How do i know if i am going through the menopause?
diane p asked:
I wake up regularly with my pyjamas dripping with sweat, i only have a 7 tog quilt and wear cotton pjs. This is the only symptom i have as i still have regular periods. Is it possibly the menopause, i am 41.
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I wake up regularly with my pyjamas dripping with sweat, i only have a 7 tog quilt and wear cotton pjs. This is the only symptom i have as i still have regular periods. Is it possibly the menopause, i am 41.
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October 21st, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Hi there.
I am wondering whether you do get hot flushes also during the day. The night sweats are not necessarily a sign of menopause.
Why don’t you consult a doctor and have a blood test done?
S/He will measure the levels of two hormones, LH and FSH, and would be able to tell you accurately.
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:51 pm
It could be the start of it. Although there are usually more symptoms. Having regular periods probably means your hormones are ok, and not an issue. Although, you might need to speak with your GYN about it. Try a fan close to you near the bed, it helped me when I started. Is your room to warm? There is a hormone test that can be done to check where you are in your peri menopause.
October 26th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
The causes of menopause can be considered from complementary proximate (mechanistic) and ultimate (adaptive evolutionary) perspectives.
From a proximate perspective: A natural or physiological menopause is that which occurs as a part of a woman’s normal aging process. It is the result of the eventual atresia of almost all oocytes in the ovaries. This causes an increase in circulating follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels as there are a decreased number of oocytes responding to these hormones and producing estrogen. This decrease in the production of estrogen leads to the perimenopausal symptoms of hot flashes, insomnia and mood changes, as well as post-menopausal osteoporosis and vaginal atrophy.
However, menopause can be surgically induced by bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries and both fallopian tubes), which is often, but not always, done in conjunction with hysterectomy. Cessation of menses as a result of removal of the ovaries is called “surgical menopause”. The sudden and complete drop in reproductive hormone levels usually produces extreme hormone-withdrawal symptoms such as hot flashes, etc.
As mentioned above, removal of the uterus, hysterectomy, does not itself cause menopause, although pelvic surgery can sometimes precipitate a somewhat earlier menopause, perhaps because of a compromised blood supply to the ovaries. Removing the ovaries however, causes an immediate and powerful “surgical menopause”, even if the uterus is left intact.
Cigarette smoking has been found to decrease the age at menopause by as much as one year, and women who have undergone hysterectomy with ovary conservation go through menopause 3.7 years earlier than average. However, premature menopause (before the age of 40) is generally idiopathic.
An ultimate perspective on menopause is given above in the “The possible significance of menopause in human evolution” section.
[edit] Symptoms of perimenopause, the menopause transition time
As the body struggles to adapt to the rapidly changing levels of natural hormones, a number of symptoms appear. Both users and non-users of hormone replacement therapy identify lack of energy as the most frequent and distressful symptom.[5]
Other symptoms include vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and palpitations, psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings and lack of concentration, and atrophic symptoms such as vaginal dryness and urgency of urination appear. Together with these symptoms, the average woman also has increasingly erratic menstrual periods.
These perimenopause symptoms are caused by an overall drop, as well as dramatic but erratic fluctuations, in the levels of estrogens, progestin, and testosterone. Some of these symptoms such as formication, may be associated directly with hormone withdrawal.
Vasomotor instability
hot flashes or hot flushes, including night sweats
sleep disturbances
Urogenital atrophy, (main article see Atrophic vaginitis)
itching
dryness
bleeding
watery discharge
urinary frequency
urinary urgency
urinary incontinence
Skeletal
osteoporosis gradually developing over time
joint pain, muscle pain
back pain
Skin, soft tissue
breast atrophy
skin thinning
decreased elasticity
formication, a sensation of pins and needles, or ants crawling on or under the skin
Psychological
mood disturbance
irritability
fatigue
memory loss and problems with concentration
depression
Sexual
decreased libido
vaginal dryness
problems reaching orgasm
dyspareunia
One cohort study found that menopause was associated with hot flashes; joint pain and muscle pain; and depressed mood.[6] In the same study, it appeared that menopause was not associated with poor sleep, decreased libido, and vaginal dryness.[6]
[edit] Treatment of symptoms
October 29th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
It is possible you are peri-menopausal although you are a little younger than average; the peri-menopause can last for several years.
I would advice you make an appointment with your GP as your doctor will be able to check your hormone levels. However at this stage you often don’t get a conclusive answer as the hormones are fluctuating so much. Have you noticed any change in your periods, i.e. lighter, heavier, shorter or longer than usual ? These are symptoms that can occur in the lead up to your menopause.
As another answerer says, it may be worth having your thyroid level checked too although if you are having no symptoms other than ‘night sweats’ then it is unlikely to be that. With an over active thyroid you would get sweats night and day.
October 29th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
yep.. you are experiencing one of menopause symptoms which is night sweats.. There are several factors that come into play when trying to determine when menopause will begin for a specific woman. Family heredity often influences when you will approach this milestone. For example if your mother was menstruating until her late 40s or beyond, the chances are good you will too. Other factors like women’s health can influence menopause. Certain disorders and diseases of the reproductive system can result in a hysterectomy at a young age and change what nature intended. With no external influences, like illness, the average of menopause onset is 45 to 60.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Menopause is a stage in life when a woman stops having her monthly period.It is a normal part of aging, marking the end of a woman’s reproductive years. More information and remedies at
November 1st, 2008 at 10:14 pm
You are most likely going through peri menopause . Menopause refers to the time when menstruation stops. A woman is not considered menopausal until she has not had a period for 12 consecutive months, according to the North American Menopausal Society. The time before menopause, which is often rife with symptoms due to hormonal fluctuations, is called perimenopause. During perimenopause, common symptoms include hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood swings and irregular periods.
December 5th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
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