leleszi0988,

Your levels certainly confirm menopause. At age 42, this would be considered early onset.

Many woman are fearful of taking hormones based on the WHI study. However, that study only used two hormone drugs, Premarin and Prempro Neither of those are bioidentical (meaning the chemical structure of the estrogen or progestin matches what OUR bodies produced). I'm not certain that we can truly draw any certain conclusions from that study, except maybe to stay away from Prempro.

Every woman needs to make her own decision about the use of hormones after menopause. But those decisions must be based on your set of circumstances, not fear. There are 400 known uses of estrogen (specifically 17 Beta Estradiol) in a woman's body. It effects every tissue and every organ we have. This is why woman can such a vast array of symptoms, some of which are vague. But everything from our sleep, bone density, to muscle and joint pain can be linked to the loss of this important hormone.

To me, this really comes down to quality of life and the potential to reverse or manage potential problems related to menopause. This thing never "goes away". It is the permanent loss of a minor hormone system that effects all our major hormone systems. This is why woman may also experience issues with thyroid or insulin after menopause.

There are plenty of options to restore a more normal hormone balance using bioidentical hormones, which might make you feel better and keep your body running well longer. It could be as simply as a estradiol patch, which is slowly absorbed through the skin.

I guess it comes down to, if in the future you are told you have osteoporosis which could have been handled if you had taken estrogen, will you be mad at yourself for ignoring it now? Sometimes, it isn't about whether we are currently have symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats, it's about our long term health and specific set of risks.

Do your research realizing that there are many, many options for hormone replacement. And there might be one that has a minimal side effects profile that feels good to your body. At age 42, this might be your best bet.