Exactly 12 months since last period

[diodati]

As the thread title says, I had my last period exactly a year ago. This morning I woke up with agonising cramps and sore, swollen breasts. No bleeding, though. Am I menopausal or not?

Hopefully you are and that's just a wee last blast of hormones which won't come to anything. If you do have a period, you'll have to start the countdown yet again I'm afraid. You're supposed to have unexpected bleeding investigated if you're post menopausal but if you're right on 12 months I'm not sure if you need to or not. Worth speaking to your gp if you do get a period though.

As Paris said normally 12 months without period shoudl be investigated if bleeding then occurs. However the 12 month time is set conservatively so as to trigger more investigations than are likely to reveal any abnormalities - just to be on the safe side. This means that lots of women will have to go through tests unnecessarily - but better this than miss the odd case of endometrial cancer - which is what the tests are designed to investigate ( or more usually - endometrial hyperplasia - a much earlier stage of abnormal growth most of which does not lead to cancer).

Also depends on your age too - if younger than 50 from what I remember resumption of ovarian activity may be more likely after a period of cessation. If you have the telltale signs of pms - ie the cramps and sore breasts then this is a sure signal of hormonal change so if you do bleed you will know that it is most likely to be normal and as a reuslt of late ovulation. As always - if you want to be reassured and you do bleed then do visit the doc for the investigations (U/S scan of endometrium and maybe hysteroscopy depending on what the scan shows).

Bellaciao, I've read elsewhere that if you're under 50 you should count 2 years until your menopausal, but never seen it in any 'official' source - is that something you've seen anywhere?

Yes I've seen 2 years for under 50 as well. I went 11 months between mine, twice!

I'm 55 so menopause is almost overdue. No bleeding so far and the cramps and aches have disappeared.

What's odd is that I stopped menstruating after a devastating emotional shock. My last period started just before a totally unexpected (long story) breakup. He was my fiancé. I'm still not over it. And it feels like the breakup was the end of my femininity, although I know that's fanciful rubbish. Still...

The usual definition of menopause at whatever age is 12 months without a natural period. I have a feeling it might have changed a few years ago from what it used to be which was 2 years if under the average age of natural menopause (approx 50) and 1 year if older.

What the two years refers to is the need to continue to use contraception by women reaching natural menopause under the age of 50, whereas over the age of 50 this is 1 year.

The reason for this discrepancy is to some extent artificial and so that all women who bleed spontaneously following 12 months without a period are investigated for endometrial changes which could potentially lead to cancer. The two years for contraception recognises that in younger women the likelihood of ovulation resuming spontaneously is greater in younger women with premature menopause.