I am 48 years old so have been expecting menopause any day but I was menstruating with perfect regularity for five days every month until recently.

About three months ago I had a very rude shock in my divorce when my husband's new partner introduced herself. I didn't know he had even begun to look at other women. I have posted about this elsewhere. Somehow despite our strained relationship it knocked me to pieces and for some weeks I couldn't eat, sleep or stand to be alone. I really thought I was going mad.

I have moved on now, begun to sleep and eat again and to wonder what threw me into what seems now like a fit of real insanity. But with the return to my senses has come a whole lot of uncomfortable physical symptoms including something that feels like the contractions of early pregnancy with the same onset, the same uterine tightenings but instead of intensifying into cramps they intensify into heat and heart palpitations. Does this match people's experience of hot flashes? They are much worse if I drink tea or coffee and sometimes wake me from sleep. If I get stressed in any way at all they start up.

The biggest thing is that my perfectly regular periods have completely stopped. I am just now missing the third one in a row. There is no way I am pregnant so that isn't it. I am a bit anaemic and in the past that has stopped me from menstruating but I don't feel drained enough for that.

Everything I am reading online suggests that in menopause periods don't do this sudden halt but kind of wind down.

So I'm wondering if anyone experienced something like this? I will certainly go to a doctor when I can afford it, I'm just hoping for peace of mind in the meantime .