Perimenopause...

Perimenopause refers to the time preceding and immediately after menopause, during which the production of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone diminish and become more irregular, often with wide and unpredictable fluctuations in levels. During this period, fertility diminishes. When twelve months have passed without any menstruation, a woman is considered to be one year into postmenopause.

When can perimenopause start?

Symptoms of perimenopause can begin as early as age 35, although most women become aware of them about 10 years later than this. Perimenopause, the menopause transition time, can last for a few months, for several years, or for 10 years or even longer. In this respect it resembles adolescence, a similar process that surrounds puberty. In fact menopause has been compared to "puberty in reverse." The actual duration of perimenopause in any individual woman cannot be predicted in advance or during the process.

Not every woman suffers symptoms during perimenopause. About one third of all women get no noticeable symptoms other than their periods becoming erratic and then stopping. Another one third of women have moderate symptoms. The remaining one third of women have very strong symptoms which tend to have a longer duration. The tendency to have a very strong perimenopause may be inherited in some cases.

Melatonin

One piece of recent research has appeared to show that melatonin supplementation in perimenopausal women can produce a highly significant improvement in thyroid function and gonadotropin levels, as well as restoring fertility and menstruation and preventing the depression associated with the menopause.