I am 46 years old and I was sterilised when I was 27. Can you tell me if hot flushes coudl be the start of the menopause? I've been getting them for years and now I'm getting them whilst I'm in bed. My periods have always been heavy, to the point where I've needed medication to calm them down. However, over the past 3 months they have changed and I've only bled heavily for one day. This week, when my period was due, I started sweating to the point where it was pouring out at the back of my neck, my cleavage, and my face. Is this normal?

Your symptoms are common ones on the approach to the menopause and you are in the average age range 45-55 so it is possible.

For some women the approach can take a number of years before their periods stop for good.

It is also usual to experience your symptoms just before a period; although your hormonal balance is changing there is still a monthly cycle, only now it may not always be high enough to trigger a proper bleed but will still be high enough to cause a few problems!

You may find sage helpful for the sweats and I would also suggest a magnesium supplement to help support your body generally at this time.

Getting sterilized so long ago is unlikely to make any difference now menopause-wise.

Eileen Durward