Goodness...I hope it is a short ride!

perimenopause can last anywhere from a couple of years to 15 years. 40 is the average age to start peri, so I don't know why so many people seem to think 41 is early.
51 is the average age of menopause.

you can not tell when it will end just by when it started. The best way to guess (and it is still only a guess) is by how long it took your mother to get to menopause.

Perimenopause does start in your 40's and I have heard it is worse then the actual menopause itself. I had horrible perimenopause symptoms but as soon as I started an hrt it has helped me so much.

i have begun to think this will never end...i seem to get to the full menopause, then i have another period, usually for about 2-4 weeks long! and it goes hand-in-hand with the hot and cold flashes, mood swings, and all the other lovely symptoms. but, the good side is--all the men in my house never know from one day to the next if i'll be the sweet lil mom and lover, or the bitch from hell! definitely keeps us all guessing... :/

I started with symptoms of peri at the age of 36. I am now 39 and still am suffering. I, like you, am afraid that I will feel this way forever.........but learning new coping skills and ways to stay healthy have helped me out alot. Exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself during this time and its cheap and does not have any side effects!!!!

TEN MINUTES IS TO LONG FOR ME. I HAD MY MOTHER LAUGHING AT ME THIS MORNING. I TOLD HER MAYBE SOMETHING ELSE IS WRONG WITH ME BESIDES PERIMENO. THIS STUFF WEARS ON YOU PHYSICALLY, AND EMOTIONALY. I AM ON A RAW NERVE TODAY AFTER A SLEEPLESS NIGHT, AND A FULL LIST OF THINGS TO DO TO GET READY FOR TURKEY DAY. GOD GIVE ME STRENGTH:)

well, lets see, i started at 39, i'm 51 now--can i pray that 15 is the longest? if so--PLEASE LORD LET IT STOP--SOON! exercise does help. i've found that pretty much all of my mood swings can be lessend somewhat by taking a good brisk walk. and my rotties help a lot with that! i've also cut down on the chocolate--not stopped, but definitely cut down! did some serious eating changes, so i really do feel better. i refuse to diet, just doesn't make me happy and i'm big on being happy. so i watch what i eat, cut down on sugar stuff, still load up on caffeine daily, and try to walk more. and i do feel better mentally.

I started peri menopause at 43 I am now 46. My mom passed away 1 year ago yesterday and I failed to ask her how long she went through it. I did read it can last up to 10 years. I don't want to go on any HRT so for now I am using the progesterone cream and it's helping more with the hot flashes/night sweats then anything else but at least that part is better.

My moods lately have been so eratic, but mostly down. Week before last I was doing pretty good - since then I have been so down. I think part of it is the menopause but we all are going through different stages and things in our life that we have to take into consideration. Part of my depression is also the loss of my mom and our finances. How do you know the difference and does it really matter?

It is what it is.