Question is for women who've gone through menopause?

im only 36 but i often wonder what menopause is gonna be like. what should i expect? how do you handle it? what age does a woman usually start menopause? do some women still take the pill just for the estrogen after they start menopause? my aunt did, thats why i asked that. ive been on the pill sence i was 16.

i know my mom had hot flashes alot. she was always hot even when it was chilly. i know she takes meds but im not sure what. ive heard its not pleasant and im not looking forward to it at all.

It's different for everyone, but usually your first indication will be hot flashes - you feel very, very hot for a minute or two and break into a sweat all over. It's over in a couple of minutes, but uncomfortable.

Moodiness and grouchiness are other signs, but other people will see these before you do.

Some women start in their late 30s, some in their 40s, some in their 50s - talk to other women in your family, as it is like the onset of puberty and traits run in families.

Yes, some women never stop taking the pill and therefore never go through menopause. This does have its own possible complicatins. Talk to a gyn about them.

Personally, other than being a crab for a while, it hasn't been so bad, and I'm really happy not having a monthly problem any more!
Speaking as a daughter of a post-menopausal woman...It hit my aunt and mom in their 50's. The biggest things are hot flashes and estrogen replacement. My mom threw a fit about how her estrogen pills were made (something about female horse pee from mares of recently aborted calfs). It threw her in an absolute tizzy, and started a quest for a better replacement therapy she could use. I don't know about "the pill" as mine were both single and could no longer have kids. But from watching them, hotflashes and night sweats are miserable and lasted at least a couple years. They were more emotional and the emotional part was as hard as the flashes. But that is all I know. I'm not ready to ask in depth questions yet, i'm only in my 20's!
Well just so you know, all women are different at what they experience...
Each woman has different feelings and obstacles to overcome...
I had the night sweats and would have my clothes get all wet and I had to change every day and wash a lot...
I also had hot flashes and was too hot a lot of the time...
I used to get the AC on to cool it off in the house and then I would have those darn night sweats and I was freezing and had to turn off the AC...
I was miserable and this went on for about 3 years for me...
Luckily I was disabled and out of work, cause I don't know how I would have made it to work every day...
I went through bad moods and good moods, but my poor husband never knew what to expect...
He brought me flowers for no reason, except to brighten up my day...
I was blessed with an understanding husband that's for sure...
But every woman is different and some have more severe reactions than others and some are more mild, like my mom...
She had little hot flashes, but not enough to interfere with her job...
But it seems like everything changes...
Your taste for foods and drinks and your weight and your hair and your skin and health, some for the good, some for bad...
There is no way to pinpoint what you will endure yourself...
It's all different...
I was not on any kind of pill for this menopause specifically, because due to my pain in my disabity, I was already seeing a doctor for my other pains...
I never was on birth control cause my husband had a vasectomy years ago...
I was having mood swings though...
I found a cup of hot tea and mood music helped me a lot...
Soothing music I mean...
I started at age 50...