Menopause - how old were you?

I had issues with heavy periods and a shorter cycle around 49. GP put me on the pill, took it until 54 (the age my mum went through menopause) and never had another period. So somewhere in the early 50s I’d guess.

I'm 52, still regular.

Started at 51, finished 56. It wasn't fun.

Had a long road to parenthood eventually conceiving naturally a year after after refraining from actively 'trying' and/or actively 'preventing' pregnancy. I was 42.

After giving birth, my irritating GP insisted I immediately go on mini pill because I was 'the oldest mother the practice had ever had'. Took mini pill until DC was about 4. I really didn't like not having a period and in a world where I felt elated to finally be a parent the mini pill lack of a cycle was a weirdness I really didn't like. Took myself off it, had erratic periods for a couple of years then ziltch.

Annoying GP retired around this time. I enquired re HRT and was told I'd had 'rapid' menopause and wasn't eligible.

I've always been someone who doesn't feel the cold. My Mum called me a 'hot body' 🤣. But it went ballistic at menopause and - even now, 10 plus years on - I could walk around the house in shorts while DH and DC wrap up in jumpers/blankets. However, that's really the end and beginning of symptoms. The main symptom was our menopause baby, that little fertility peak that made parenthood possible. So I'm not complaining.

I'm 46 and not there yet but a few small signs of peri like aching joints, brain fog and I get really bad muscle aches after exercise now when I didn't use to.

I've always wondered whether people who go through menopause later age "better" than those who go through menopause earlier. Do the extra hormones keep you looking younger for longer?

And the most important one - really terrible PMT which I suspect is PMDD. It's been getting steadily worse for a few years. Sertraline has helped.

That's interesting @Crudd99

My mother had a hysterectomy when quite young and I use an IUS so it will be hard to tell

I think perimenopause began at about 42/43 for me. My hair thinned dramatically, I got itchy skin, I had brain fog and anxiety, and many aches and pains. HRT helped a little while giving up alcohol has helped a lot.

41, no sign of anything
just had a massive endo excision surgery and a mirena fitted for deep infiltrating stage 4 endo and adenomyosis

I was 41, and I’m 56 now. I needed to have my ovaries removed and the hot flushes started very quickly.

Most women are about the same age as their mums when their periods stop apparently, unless theres medical issues that the mum didnt have.

Menopause is officially just one day - the day you reach a full year of no periods. After that, strictly speaking, you're post menopausal.

@Bringinguptherear I think it's actually counter-intuitive in that the earlier you start periods the later you tend to hit menopause and conversely the later you start the earlier you finish. I'm sure I read data on that a very long time ago, but of course it's entirely possible I've got it wrong or have misremembered. Maybe someone who's more up-to-date or has a better understanding could comment.

Im 46 and have PCOS and never had a regular period, needed m ivf to conceive.
But for the last 3 years been like clockwork with all the signs for ovulation!!!!
Turns out I’m fertile in my 40’s.
Mum was my age when she went through menopause, my sister who is 48 reckons she is now… I’ve no idea, just have the fear of having a ‘surprise’ baby.
My Granny had twins at 44.

Late forties periods got slightly closer together (26 days rather than 28, maybe heavier too). Moving towards 52 no period for 5 months, but then a very heavy flooding one (now 52) - really hope I don’t keep getting those now! That was last week. No other obvious symptoms of peri (no hot flashes etc) but maybe some so mild/gradual that I haven’t really noticed. I blame things on peri (why did I come into this room?) but not convinced they are much different from before.

Peri mid 50's, not sure as pretty mild, and periods still regular, but did go on HRT at 56. Recently stopped the hrt at 59 and not had a period since December. So I think thats it??

Peri menopause started at 33.(confirmed by bloodwork). Crash menopause due to radical hysterectomy at 40 (thanks cancer.). Can't take HRT as it was hormone driven but wow life is better without the mental periods.

38 started peri and repeatedly told I was ‘too young’ for HRT by GPs. Meno by mid-forties, finally got HRT and my mojo back.

Depending on the state of your ovaries you can have a hysterectomy and keep one or both. I have one ovary left, hysterectomy at 44 due to endometriosis and all other treatments failing. The ovary is not attached to anything and has no blood supply. It's just there, like a satellite out of orbit. Six years later I have not a clue if I am peri/ menopausal or not. Maybe it is still doing something, maybe not. It is bliss.

Perimenopause probably started in my mid forties looking back. It was when my periods became huge, unstoppable floods.

After various medical interventions (but not a hysterectomy even though I wanted one) I finally had my menopause (final period) just as I turned 57. I will be 59 in August, so it looks like I can now safely say that I am finally postmenopausal. At long last my ridiculously stubborn ovaries have given up the ghost and I am free of my awful periods. I don't miss them at all.

My main symptom was the years of heavy, flooding periods, which were horrendous. I do get some brain fog but have never noticed a hot flush or a night sweat.

As far as the question of how long you might have left with periods, I'm afraid I think you are asking how long is a piece of string. It really is that variable, as you can see from my own and other responses on this thread.

I had my last period just before my 57th birthday. For the year prior to that they had been getting irregular.

I've never had a hot flush or a night sweat. But I have brain fog and muscle weakness.

Finished at 45. Not sure when it started because I was going through so much crap at the time that I was suffering with depression and weight gain anyway. I think my early menopause was probably brought on by stress.

👀

Surgically induced menopause at 44 due to BRCA2. So far it’s been easy but who knows what is to come!

I'm 46 next month. No real sign of peri yet. I have the odd symptom but could also be attributed to other things (for example, during the hot weather i was sweating a lot at night, but so was everyone else). Think I actually had a very early miscarriage a few months ago. Otherwise periods like clockwork.

Does the age of menopause have any relationship to that age your periods started? I didn’t start until very late so not sure if that means I should also expect late menopause?

i’m 49 and have had more erratic periods (both timing and variation from very heavy to very light) over the last 3 years or so. I think I notice more hormonal mood variation too. But that’s all so far.

I was 32 when symptoms started but I didn’t realise that the menopause was starting, I had a laparoscopy at 34 when I was told that it was definitely menopause and prescribed HRT. After about 6 months, I felt like my old self again and my DH felt the same.