Hi,i'm Debbie and i'm new to the forum, can't seem to get any support from anyone,but i think i'm now in the right place!
Going back to 2009 my periods were few and far between,prior to this i was as regular as clockwork.I never thought anything,i just thought well i'm getting older.In 2010 i went to the drs because i couldn't sleep.Nothing was achieved so i plodded on.My next visit to the dr was because i was having headaches.It was put down to stress which was pheasable with my job being hectic(cook in very busy pub)and i was prescribed Amitriptyline which did help.My next visit to dr in 2012 was because i was constantly itching all over like something was crawling on me.I was prescribed Piriton but it didn't work and eventually it just disappeared.Next visit was in 2013 with what turned out to be costochondritis which has eased a lot but is always slightly present if that makes sense?Same year i went back complaining with bad pain in my foot and it turned out to be Plantar Faciitus,this disappeared after a while but makes an appearance every now and then.Early this year my job got a lot more stressful and things that were once a breeze turned out to be very difficult to cope with.I went to the drs to ask if i could take Fluoxetine, otherwise i would have to quit my job.I had been on these years ago and they had suited me fine.This time they didn't!I was on the lowest dose of 20 mg a day but they were knocking me out and making me feel like i was in a permanent trance.I was only on them for 27 days but i had to work away from home and i felt i couldn't do it because of the effect the Fluoxetine were having on me.So very wrongly i abruptly stopped taking them.After 3 days i felt very very ill.The whole of my body ached and my insides felt sore.I had to lie on my back in bed i was so uncomfortable.I had internal tremors and my stomach was very noisey. I blamed all of this on withdrawal sympoms from discontinuation of the Fluoxetine.I went to drs and he said to go back in a weeks time and i should feel better.I didn't and he said i had IBS so i was taking Apercap,but they didn't work.Two weeks later i went back because i still felt extremely ill.I was still blaming Fluoxetine but he said it couldn't be.I had test after test after test and everything came back normal.At this time my hubby suggested i get an hormone imbalance test as he had been listening to a gynaecologist on the radio.I asked for the test,i was told the normal range was between 1-15 and mine came back 29("menopausal changes").When i rang for the results i asked what my options were i was told "herbal or HRT" and that was it.I have listened to people over the years and a lot of people seem to be anti-HRT so i decided to try the herbal remedies but after 6 mths they have had no effect whatsoever.SO i finally decided after waiting a week to see a female dr i would try HRT as i had nothing to lose ,they couldn't make me feel any worse.The dr asked about my periods i told her i have 2 a year.She said it wasn't the menopause,my aches and pains are osteoperosis and i can't sleep because i have Insomnia.She said because i am 50 i am too old to take HRT, the risks are higher of getting cancer or having a stroke and because i am a little overweight.I totally accept the higher risks, but the average age for the menopause is 51,so how am i too old?(I'm 50)I was very disappointed in her diagnosis, she never read my notes apart from my visit a few days before regarding viral infection.She dismissed everything i said and so after telling me the Hrt wouldn't help me (because i don't have hot flushes)i said ok i'll leave it.She said if i changed my mind i could go back and ask her for it.But i am in a dilemma and don't know what to do.Looking back at my visits to the drs going back as far as 2010,after extensive research i have found all of my problems are related to perimenopause/menopause.No one will listen to me and no one can appreciate how i feel.During one of my visits afer stopping Fluoxetine it was suggested to me to start taking them again as it may help my symptoms because the more stress i get the worse i feel, but because of how ill i felt previously i was too scared, so i declined.I still have the tablets left over fom the last time,but i really don't know what to do.Herbal remedies are out of the question and it seems so is HRT..Sorry for giving you my life story but i don't know what to do for the best.Some days i feel better some days i feel like total crap!!!So am i in the Peri menopause or not?
