Missed period, HPT is negative, is this menopause?

[MrsCoco]

I am 43 and have had some irregularity of my cycle in the last two years, but generally I am regular about 28 days.  However last month my cycle was light and 24 days and it's been 39 days sp far and no period yet. (last period was Feb 7.) I took a home pregnancy test yesterday and it came out negative.  I don't have any other pregnancy symptoms and some very mild uterine sensations that are so mild I cannot really categorize them as cramps.  

I am wondering now if I was pregnant and just haven't miscarried yet, or is this simply the beginning of menopause?

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

A. It’s always a little confusing when menopause is near because periods change. Pregnancy is possible, but with a negative pregnancy test, it is much less likely. If you don’t get a period in another week or so, do another pregnancy test.

At 43 it could be menopause, but it also could be something else.  Ask your doctor to examine you and to consider getting an ultrasound of your ovaries to be sure there isn’t a cyst there.  You can also ask for a blood test for FSH (follicle stimulating hormone).  It is the hormone that causes an egg and the cyst around it (the follicle) to develop each month.  When there are few remaining eggs, FSH levels must increase to cause one of the last eggs to develop because the remaining eggs are often more and more resistant to the hormone.  There is no absolute FSH value that defines menopause; just an elevated level that slowly gets increasingly higher as the final egg is released. This is the best test to suggest you are approaching menopause.  Many women continue to have irregular periods for months or even years and this could happen to you as well. The important thing is to be sure your not pregnant, which you are doing, and then checking with your doctor to be sure nothing serious is happening. The good news is that most of the time, it is just the normal events of menopause.
Machelle M. Seibel, MD

[MrsCoco]

I have some additional symptoms that might be worth mentioning.  A couple of weeks ago I noticed some under eye swelling.  It seemed to get better, but this weekend, despite the fact that I have had plenty of rest and (not even drinking alcohol!) My eye puffiness is worsening.  The mask area around my entire eye is visibly puffy now. (The skin is actually bagging a little under my eyes - looks terrible.)
Also, a year and a half ago, I all but lost my libido.  I finally decided to see an endocrynologist about the problem.  She did find that my while my free testosterone was in the range of normal, it was only about a third of what it had been 2.5 years prior.  So, I started taking testosterone injections 3 months ago.  Finally, this month my libido seems to be back!

[Niyatisha]

I am 27years old, My period alwayse irregular.Whats wrong?Now i want to be pregenant. This time also my period is late but my last period was feb 19 now today is april 10. I already did my pregnency test but it is negative.could i be pregnent . Please help..