Hi notpastit - I wonder whether your hair would have started coming out anyway if you were already thinning on top. Have you discussed this with your GP or consulted a trichologist to find out what might be causing it? I take it that you have been tested for thyroid or anaemia both of which can effect the hair?
It could be that as you are at the stage where your oestrogen levels have fallen low enough for vaginal dryness to be a problem then the other associated symptoms of meno, such as thinning hair, could also be appearing. I know that progesterone can cause hair loss in some women but it seems quite rare in oestrogen only preparations?
This is such an upsetting part of meno for some women. This is from this site
"Hair thinning, dryness and the growth of unwanted hair can be explained by the lack of estrogen and the relative excess of androgens in the menopause (the adrenal glands and the ovaries continue to produce some androgens including testosterone, the effect of which is no longer overridden by estrogen). However, hair loss may be more dependent on age rather than hormone related and response to HRT is unclear. Thyroid disease and iron deficiency can also cause hair loss and should be considered, particularly if there are other signs."
Taz