How Long Does Menopause Last in Total?

The main question on a lot of women's minds is simply this: how long does menopause last? It does not seem like such a big deal if you are not yet going through it or if you have just started. Ask any woman who has been going through it longer than a few months and you will hear a different story. In truth, however, there is absolutely no telling. There is none. There is literally no real way to know. The best you can really do is judge your own circumstances by what your mothers and grandmothers went through when they experienced menopause. It is partially genetic. Otherwise, the best you can do is keep your fingers crossed – and know as much as possible about all the stages.

For most of us, "menopause" it is a catch all term. That is to say, we use it to describe the entire process. That is incorrect. Menopause is a stage all its own. It is one out of three or four. That is not a flaky answer, but a truthful one. Some women go through three stages, some women go through four. Under special circumstances, some women can even go through more.

The first stage is pre menopause. Actually, different doctors and gynecologists in different ways. For some people, pre menopause describes what a woman is experiencing when her periods first become erratic but that is the only symptom she has. For some people, it describes a period of time that can begin as early as your thirties. It really all depends.

However, it is often used interchangeably with perimenopause, which is the second stage. Once more, it means different things to different people, although the basic idea is the same. For almost everyone, it describes a period of transition. For instance, some people use the term to describe the period of time leading up to menopause. Some people maintain that it defines the period of time between when you start experiencing symptoms until a year or so after your very last period. There is no real way to pinpoint the duration of perimenopause. For some women, it only lasts about four years. For others, it lasts as long as ten. There can, of course, be instances where it lasts longer or for a shorter span of time.

Whatever the duration, this is when your hormones really begin to fluctuate. Your periods do indeed start to come at irregular spans of time. Your body's production of estrogen slows, on its way to ceasing. Ovulation slows and stops with it. This is the period of time when you also experience hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irritability, insomnia, fatigue, and even depression.

Menopause is very specific. That is, true menopause describes a very specific time of your life. You have to be without a period for twelve full months before you are actually in menopause. After that, you will not have any more periods and you cannot get pregnant.

Lastly, there is post menopause. This is basically the span of time following your very last period. After about a year or so, all the signs of menopause will fade away. For the rest of your life, you will be considered post menopausal.