When will I be through menopause?

[sicilianpizza]

I’m 49 and started HRT a year ago plus Mirena coil after mild symptoms - night sweats and just feeling a bit meh about life. I haven’t had periods for 18 months now and night sweats are gone and sleeping well. But can I be complacent and say that’s it for me and unlikely to get other symptoms and when will I know I’m out the other side?

Menopause is forever. It’s not something you go “through”. If you haven’t had periods for 18 months, you are in menopause.

12 months after your last period. You are already in menopause.

You can’t state with certainty she’s menopausal as the Mirena has probably caused the periods to stop, so we don’t know her natural bleeding state.

It doesn’t really matter though, use HRT as long as you need to. You’re still young so no rush to stop it.

It does matter whether your periods have actually stopped with regard to what HRT you can have. Hence, I'm 49 and taking nothing just now. Four months no period so far 🤞

You're using HRT so that's why your symptoms have stopped. The Mirena usually stops all bleeding even if you're ovulating (they should have told you this) and your HRT is presumably estrogen gel or a patch- that's what's controlling your sweats and moods.

You won't know if you are post menopausal unless you a) stop all HRT and have the Mirena out and b) you then go 12 months with no periods. You may get the symptoms back- around 15% of women have them for a very long time and use HRT for years. I've a friend in her 70s who's used it for almost 20 years- symptoms are there if she stops.

Yes but a woman is menopausal if she hasn’t had a NATURAL bleed for 12 months or more. Having a Mirena inserted, or having used hormonal contraception which stopped bleeding, doesn’t “count”.

If you haven’t had a natural bleed for 12 months or more you can go straight onto continuous combined HRT. Otherwise it’s age dependent largely.

Thanks, helpful replies. I think this answers my question which is that oestrogen can just keep declining and menopause symptoms can continue for decades. I thought it might be 5 yrs then you’re through the fluctuations which I thought was the reason for symptoms. I’m going to hope the HRT I’m on will just keep doing the job and I won’t suddenly develop a whole load of new symptoms from here!

@sicilianpizza The fluctuations are partly the cause of flushes etc but even when you're post menopause you can still have all the same symptoms. Remember that your HRT needs a review as you get older and you might need a higher dose (or less.)