Hi, I am 44. I have a lot of the symptoms of the menopause but my doctor says I am too young but he can't give me an answer to what is wrong with me

The average age to start the menopause is 45-55 so you are nearly at the normal range!

Also, the age you start the menopause can be hereditary, so if you can, ask other close female relatives when they started. You may find they did so at a similar age which would show a family link and would be quite normal for you to start now.

However, other health issues can appear around this age and cause menopause-like symptoms so I would ask your doctor to test you for low iron, low thyroid function, low vitamin D and B12, if they haven't already done so.

A blood test for the menopause is usually not very accurate especially if you are still getting periods of some kind so the test can often come back negative when, in reality, you are approaching the menopause!

You might also find my blog 'Is there a menopause test?' helpful. This outlines what your doctor might test for if they think you are approaching menopause, why this test might not be accurate and how to know if you're going through the menopause without a test, including early signs to look out for.

Eileen Durward