Stellajane - there doesn't seem to be a pattern - we often read on here about women who have been sailing along with regular periods and have had no apparent hormonal issues and then when the meno hits they are baffled by the strange and horrid symptoms that descend. I do think there is a genetic link though - my mother and grandmother had a premature meno and so did I, my 2 sisters obviously didn't get this gene. However I think you are right in thinking it is something to do with how our bodies react to hormones, or the lack of them, and the ability to adjust.
Most women's experience of the meno will be different and the main problem is that our NHS is not geared to treating us holistically to enable treatment for our symptoms to be tailored to our needs. Maybe in time genetics will hold the key and they will be able to test our bodies responses, look at our genes and come up with perfect solutions - not in our lifetime though. The best we can do now is get clued up, try various things and hope we can find our own balance. Dg x
