ask: When, if ever, is menopause over?

As someone who has reached menopause at age 54, I am so sorry to hear that you are still battling with hot flashes, anxiety and insomnia.

Menopause is defined as the final menstrual period and usually confirmed when a woman has missed her periods for 12 consecutive months (in the absence of other obvious causes).

What does your doctor have to say about the persistence of your symptoms?
Has he or she checked your thyroid function? Hot flashes and thyroid problems are linked with decreased levels of estrogen in a woman´s body during menopause.

This is something you might want to discuss with your physician.

Maryann

Menopause is never over.You are living in a hypoestrogenic state. The medications your doctor has given you will only treat the symptoms and not the cause.You need estrogen to treat the condition.

Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether.

Menopause is completed when a woman has missed her period for 12 consecutive months. This is called post menopause.

Several major studies have questioned the health benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy, including the risk of developing breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.

Every woman is different. When these symptoms end for you will be a different time than for another woman. Discuss this question with your doctor, who knows your medical history.

Maryann

Thanks Maryann. I have not had a period for over a year now. I see my doctor for regular check-ups and my life has been very stressful for the past 5 years or so. I am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel and things are looking much better now. Thanks again. Elsie