at what age does menopause generally start?

It can start at any time, I have a friend who is only in her early 40's and she has been going through it for about 12months, I know someone else it didn't start until she was in her late fifties...so it can vary....

I've found a well documented article that can respond to your question. Irregular monthly cycles are indicators, but not every woman will skip periods. Some will continue with their cycles, yet demonstrate other symptoms. This can make it difficult to determine what exactly is happening in the body and often there are mis-diagnosis. However, because the age of menopause is generally between forty-five and sixty-five, patients and medical professionals can use age as a determining factor. But, this does not mean that every depression episode experienced during this fifteen year span can be contributed to the change of life. Nor does it mean that depression experienced before the age of forty-five indicates early menopause. Read full story here: http://www.christianet.com/menopause/whatagedoesmenopausestart.htm

Sounds like you are a little young yet, but everyone does it at a different age and heredity does count. I guess I started mine about in my mid-40's with hot flashes, though I didn't know what there were then. I would just get really hot all of a sudden for no reason. Mood swings did get worse...poor hubby. He avoided me a lot! LOL! As for the change in monthly cycle...it seems like it took several years. First I'd skip and then it would be back. Then I skipped for about 6 months and thought I was finished and then it came back. Finally, it stopped for good. That was great! Every woman knows how much fun that monthly cycle can be!

i heard it can start at anytime. but usually in your mid 40's

The average age is about fifty, but you can go into it younger, depending on lots of things. The best advice is to see your doctor, they should be able to tell you whether your symptoms are menopausal or not.

If youre in your late 30's it could be something called perimenopause where your body gets ready to go into menopause, although you won't actually enter menopause until youre in your late 40's early 50's. It really is dependant on when other women in your family entered menopause though.