Well, I have been a Diabetic for 35 yrs, a Mody 2. I also lost one Adrenal gland in 1998. And Menopause, huh, I bet all my hormones are out of wack. So weight loss is most likely going to be very hard for me to do. My last A1C was 7.2 and 1.5 on the C-peptide. So neither is good. I wasn't low carbing at the tiiem or 3 months before the A1c or c-peptide.

I started having hot flashes and other symptoms at 44. I was done at 51. No meds, no herbs, no help. Looing back now, I realize my biggest, awfullest symptom was anxiety and depression during the 7-8 years I was in perimenopause. I SHOULD have taken advantage of the many meds that are out there for stressful times.

I have had 6 children all grown up now. The oldest is 37 and the youngest and my only girl is 21. I had my tubes tied after my daughter when i was 35. I had my last period when I was 52 and I am now 57. I never used anything going thru menopause and I thought it was pretty easy but my HUSBAND begs to differ.LOL

When I was 49 my gyno ran a blood test on me and said I was technically menopausal, however the periods only stopped 1 months before turning 51.

I think it is hereditary---one's age at menopause. My maternal grandma stopped at age 55, maternal aunt at age 57. Paternal grandma stopped at age 43+-. So I am in between the 2 extremes.

Also, the number of children a woman has may have some effect on slightly delaying menopause---after all---for each child/full term pregnancy you don't have 9 cycles.

Stinking hot flashes have gone down to only a few a day and sometimes none. But I wake up with a anxiety feeling in my tummy, for absolutly no reason. Is this what I get at the end of of it all? Or is this just another symptom?

I would definitely think that one's diet could potentially effect the onset of menopause... I'm not saying that is the case for you -- could easily be genetic... but, yes, I would think that diet could also be a factor (particularly if someone has atrocious eating habits..)

My periods began to be irregular when I was 50. Currently, I'm 52 and my periods are about 3-4 months apart and appear with no notice. I haven't had any noticeable symptoms of menopause. About once every 6 weeks, I get hot and flushed very fast, but I think this is a flush caused by the niacin that I take to raise HDL rather than caused by menopause.

OK, only place I've ever seen this question asked or answered. I'm 45 and still taking the pill, for crying out loud. Both my mom and husband's mom had kids at 40, so I'm not taking any chances. I really don't want to get pregnant at 45 and have 19 years between kids. Since my periods are artificially controlled, how will I know when peri/menopause starts?

Great timing -- if I have more questions, I can pose them to my ob/gyn Tuesday at my annual visit.

I just turned 47 and am at the tail end. Am I the only one on bioidentical hormone replacement? I refuse to feel exhausted all the time and let the weight creep on just because!

Menopause sucks, lol. I started when I was 29. I had my tubes tied and it was just downhill from there. Whne I was 31 I had to have a hysterectomy. That was hideous! Since then I have hot flashes, mood swings, gained lots of weight( working on that), very very dry, to the point it is painful, and absolutely 0 sex drive. You could have a bunch of hot male strippers in front of me and I could not care less, lol.

I was 52.

Did have occassional night sweats.

I had my last period at age 48. I went through about three years of very irregular periods until they eventually just stopped. I would go for three or four months without a period and then BAM...........flow like the columbia river. I only rememer having a couple of hot flashes. I'm 55 now and don't take anything. I have low libido but other than that I guess I'm okay.

OH.............as soon as I went through the change my bones went to hell in a hand basket. dropped to osteopenia.

Cindy---
You're not the only one on Bio-HRT. I have been with 'em and without 'em and I can say life after meno is so much better with Bio-HRT. Since starting the meds I sleep better, think clearer, and my sense of smell improved. There is more energy, now, too.

NRG4ME, yeahh! Im reading some of these posts and about ready to cry. Women!! You don't have to feel like this. There are alternatives. The problems with synthetic hormone replacement (blood clots, weight gain, increased risk of breast cancer) are all but eliminated with bioidenticals in part because of the route of administration. By absorbing through the skin, you miss the first pass effect through the liver that you get with oral meds, hence no blood clots. Also, synthetic estrgen breaks down into it's components also increasing chance of blood clots and breast cancer. Bioidenticals don't eliminate the breast cancer risk but studies show they are reduced. Both types halt bone loss. You ladies are exhausted and gaining weight, especially in the middle, because of hormone imbalance. You can't sleep, you will age prematurely, have increased bone loss. When I told a couple of female OB GYN docs that I had gone through menopause without the hot flashes and weight gain, they said, great, you don't have to take anything! I thought, you've got to be kidding! I refuse to drag around exhausted, can't sleep, skin sagging, depressed all because I don't want to take anything. Replacing hormones is the best thing I've done for myself.

CindyCRNA - what is EFGT?

I'm 48 now - period is shorter, sleep issues not much else. I'll be looking into bioidentical hormones if things get rough.