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[KK75]

Wow!  Where to begin?
I am 49 and I feel like I have been on the peri journey forever.  Certainly before 2020, but my mum was in poor health, I was her carer and I put it all down to stress.  She sadly passed away in 2021, then I put my feelings down to grief.
Two years ago I finally went to the GP.  Bingo card of symptoms.  He put me on Elleste Duet 1mg.  I stayed on that for about 6 months and felt marginally better.  It was increased to 2mg.  I went back last summer and he told me he had reached the end of the road of prescriptions and I should go private as the wait for menopause clinic at that point was 72 weeks.  It is now two years. 

I had a consult through my PHI through work.  They suggested scans to check for fibroids.  I felt it was un-necessary and couldn't face it all, so I kept plodding on, feeling progressively worse.  A couple of months ago I bit the bullet and went back to the GP.  Different GP - prescribed Femoston.  I was on that for two months - sleep was away to hell, symptoms were back to square one and my scalp broke out in big red welts. 

I've had a consult with another GP who has now put me on the Evorel Sequi patches.  I am coming up for a month on them and OMG, this is not going well.  I feel like I am sinking into a terrible depression and battling to keep my head above water.  I am exhausted to a level I have never experienced.  I am usually in the gym or working out 5 times per week - I can just about drag myself out of bed to work (from home) so my productivity is bloody awful.  I am dodging conference calls and cancelling scheduled calls because I don't want to speak to anyone.

I am crying so much - i NEVER cry.  Throw into all of that, I am suffering from the word acid reflux of my life.  I've had some stomach issues with GERD in the past, but it has been dormant for quite some time, but this is insane pain and discomfort, which makes me scared to eat.  I'm double dosing meds for that.

I quite literally feel at the end of my tether.

I've enquired with my PHI provider again and they've given the green light for a consult and given me a list of specialists to choose from in gynaecology.  I am just about to select one and go down this rabbit hole.

There are so many options and it is all bamboozling.  Tablets, patches, gels - the testosterone question because that seems to be a lottery whether you can get that and given my libido is dead and my marriage will be too if things don't improve.

My poor mum suffered.  She had terrible periods and had a full hysterectomy aged 45.  Many complications thereafter that robbed her of a healthy life right up until the end.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

[CLKD]

   now I'll read your post ;-)

[CLKD]

Yes. There is a light.  Sorry about your Mum, it is easy to put down all kinds of symptoms to stress etc.. Now it's time to take care of yourself.  How much is DH aware of your problems?


Your provider should be sending U to a dedicated menopause clinic as gynaes often know less about menopause effects that many GPs still seem to. There are waiting lists in both NHS and private sector, however, if U R able to take a cancellation appt when some1 no longer requires it or fails to show, that mayB a way to get seen sooner rather than later.

Keeping a mood/food/symptom diary may be useful to chart progress. 

There are many types of delivery for HRT regimes and it can be Trial and Error to find something that suits.  It isn't a cure but does help many women to feel better.

MayBe decide which symptom U would like to ease first?  If the current regime is causing such bad symptoms I would stop - no medication should make a patient 'that' ill! 

When did your GP do full blood count, VitD levels and thyroid function tests?  Low VitD levels made me feel very tired until my GP prescribed capsules. 

Which meds are U using for reflux?  As oestrogen levels fall muscles may become lax = aches and pains and hiatus hernia is common in peri-menopause.  My GP prescribed omeprazolol capsules which have helped.  Milk of Magnesia liquid as a backup. 

[Sunnyangel]

Hi there KK75. Don't give up. Just saw a menopause specialist (privately) this morning after multiple poor experiences at my local GP practice. Specialist was really good. I had to pay but it was worth every penny. I got an appointment more quickly because I rang up to see if any had been cancelled and just dropped lucky.  There was actually plenty of time to talk things through during my appointment, it wasn't rushed and I felt that my concerns were listened to and things were properly explained. I now have a plan for moving forward and a plan also if treatment needs to be adapted. I felt bad going private but this was destroying my sanity and I'm very low-maintenance in all other areas of my life. Hope you find a solution soon, there is one out there I'm sure and you should not have to suffer pain and confusion.

[sheila99]

Choose one that's a meno specialist not a gynae as many know next to nothing about meno. There are 2 aspects to this, one is getting your dose of oestrogen right and the other is finding a progestogen you tolerate well. When you feel worse it's usually because of the progestogen so it's worth keeping a diary so you know how different you are on oestrogen only.

[CLKD]

Don't feel bad about taking care of your health and teeth by paying!  It has never bothered me, having been covered by work insurance as well as paying for our implants we know that we are as healthy as we can B rather than waiting for the NHS.