When a woman starts menopause, would she spot a few days one month and spot for one day the next month? Does your period just stop at once? I keep reading how some women bleed a lot. I haven't had a regular period since August. I think I may be starting menopause but I don't have the anxiety attacks or hot flashes yet. Would those come first?

Everybody's different, but usually you would go through perimenopause first. This can last for several years and cause your periods to become irregular. But yes, I suppose you can just stop. You don't give your age - are you sure you're not pregnant? Because usually women know when they're getting close to menopause because their periods will be a little 'off' - light one month, heavy the next, or skipped altogether - they'll have hot flashes, things of this nature. You don't seem to be have any of this. There are other reasons why you haven't had a period, but if you are around 50 years old, then the beginning of menopause is a good bet.

Sounds like you're in perimenopause. Until you haven't had a period for a year then you're in menopause. I was having the same kind of periods, every 2 or 3 months and just spotting for a day or two.

To Kellie

Thanks for the reply. I turn 43 tomorrow and have always had a regular period. I don't have the hot flashes or anything else yet. I will see what happens next month. But a lot of days my underwear feels a little wet but when I check there's nothing. I'm sure I'm not pregnant because I have fibroids and haven't been able to conceive. My body must be starting the change, that's all I can think of.

To Cloverberry

I thank you too for your response. If this is the start of menopause for me I hope that I have it easier than my mother did. She would get fast heartbeats all the time that really scared her. She would always go to the doctor but they couldn't diagnos anything. I guess those were anxiety attacks.