To wonder if I could be starting menopause at 38?

[Starlight2004]

My last two cycles have suddenly gone down to 20 days from always being 28, I've had random spotting between periods for a while now (yes I know I really should have had this checked out but my last smear 18 months ago was HPV negative and I have a bit of a irrational fear of going to the drs)
So I'm wondering if I could be starting menopause? Is it way too early?

Mine started at 38.

When did your periods start? if you start late, you finish early. (I was 16 when mine started.)

You can go to the Practice Nurse and ask for blood tests. Also, if your last smear was 18 months ago and you've had any new kind of menstrual irregularities, you need to see them anyway.

No I started quite early at 12, or maybe that's about normal. Yes I know I need to go about my bleeding between periods. I've been putting it off for months. I have a bad fear of going to the Dr. It gives me anxiety even though my GP is lovely.

We're just moving this over to our menopause topic for the OP.

My peri started at 38 and diagnosed at 42, it is not common but it happens. It is considered premature menopause.

I had no periods after age 38. It has nothing to do with when your periods started .

Emerald did you have other classic symptoms? Flushes and stuff? At the minute I just have the shorter cycles and spotting I think

Peri can go on many years before the actual final stages.

Star I had insomnia, body aches and brain fog. At the beginning my cycles were shorter but my gyn said that it was normal. Later I started to have very light periods, only for 2 days and after that my symptoms were more visible and unbearable.