

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

Menopause is by definition one year after the last menstrual period. That may mean what the GP is talking about. However, symptoms may start as much as 10 years before. They include irregular periods, often initially closer together and then further apart; hot flashes; heart palpitations; vaginal dryness; poor sleep; and others. A blood test for the hormone FSH is typically elevated. While there is no absolute number, values above 20 usually indicate perimenopause or the years leading up to menopause.
Machelle M. Seibel, MD