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[annie10]

hi im a newbie on here..im 40 in two weeks and im going through a tough time of late....ive always been very heavy with my periods i use up too 7 packs of pads in 12-14 days...but then i used to bleed in between..ive done this since i started at the age of 9.

so now in the past two months its all chanheg i was due to have my op to have everything removed and it got cancelled because im now spotting....lasts for 3 days then its finished..doc thinks im pre menopausal.....i dont i think ive hit the jackpot!!!

night sweats..crying hot flushes neck and shoulder pain fatigue...all of the time anxiety...joint pain...my whole body aches and ive got pelvic pain?
i spoke to my doc earlier today and shes now suggested to having alot of bloods done tomorrow to check my hormonal levels...to see whats going on and she said i may have to go on hrt? ...now im looking up why and how this will affect me.im not sleeping either cant get comfortable.any advice i will be grateful for...i feel at my wits end

[Taz2]

Hi annie - welcome to the forum.

You seem to have got a good GP who is on the ball as far as premature menopause/early menopause is concerned. Yes HRT is recommended for someone who is going through prem/early meno as you will need it to protect your heart and bones. Up to the usual age of meno oestrogen is produced naturally by your body and this gives you protection from osteoporosis and heart disease but if you are in meno then you will not be getting this protection. HRT risks only begin once you reach age 50/51 (normal  meno age).

During peri-menopause it is usual to go for months at a time without proper periods or to just have spotting or a really light flow followed by periods close together for a while followed by absent periods. They can be heavy or light and last for days or weeks. Peri meno lasts for around eight to ten years. The blood tests are not always accurate and I expect your GP will go by your symptoms as well rather than just relying on the test.

Let us know how you get on!

Taz x

[Hurdity]

Hi annie10

 

Hurdity x

[Kathleen]

Hello annie and welcome to the forum.

The problems you are having are very familiar to the other women on this site, we are all being buffeted by our hormones and it is a struggle, you are not alone.
There is plenty of support and good advice on the forum and with a good GP I'm sure you'll find the right treatment soon.

Take care and let us know how you get on.

K

[annie10]

HI ALL..WELL IM PRETTY ANNOYED WITH MY GP..SHE CALLED ME TODAY WITH MY BLOOD RESULTS..APPARENTLY IM NOT GOING THROUGH THE MENOPAUSE!!
SO I ASKED WHY NOT EVEN THOUGH MY BODY IS TELLING METHAT I AM..SHE SAID MY HORMONE LEVELS`WERE OK..AND THE ONLY THING OUT OF SYNC IS MY THYROID...SHE SAID THAT CAN GIVE EVERY SYMPTOM OF MENOPAUSE...WHICH I DONT REALLY BELIEVE...SO I ASKED HER ABOUT MY PERIODS NECK SHOULDER PAIN ACHY JOINTS HOT FLUSHES NIGHT SWEATS.. HEADACHES SHE SAID ITS ALL THYROID!!! I KNOW IM GOING THROUGH THE MENOPAUSE AS IVE GOT THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS MY MUM HAD...SHES SUGGESTED THAT I GO BACK TO THE CONSULTANT AND ASK AGAIN FOR A HYSTERECTOMY....

[Taz2]

Although it is frustrating to be told something you maybe didn't want to hear annie I suggest that you go with what your GP is telling you at the moment. Is your thyroid underactive or overactive? Thyroid probems can make you feel dreadful. Although it's tempting to think menopause because your symptoms mimic your mum's maybe you should wait until after your thyroid levels have stabilised before going back and asking for something as drastic as a hysterectomy?

What medication have you been given? 

Taz x

[Hurdity]

 I agree with Taz re the thyroid if the tests show your thyroid is playing up

...and also to add that  a single blood test is not usually sufficient to decide whether or not you are peri-menopausal since levels fluctuate and especially are variable depending on the time of your cycle when you have them.

There is some information on this site about blood tests and diagnosis of menopause:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/diagnose.php

It could be both...

Also you don't necessarily need to have a hysterectomy just because of heavy periods - there are several possible treatments  - again listed here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/heavyperiods.php
Go to that tab and then look at the subtabs - treatments etc

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

   thyroid mis-function can mimic other conditions.  Take a list of queries to your GP and have a proper face 2 face discussion.  Did she say if it's over or under active?

[annie10]

im already on 150mg of thyroxine daily..shes put it up by 25.i was already booked in for a full hysto over a month ago but it was cancelled...i think i may opt for it to be honest...i started periods at 9 years of age and my first was so heavy and ive been heavy since....the doc said having a underactive thyroid wouldnt cause excessive night sweats or the constant crying bouts....or any of the joint pain...i think i may go for the op get it over with i have from now until spring to recover fully.i know i will go straight into medically induced menopause but if im feeling like this now i may as well have a positive outlook on feeling worse until the docs get the hrt treatment correct...

[CLKD]

Have a read of the menus, left of screen.  Also, hormone blood tests don't tell the 'whole' story as hormone levels alter minute by minute.  My Gynae won't do them.

[Taz2]

I still think that at your young age a full hysterectomy could give you more problems than you are trying to cure. Have you been scanned for fibroids or other womb conditions? Also, not everyone gets on with HRT and surgical menopause is usually much more brutal than the normal, slower route into meno. You could find that HRT doesn't alleviate your symptoms. Hysterectomy also puts you at greater risk of prolapse in the  future. Although it seems a way out of your dilemma I am concerned that not enough has been done to help you through this without resorting to major surgery and all it entails.

Taz x