Basic question - how do you know when you're done menopause

splitimage · Oct 16, 2015 at 06:37 AM

Hi,

I'm a bit confused.

I'm 46 and haven't had a period in over 2.5 years. I've also been blessed that aside from a very disturbing increase in facial hair, I haven't had a single menopausal symptom. No hot flashes, no night sweats, no major mood swings. My family Dr. thinks some of my psych meds may be protecting me from having symptoms. On my last pap test, she said she noticed vaginal dryness for the first time. That was this past summer.

So my question is, how do you know when you're done menopause? Is there some kind of blood test for hormones that they do?

Thanks everyone.

splitimage

Oct 17, 2015 at 08:20 AM

Are you on any sort of hormone medication (ie. Depo Provera birth control)?

The official definition for being finished with menopause is to go a complete year without menstruation.

46 is NOT too young (I had an aunt at 37 and I am starting to get hot flashes at 48).

But the real person to talk to is your family doctor. It is important to rule out another problem. Have you had a recent Pap or exploratory ultrasound? I AM on depo provera and have those tests done annually.

lizardlady · Oct 18, 2015 at 11:18 AM

Checking with you doc sounds like a good idea. Different things can effect our periods. Barring anything else going on I'd say 2.5 years without a period would mean you are done with menopause.

I entered menopause at 38. Annoyingly, I had every last symptom you can have. Be glad you are not having them.

Nammu · Oct 18, 2015 at 01:26 PM

I never had peri-menopause, for a combination of reasons I jumped it. We were looking for a cause for other symptoms related to my back when one of the test showed I was in menopause already (about 51) I did have some night sweats but am not sure if that was related to the med's or the menopause. I love it, so much more stable without that pesky monthly up & down of hormones.

Oct 22, 2015 at 07:16 PM

The blood test is called FSH follicle stimulating hormone but like everyone else said, after 12 months, it's not worth doing as it's pretty certain it's all over!

amandalouise · Oct 25, 2015 at 01:33 PM

menopause isnt something that you are "done with" it is the physical situation of no longer having a period, no longer able to have children. all years after you stop having a period is called menopause. some locations have broken the stages of menopause down into three stages,...peri menopause (the 5-10 years before a persons body stops producing eggs and hormones leading to the stopping of having a period) menopause (the stopping of the hormones and production of the eggs) and post monopause (after the body is no longer producing eggs and hormones resulting in periods) but the whole process is still called menopause.

there is a blood test a person can take that will tell them what stage of menopause their body is in. your physician can tell you how to get that lab work done. it takes a few days to a week to get the results back.

amandalouise · Oct 25, 2015 at 01:34 PM

forgot to add some people are in each stage of menopause for many many years, there is no definite time line of months or years. each persons body is different.

Oct 25, 2015 at 11:20 PM

I am 50 and still get a light period. I don't have any other symptoms.

Artchic528 · Oct 29, 2015 at 03:40 AM

Mom went through menopause a bit early, and my gyno said I may very well follow suit. I am not really sure if that's a good thing or had as I'm still undecided about having kids and would prefer being married before I try for any. That and I don't really know if I can go through pregnancy without completely losing it. I can't imagine me meds a pregnancy friendly so going it med free might be my only choice.

I'm getting side tracked here. Sorry. I think that there is no set time frame as each woman is different. It could range from barely being noticeable to being like climbing a mountain, arduous and never being comfortable temperature wise. It all depends on your body and the hormones within.

divine1966 · Nov 01, 2015 at 08:24 PM

My gyn told me when you don't have period for one full year then it is full menopause. If it is still comes and goes then it is pre- menopause. I'll be 50 in few months and my periods started to come only every 4 months, my gyn said its premenopausal

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Unrigged64072835 · Nov 07, 2015 at 10:30 AM

It can be different, but from my gyn menopause is usually 1 year without a period. It was funny, though: I had a full hysterectomy at 47 but I still wasn't considered menopausal until I had a full year without periods. I had all the symptoms but they've gone down in time (except for the facial hair).

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lizardlady Legendary Member Since Nov 2002 Location: Mid World Posts: 17,527 (SuperPoster!) 21 7,528 hugs given	Oct 18, 2015 at 11:18 AM #3 Checking with you doc sounds like a good idea. Different things can effect our periods. Barring anything else going on I'd say 2.5 years without a period would mean you are done with menopause. I entered menopause at 38. Annoyingly, I had every last symptom you can have. Be glad you are not having them.
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Anonymous48850 Guest Posts: n/a	Oct 22, 2015 at 07:16 PM #5 The blood test is called FSH follicle stimulating hormone but like everyone else said, after 12 months, it's not worth doing as it's pretty certain it's all over!
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amandalouise Wise Elder Member Since Mar 2009 Location: 8CS / NYS / USA Posts: 9,150 15 885 hugs given	Oct 25, 2015 at 01:34 PM #7 forgot to add some people are in each stage of menopause for many many years, there is no definite time line of months or years. each persons body is different.
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Anonymous37883 Guest Posts: n/a	Oct 25, 2015 at 11:20 PM #8 I am 50 and still get a light period. I don't have any other symptoms.
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divine1966 Legendary Wise Elder Member Since Dec 2014 Location: US Posts: 22,491 (SuperPoster!) 9 1,279 hugs given	Nov 01, 2015 at 08:24 PM #10 My gyn told me when you don't have period for one full year then it is full menopause. If it is still comes and goes then it is pre- menopause. I'll be 50 in few months and my periods started to come only every 4 months, my gyn said its premenopausal Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Unrigged64072835 Legendary Member Since Oct 2010 Location: Under the noise floor Posts: 18,579 (SuperPoster!) 13 11.8k hugs given	Nov 07, 2015 at 10:30 AM #11 It can be different, but from my gyn menopause is usually 1 year without a period. It was funny, though: I had a full hysterectomy at 47 but I still wasn't considered menopausal until I had a full year without periods. I had all the symptoms but they've gone down in time (except for the facial hair).
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