what are the symptoms of menopause

[teresa12]

i would like to know the symptoms of menopause. i am 44 years old and have had a cycle every month since i was 8. now with in the past couple years i get it at least twice a month for 10 days each time. please let me know

[grammyjune]

Hey, don't think that because you're not "60" you can't be going through menopause!  I also started my cycle early and in my early 40's thought I was begining menopause.  My doctor did the blood tests and while my levels were getting low wouldn't do anything until they were really down.  After several years of hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, mood swings (I jokingly told my kids when I started HRT that "I taking these pills so I don't kill you."), and periods that were excess in flooding (stand up and whoosh) my level was low enough for the doctor to prescribe hormones.  But because of the flooding I had become anemic and had to go through massive doses of iron to jump-start my system again.  So, watch out for excessive bleeding - if you're really really tired and have dark circles under your eyes, get checked for anemia.  

I think many of us saw the old movie in health about our "friend" and we know our mothers talked about Aunt Ethel "going through the change" when she was OLD, but with more and more of us beginning our cycles early and then probably taking the pill sometime in our mid/late teens into our 20's, menopause for us is coming on earlier and earlier in life.  DON'T LET A MALE DOCTOR TELL YOU IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD AND YOU'RE TOO YOUNG.  They say there is no link between the pill and early menopause, but I have been talking to a lot of women who seem to think this is true.