Agree with you zzxxee, my whole cycle got more unpleasant as I go older, including heavy bleeds (I won't draw pictures, there are blokes watching) and hormonal migraines every month. I don't want to alarm you as there may be many causes, but mine turned out to be fibroids (to the extent that my examining GP asked me if I was sure I wasn't pregnant!). Long and short was, I had a hysterectomy in 1993, yippee, have not looked back since. Not a cure that everyone will want, but until you've had miserable periods, people don't know what it's like. Go see your GP, set your mind at rest if nothing else - and yes it could be menopause, onset is different for everyone.