Hi everyone, I'm a newbie. This is my background...
I am now 38 but when I was 36 (after a lifetime of regular cycles) totally out of the blue I went 6 mths without a period. After the first two missed cycles, I went to see my GP who ran bloods. He said FSH was a bit high so we should redo in 6 mths and take from there. As we were hoping to have another baby (and had an inkling my fertility wasn't right) I insisted on being referred to a specialist instead of waiting. There, I had the AMH test and was told, still at 36, that my fertility was so low it hadn't even registered - less than 1% and that IVF wasn't even really an option. We tried 3 or 4 goes of Clomid but as my periods were then intermittent I didn't really know when/if I was ovulating, so nothing came from it. I should say at this point my mum was in her late 30s when her periods started to end.
So last year, about 3 mths after being told I was infertile due to prem meno, I was made redundant. It all took a massive toll on my nerves and I have battled with anxiety now for around 18 mths. But this past week my anxiety has felt different...whereas in the past I have been somewhat able to deep breathe or distract myself through tense moments, now it comes on so instant and so quickly like the flick of a switch but most notably is that as soon as I feel anxious I get incredibly hot. I then feel dizzy and get headaches (which I've never suffered from). So now I don't know whether this is even related to prem meno or it's just the latest development in my anxiety. I have also been crying loads these past few days. Interestingly, I began using an app on my tablet when I was having periods to try to work out ovulation, and it still tells me when things are due to happen so I looked at it today out of curiosity and if I were still having periods, today would be three days into a period so that then got me thinking maybe I'm feeling so bad because hormones have gone haywire due to absent period??
I've booked a GP appt later today as I have sadly had to admit to myself that if this cr@p is happening without a job, how the hell would I manage to go to work with it? So I feel if I can have maybe 6 mths of financial support and have one less huge worry, I maybe able to focus on managing the anxiety and getting better with treatment/support. I tried Prozac after the redundancy and lasted about 10 days on it as I hated the feeling it gave me as if I were numb and almost out of body experience! But now I don't know whether to approach it from an HRT point of view or general anxiety.
Other than the anxiety, I've noticed other on and off symptoms...the condition of my hair has rapidly deteriorated, low sex drive, bizarrely one side of my face seems to have lost its shape!, I had a phase where I could feel my pulse all over my back when it was against anything!, noticed an extra tyre developing above my tummy area!, loads of aches in knees arms etc, bit of IBS, massive lethargy, when I did have periods they were incredibly heavy, obv not being able to have another baby is a massive blow, but apart from that...!!! I just wonder now if this heat when anxious is the start of flushes? But that doesn't really seem to make sense...from what I've read, the flushes begin at night time?
My last period was in April this year and I have a hunch (maybe wrong) that I won't be having any more. It just feels like it's all ended. I understand once it's been a full 12 mths, is it that I'm officially in the menopause...or is it that I'll have had it then? I also don't know what to do about HRT as I read the longer a woman goes with low oestrogen (obv longer for me being in 30s) the greater risk of bone issues. But my mum worked with loads of women when they were all around meno age and said only one woman went on HRT and sadly she got breast cancer, so that does kind of play on my mind. I've joined a gym recently to hopefully lose a few stone but more so to give me more energy.
Anyway, sorry it's turned into an essay and amazed if anyone has lasted til the end here but thanks for reading if so. xx
