Pearl--
It's my understanding that hormone levels don't tell much about whether a
woman is in perimenopause. Women with high levels can be completely
period-free and women with low levels still menstruating just fine. (I'm not
taking the time to look this up, but you might want to check out the web
site for A Friend Indeed, an excellent newsletter I've subscribed to for
years. I've never been on the site but suspect there are searchable
archives.)

Forty-three isn't too young to be experiencing "symptoms" of menopause and
that's likely what this is. Women can have minor things going on for years
before the actual cessation of periods. And if it's fibroids, it's usually
no big deal (other than inconvenient) because fibroids shrink in a lowered
estrogen environment so they'll cause little trouble once she's truly
menopausal. (It's the opinion of menopause experts that too many women are
rushed into having a hysterectomy when nature will take care of things
eventually.)

www.afriendindeed.ca

Leslie Ayre-Jaschke, BEd, IBCLC
Peace River, Alberta, Canada
email: [log in to unmask]