As a 63 year old female, my own menopause symptoms started at age 50. That may have been a little early, but I was a late bloomer, not starting my periods until I was about 16. I noticed that even with reduction in frequency and flow, the cramps and bloating actually got worse as well as the occasional emotional issue of facing a real change in my life.

That emotional issue is probably the worst with the realization that time is passing and none of us will live forever. As time went on, periods were skipped and finally stopped altogether at about 53.

Seeking advice from my physician early on, he prescribed hormone pills and exercise to ease the discomfort. In addition to the medication, however, I did manage to feel much better when I learned from friends and online searches that my symptoms were mild to nonexistent when compared to others.

On the bright side, no more worry about accidentally messing up your clothes, no more worries of pregnancy, no more fluid retention or loose clothing for bloated days, no more overly sensitive feelings, no more blemishes, and to top it all off, I actually lost a few pounds since I no longer had the overpowering sugar cravings that pack on the pounds at that time of the month.

It’s been about ten years now and I don’t miss having periods at all. As for having more children, I have found that grandchildren are even more fun than being a young mom and you find that your relationship with your own grown children grows as they become peers and friends.

The biological clock ticks through the phases of adulthood just as nature intends with the healthiest beings bearing offspring at the times in their lives when they have the most energy.

I am a female, currently age 48. My menopausal symptoms started when I was 42 years old although back then they were very minor. They started out with subtle hot flashes during the day and night sweats at night.

Gradually, they progressed to very severe hot flashes, to the point where I needed to either go outside into the cold weather (if it was winter time) or sit right next to a fan (if it was summertime).

Sometimes I would be in the middle of a meeting at work, feel the hot flash coming on, and I would want nothing more than to run out of the room and take all my clothes off. The sensation was as if someone was lighting a fire inside my chest.

It was so embarrassing when I would begin to perspire when everyone else around me was comfortable. At night, I would wake up and my clothes and hair would be as wet as if I just got out of the shower.

I read a couple of books and looked for solutions on-line. By reading the books and searching on-line, that is what convinced me to endure my menopause naturally, without medication. I never took any doctor prescribed medicine, although I did take a natural herb called Cimi-Fem.

The natural herbs seemed to help immensely. But the only problem with the natural herbs was that they took about a month before they were effective, and if I stopped taking them for more than 3 or 4 days, it was like I had to start all over again because the symptoms were back just as strong as ever.

Another symptom I had was minor depression. There was a period of time where every little thing that happened in my life seemed to upset me. Now the symptoms have subsided. I only get hot flashes and night sweats once in awhile. I am very happy that period of my life is completed.

I’m a 52 year old female. I started to get the symptoms of menopause at about the age of 42-45. I started noticing a heavier flow of menstrual periods; maybe they lasted from 8 or 9 days, with many blood clots and serious cramps.

Had to use thicker sanitary napkins and change them quite frequently. The periods stopped when I reached 48, I mean, 1 month came the flow, the following month, no period at all, at first, I thought I was pregnant, because I felt womb movements.

Right now, I have the problem of not sleeping - insomnia. Haven’t had the hot flashes, which are a natural thing that occurs in the females in my family. And yes, shall we talk about the weight gain, I think I’ve gained about 50-60 pounds, since the process, the gain is more around the hips, thighs and stomach areas.

Vaginal dryness is also happening but there are products to help in that department. Low sex drive for me not my husband, LOL.

Hair is thinning, along with some loss and since the females in my family, always has had the facial hair, that’s something that don’t alarm me much. Now the memory lapses, I can tell you some funny stories regarding that one.

I’ve talked with my doctor regarding the changes, in which she says is normal, if the problems becomes worse, there’s always meds. But all in all, I guess you can say, it’s been a blessing and curse, but hey I’m still here.

I am a 54 year old woman who went through menopause at age 49. I started skipping periods at age 45 (perimenopause) and that’s when the terrible mood swings started. It was like constant PMS.

I was crying over nothing, angry most of the time and would vision evil things, like wanting to castrate my husband when he didn’t agree with me. These symptoms got worse over time from age 45-49.

I also started getting panic attacks while driving a car and riding in elevators. This was terrible because I would have to wait until someone was also going to take an elevator before I got in. It curtailed my driving - I would only drive withing a 20 mile radius of my home and never, ever get on a freeway.

During this time I went to my doctor and she prescribed Zoloft and that did help. She put me on the lowest dose and that seemed to take the edge off. I was on Zoloft for 2 years (age 47-49).

I never took any replacement hormone therapy, even though the doctor told me she could prescribe it, because it was during the time that the findings came out that HRT can cause more bad symptoms that what it cures. I never had any hot flashes and only occasional night sweats.

It seemed I only got night sweats if I drank a glass or 2 of wine before I went to bed. Once I figured that out I stopped drinking wine. During this time I also would meet with my girlfriends who were the same age and we would discuss what was going on with menopause.

Because some of my friends were past menopause, they would assure me that what I was feeling was normal and that I wasn’t crazy. Some of them did and still do suffer terribly with night sweats and hot flashes.

One of my friends is now 8 years past menopause and she is still suffering with occasional hot flashes. All I can say is I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that, especially this far post menopause. When actual menopause came and my periods stopped at age 49 my mood swings went away.

I stopped crying at the drop of a hat and my evil thoughts, for the most part have vanished. I still get panic attacks occasionally while driving but it’s only when I’m in very heavy traffic in an area I’m unfamiliar with. I can now ride in elevators by myself. I would suggest to anyone going through this time to talk frankly with your doctor about anxiety, mood swings and any other thing that makes you feel as if you’re not yourself.

Don’t be afraid of taking an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication. Most of all remember that this time is temporary and you will eventually be back to your old, much improved self.

I’m female and I am in pre menopause right now, which means I’m not quite there yet but getting symptoms. Primarily I get hot flashes, which means that I perspire so much that sweat runs down my face in droplets.

My clothes get soaking wet. It’s kind of embarrassing when I am teaching to be sweating so much, but there is not much to be done about it. Because my grandmother and mother had breast cancer, I am not going to do any kind of hormone therapy.

My mother’s breast cancer was definitely related to estrogen, so that is a warning for me. I’m going to tough it out for the next five or so years. Fortunately, I have a great doctor and he is helping me with mood issues, so I am not experiencing hormone-related mood swings.

That is a real blessing because I have had those and they are not pleasant. I have read in years past that this is sometimes a hard time to go through. I never had kids, so the end of fertility does not seem to be a big issue for me–in fact, I can’t wait until that part is done.

It’s certainly a change in how my body operates, but I know that this is a transition and the transition will be over…eventually! What I have appreciated about growing older is that I seem to have a greater understanding of people than I did twenty years ago and I am able to share that with the young folks I teach.

Some of them even listen to me!! I have also noticed in myself and other women I know that the forties are a time of shedding social expectations and becoming oneself. There’s not time to try to appease everyone in my life–I have to make choices.

This is making me a stronger person and giving me more confidence in my life. So–overall this is a good time for me despite the physical symptoms.

Once a woman enters puberty, each month her body releases one of the more than 400,000 eggs that are stored in her ovaries, and the lining of the womb (uterus) thickens in anticipation of receiving a fertilized egg. If the egg is not fertilized, progesterone levels drop and the uterine lining sheds and bleeds.

By the time a woman reaches her late 30s or 40s, her ovaries begin to produce less estrogen and progesterone and release eggs less often. The gradual decline of estrogen causes a wide variety of changes in tissues that respond to estrogen—including the vagina, vulva, uterus, bladder, urethra, breasts, bones, heart, blood vessels, brain, skin, hair, and mucous membranes.

Over the long term, the lack of estrogen can make a woman more vulnerable to osteoporosis (which can begin in the 40s) and I am female yes I search for help medical ya I am feeling better,

About 2 years ago I stopped having my cycle for about 3 months. Knowing that my tubes had been tied, I didn’t suspect pregnancy. I was 36 at the time. I started to cry over nothing and everything.

The act of having a conversation with anyone led to tears. I thought I was going nuts! So I cut back on caffeine and tried to get more sleep. This didn’t help at all. Then I noticed I was sweating to death in the middle of winter.

We use a wood stove to heat the house and my room is always cold around 2 am, so there was no reason to be feeling so hot. Then my cycle came back with a gnarly vengeance. I wanted to break things and I would get angry if anyone spoke to me.

I would clean my house like a madwoman on the edge. I couldn’t open my mouth without spewing venomous words. I began to have my cycle 2 to 3 times a month and I thought it was ridiculous. Finally I called my OB doctor.

His nurse asked me if I had killed anyone yet. I said no but I would like to. The nurse said it wasn’t menopause and probably was hormonal and to come in for tests. I don’t know what tests they did, but they took blood and urine samples.

The doctor said my hormone levels were way low for a woman my age and I was probably starting menopause. He prescribed B vitamins, St. Johns Wort, and Black Cohosh Root.

Since I started this concoction, I feel soooooooooooooooooo much better. My cycle is back on track though sometimes it is every other month. I drink more chamomile tea when I feel hormonal. The night sweats are still around but less frequent. And I still haven’t killed anyone, hahha.

I am a female and this is about female menopause. I am writing to say that YES I have met female menopause and what an experience it is! The symptoms started at age forty and actually even in my late thirties.

I have experienced many of the normal symptoms. The symptoms come and go often; sometimes they stay for a prolonged period of time. I did at first search for help online and also through doctors.

I spoke to my gynecologist and also went for a check up. I also spoke to close friends and family. I have experienced hot flashes where at one moment I am sweating for no reason and then the next moment I am cold.

I do not know why. I hate going through this. The funny part of this is that I found out that you can experience menopause even if you do not have a uterus. If for some reason you have had a hysterectomy, you can still experience menopause.

Not all women experience menopause, and for some women the symptoms are worse than others. My symptoms also include mood swings, insomnia, drowsiness. I’ve had almost all of the symptoms you can have. I discuss it often with my friends.

We compare what our symptoms are. Some of them lie and say they haven’t gotten there yet but when they express a symptom, you can tell that they are going through it as well. It’s quite a unique experience to go through menopause. Menopause is horrible I didn’t know that men can go through it as well.

I am a female who suffered through menopause which began at the age of 44. It began with hot flashes which became more and more frequent. I would feel anxious and also suffer through hot flashes, especially during the night.

I believe they call this night sweats. I did not seek help through a doctor but did turn to friends who were either experiencing it at the time or had already made it through. On one recommendation, I went to the health store (GNC) and purchased some Yam Cream.

True to its label and description, my hot flashes and anxiousness ebbed overtime. I was waitressing at the time and boy did this stuff certainly help out with my tips!

I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is either about to go through or is entering menopause. My menopause lasted approximately 5 years. I would highly recommend this treatment.

I began menopause at the age of 35. I am a 55 yr. old female. I had a total hysterectomy and was put on hormones right away. My opinion of the surgical menopause I have gone through is that I feel as if it has kept me young.

I think the hormones actually are a plus! I have no aches and pains, no hot flushes and I look very young for my age by not having many wrinkles or sagging yet. I’ve always credited the hormones for this.

Part of it may have to do with heredity I suppose, but my mother was in constant pain with fibromyalgia, and my dad has choleteral problems as well a being a diabetic…I suffer from none of these.

I would not recommend hormones to everyone, it’s something that must be discussed with your Dr. My mother died of ovarian cancer and concert does run in the family. I am fortunate not to have my ovaries anymore because of the fear of getting the same cancer.

Breast cancer does not run in my family. My Dr. and I have discussed whether I should stay on the hormones or not, and he said that my quality of life was more important than the risk of taking the hormones. When I have missed a couple days of my hormone, I experience very uncomfortable hot flushes. To sum up, my menopause has been a very positive experience for me.