I'm 45 been having hot flashes..for a month.period have been heavy with clots for a while. late this month could it be menapause?

Maybe not menopause: but possibly climacteric symptoms. If you had bad periods as a teen, you likely have endometriosis which prematurely ages the ovaries and results in early menopause ~ 43 - 46. symptoms start before that. You should seek out estrogen replacement to feel better. Even if you are average and will go thru menopause at 51, you could be starting to have some symptoms now. Estrogen will improve.

Menopause: It probable is the beginning of the transition to menopause. In Peri-menopause, women experience irregularities in their periods, both having them further apart or closer together. The hot flashes also suggest that you are having diminished estrogen and progesterone. I suggest that you see your Ob/Gyn for further evaluation.