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[AromaticCandy]

Hi everyone I'm kind of at my wits end and really not sure what to do. I started getting some strange symptoms around a year ago, the most obvious one to me being night swears. I'd also wake up at 3am every night. More recently, I've started with hot flashes during the day, insomnia, intense mood swings (one day i can be on a high, the day after super low and tearful), anxiety and tinnitus. I also have low libido. These aren't constant - I'll have a few weeks of it and it'll calm down a little. I went to see my GP to figure out what was going on and he did a bunch of tests including hormones, presumably to figure out if I'm actually menopausal (which felt a hit pointless cos I still have my period). He told me everything came back normal, I'm not menopausal (I know this - but I went about peri) and there's nothing they can do for me.

I just feel a bit lost like he's washed his hands and done his job. He's treating me based on bloods and not on my symptoms.

Im tempted to go private but I'm worried that someone else is going to fob me off cos I'm 'young'. I looked at the NICE guidelines which doesn't say much about perimenopause before 45, just menopause.

Did anyone else start with symptoms like this around my age and what advice do you have for me? Thanks 

[CLKD]

Hi. Your GP is negligent. 

     Is there a Nurse Practitioner with peri menopausal knowledge, U could find out by contacting your Practice Manager.  In the mean time, ask for a referral to a dedicated menopause clinic - many GPs still don't know that these exist.  As there are waiting lists both in the NHS and private sectors, better to get a referral sooner rather than later - you can always cancel when the appt. arrives if you no longer require advice.

Browse round. Make notes ;-).  Some find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use to chart progress.

No one is too young!  Some girls have a few periods then stop, others never menstruate at all - rare but it happens.  Also we can go into peri at any age, there is supposedly a mean age of 51.  However!!!!

Let us know how you get on. Keep posting, U R. not alone in these remarks from medics. 

Lots of ladies go into peri 'early' U are not alone. 

[jaypo]

I totally agree with clkd,your GP needs to read up on menopause and peri,you're never too young to have peri symptoms,a friend of mine hit peri when she was 38, is there a meno clinic anywhere nearby?

[CLKD]

Also your GP is negligent in not suggesting HRT to protect heart and bone strength.  And negligent in not referring U anywhere.  Don't pick a gynaecologist though as they often don't know much more than GPs seem to!

[AromaticCandy]

The best thing about all this is he claims to have a specialist knowledge in menopause 😂 I'm planning on changing GP surgery anyway - I also have endometriosis to complicate matters but they've been utterly useless throughout the entire thing.

I'm in Manchester so we have a few NHS options and some private ones too - I was just miffed that he was unhelpful cos I didn't wanna fork out for private but I guess I'm going to have to. We have an endometriosis specialist consultant locally who is very clued up on peri and meno so she's an option as well. I was just worried they'd think I was too young.

I only really know about peri because I've a few mates older than me who went through the same at a similar age.

Anyway - I've started keeping a symptom diary and will keep you all posted

[CLKD]

I can't tell U how angry I am that he 'considers himself ... ' certainly a GP to report to Dr Currie and the BMS!

Let us know how you get on.  I believe that the daisy web-site is for 'early' menopause so but I may have dreamt that [menobrain here] 

[AromaticCandy]

I wrote a formal complaint out but didn't get as far as submitting it. Daisy is for early meno but don't think it covers peri, but I will look again.

I know there is help out there - but it's just so disappointing for a doctor who has supposedly had specialist training to fob me off.

[CLKD]

It might be worth asking the Practice Manager exactly how he thinks that he is giving 'correct' information!  MayBe he's read a book  but in all seriousness, it simply isn't good enough!

[jaypo]

It really isn't good enough,especially now,when meno is "so out there " the number of times I've had to educate Drs is ridiculous

[AromaticCandy]

It really isn't good enough,especially now,when meno is "so out there " the number of times I've had to educate Drs is ridiculous

I was just really surprised that was his answer. Like okay cool my bloods are normal, we've ruled out anything sinister - but what's all these symptoms and can you fix me 😂

Instead it was 'your bloods are normal not sure what we can do'. I think complaint is the best option here and a referral elsewhere.

[AromaticCandy]

I should also add that I couldn't say for sure if my periods were irregular or different. I'm on the mini pill and have been for 3 months after a year on the combined pill (which I had to come off thanks to aura - I'm still convinced it's the oestrogen dose in it that was too high) so couldn't tell you what my periods are up to. Prior to this I had a copper iud and my periods were anything from 25 days to 35 days. Since going on the mini pill I had a 23 say cycle and a 17 day cycle but chalking this up to it being new to me.

Do periods have to have gone erratic to officially be peri? 🤔

[LittleClaire]

You literally sound just like me! I am 37 and been having similar symptoms for 6 months now (probably longer just didn’t click in my mind that’s what it was). Thought I had some terrible disease so kept going back to the doctors as I just wasn’t right. Had night sweats, random aches and pains, hair shedding, dry itchy skin, couldn’t sleep without waking at 3am every night, absolute raging mood swings etc.  They did bloods after bloods and all “normal” referred to hospital for swollen glands in neck that wouldn’t go down (didn’t know this was even a symptom until later), again told nothing wrong. In the end after many a night googling and looking on instagram I realised it was my hormones. In the end I rang my GP and said I want to speak to someone about starting HRT. I got an appointment with a nurse and as soon as I walked in and told her she said “you’re too young for me, I’m going to refer you to the doctor” so had to wait for another appointment. Luckily when I saw this doctor she said I can try HRT, although she couldn’t confirm for sure if I was peri as my bloods were normal 

I started on combined patches earlier this week and I have already felt my mood lift and haven’t had the hot flushes in my face in 4 days. I know it’s early days but a little improvement already is a good sign. Keep trying until you’re heard and go ahead and put that complaint in. It’s diabolical how we have to put up with this because of the lack of education in the medical industry.

[AromaticCandy]

You literally sound just like me! I am 37 and been having similar symptoms for 6 months now (probably longer just didn’t click in my mind that’s what it was). Thought I had some terrible disease so kept going back to the doctors as I just wasn’t right. Had night sweats, random aches and pains, hair shedding, dry itchy skin, couldn’t sleep without waking at 3am every night, absolute raging mood swings etc.  They did bloods after bloods and all “normal” referred to hospital for swollen glands in neck that wouldn’t go down (didn’t know this was even a symptom until later), again told nothing wrong. In the end after many a night googling and looking on instagram I realised it was my hormones. In the end I rang my GP and said I want to speak to someone about starting HRT. I got an appointment with a nurse and as soon as I walked in and told her she said “you’re too young for me, I’m going to refer you to the doctor” so had to wait for another appointment. Luckily when I saw this doctor she said I can try HRT, although she couldn’t confirm for sure if I was peri as my bloods were normal 

I started on combined patches earlier this week and I have already felt my mood lift and haven’t had the hot flushes in my face in 4 days. I know it’s early days but a little improvement already is a good sign. Keep trying until you’re heard and go ahead and put that complaint in. It’s diabolical how we have to put up with this because of the lack of education in the medical industry.

Oh my god the terrible disease worry 😂 It's the worst! Another annoying thing I get - not exactly brain fog (tho I do struggle hugely with concentration these days) but forgetting words! I'll be in a meeting at work and then poof - the words will just go, leaving me frantically grasping for the words 🫠

Hope the HRT helps you - glad you found someone sensible who would listen! Hopefully I'll find that person soon

[LittleClaire]

Isn’t it just 😂 at the time though it was horrendous I spent all summer thinking am I dying or something and the doctors are missing it. It spoilt my first holiday abroad with our 2 year old daughter as I spent the week just anxious and worrying what was wrong with me I felt so guilty.

I think it’s more known these days as we have instant access to the internet where people are posting similar symptoms and experiences where as our mams and nanas wouldn’t have known what it was as the internet wasn’t around 20+ years ago when they were our age. Good luck with getting yourself sorted and if the NHS are no help when you change surgery it might be worth looking into private just to get that first consultation with the right person 🤞☺️

[LittleClaire]

Know what you mean about the brain fog aswell, I’ll be talking to someone then all of a sudden my mind goes blank and I can’t remember in that second what I want to say next it’s so strange isnt it!