Menopause..... Bleah

You officially hit menopause once you've gone 1 whole year without having a period.
What you are having now is most likely peri menopause - which is a period of increasing unpredictability and it can go on for 10 to 15 years before you achieve full menopause.
For me, I knew it was peri menopause when I had my first hot flash.
Hot sweats at night weren't any fun either.
For a long time my periods were normal, normal, short, normal, normal, long, normal,skip, normal, normal, long, etc.
You still need to use birth control - as long as you're having period at all it's still possible to get pregnant.
Toward the end my hot flashes seemed to finally go away and I went 9 months with no period only to have one and I had to reset my count and wait a whole year before I could have my menopause party.
I finally got to full menopause last Dec (I'm 53) and I'm thrilled to be done!

You should still have your annual exam so you can wait to ask any questions you have until then.

just common sense, really. i had to roll my eyes at doctors who insisted that until THEY declared i was in menopause (and once, memorably, had had a miscarriage) it wasn't so.
it certainly sounds as if you're at least in peri-menopause. when you start skipping them more and more, and/or get hot flashes, and/or get mood swings/, and/or experience changes in your...ahem.....vaginal climate, and/or your skin and hair get drier, then you'll have moved all the way into menopause.
or go to a doctor if you don't really trust your own sense of your body.
khairete
S.

Because changes to our periods can indicate MANY different things -- including various conditions, diseases, or something as simple (ha!) as menopause -- I agree with those saying you really should see your gynecologist. Don't assume that these changes are menopause or perimenopause; most likely they are, but in your position I would get checked, for sure. I have one friend who thought she was starting early menopause but found out she had cancer. I am not saying that is your case! And usually the simplest answer turns out to be the right one. But I would always check, since the symptoms of problems and the symptoms of normal changes to our systems look alike to us, as laypeople.

Women start menopause at very different ages, with very different symptoms, unique to each of us, so don't go by your age if that's what you're doing. And don't go by advice online or on web sites. See the doctor and just ask -- it's a question your gynecologist has heard plenty of times before.

Technically speaking, to definitely be certain that you are, a hormone test would work, however, IF you are like me, you prefer to stay away from doctors, so trusting your instincts can work too.... You don't state your age, but perimenopause can actually begin in your 30s and later on. In my case, it truly began to rear its head at about 42.. it was that my periods really began to change... in my case, HEAVIER... and of course, I had other changes like nightsweats, vertigo and well, the list goes on. Also, in terms of clotting.... can't say it's your situation as that can occur with any woman, BUT... if the clotting continues and you get them often, sometimes it could mean fibroids (for which I have) ... they are benign so no need to worry.. but they do alter your monthly cycles..
with PM, your periods can go from a 5 day cycle to longer and or shorter.. it's all about the hormones..... there are FREE monthly cycle charts online that you can print out and track your cycle. Due to all the various fluctuations in my cycle, I like to keep track of what I "might" expect each month.. I have learned that even know my periods seem erratic, there is actually a pattern, albeit one that fluctuations a lot... however, just in knowing what to kinda of expect has helped me cope each month...
good luck

Your age?

My periods got heavier before menopause, and I believe there was some clotting. If you are in your late 40's or 50's, it sounds like you are in perimenopause. Fun fun! Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones and avoid the night sweats, heart palpitations, dizzy spells, and whatever else I have blissfully forgotten about.

Of course it's probably a good idea to have an annual checkup.

My answer would change based on your age. If you told me you are 35, I'd have a different answer than if you said you are 47!

So does it sound like peri-menopause if you're on the "older" end of the spectrum? Yes. If you're having additional indicators, that's more evidence. But not everyone does have the hot flashes (or "power surges" or "personal summers" or other terms people use).

I agree with others that you need to be getting an annual checkup, you need to use contraception until you are absolutely menstruation-free for 12 months, and you ought to mention that clot to someone, at least by phone. Likely it was just old blood that accumulated and didn't come out without sufficient flow. But without a pelvic exam and other recommended tests or Q&A with your doctor, you're not getting full information. Most health insurance policies cover routine preventive care, and if your PCP is an internist, you don't necessarily need a separate gynecologist. So your annual gyn exam would be covered during your regular physical.

Only way I know to find out is a blood test. I had minor symptoms so i needed the blood test to be sure. Irregular bleeding can be a symptom of a more serious condition. I was first diagnosed with fibroids when I thought the bleeding was menopause. My doctor also did a blood test to rule out cancer.

Peri-menopause can last for years. Hot flashes, night sweats, weird (as you put it) periods, the whole enchilada. Each woman is different, though. My mom didn't have the hot flashes and night sweats. She had migraines instead, but they only lasted 6 months, and she didn't have a whole lot of them. I wish that were the extent of my symptoms.

Your doctor will tell you that when you have gone an entire year with no period, that you are actually in menopause. And to be honest, you should know going into this process what your bloodwork shows for your hormone levels. It is absolutely possible to get pregnant during peri-menopause. So make sure you use birth control until you've been declared menopausal.

Another reason to get checked by your GYN is to make sure that the period issues aren't something entirely different that would be alarming. I would not want to just assume that this is menopause related, in case something else is going on that needs attention.