premenopausal??

I really don't know wuts going on here, my Drs don't really communicate w me n everyone I know has had a hysterectomy along time ago, as I have not, I am 49 n have had one daughter 22 yrs ago, always had light 3 day periods n now iv been told I'm in peri menopause, I was given some cream to rub on inside of my forearm but it did nothing for me so I didn't keep buying it every month. Nothing else was prescribed to me at all. I started having extremely heavy periods, like some days I cudnt even leave the house, then I didn't have a period in 3 months n I felt the best I've ever felt in my life, I mean like really level, grounded emotional state, and I wasn't crying all the time anymore, it was completely amazing, I loved it. Then, my extremely heavy periods came back n iv had them for 2 months now, like changing tampons n pads every freaking hour plus my underwear and jeans cuz I go thru them so fast as well, this last time it went thru fresh pad, tampon, underwear n jeans in 30 minutes, I took 10 tampons n pads w me to work but then it let up a bit by end of day. Is this normal? My meds management Dr says I'm gonna have to have a hysterectomy now in life, that doesn't seem right, iv gone all my life without one, why now? Can anyone plz help me? Thank you so much for any advice you can pass my way.