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[Woowaa33]

Hi all... I'm 37 and think I may be in perimenopause however finding getting support from my doctors is practically impossible.

A brief rundown of what's been happening for me.

3 years ago I started contraception (depo injection) after many years of not needing to be on any contraception. Also worth mentioning I had no problems with contraception in my early 20s

I first started to notice I wasn't tolerating the depo injection as I experienced frequent intense stomach cramps that felt like being in labour. My docs put it down to IBS however after changing from depo injection to evra patch the stomach cramps completely went.

However the intense cramps were quickly replaced by crippling anxiety once on the evra patch. So I decided maybe contraception just isn't suiting me so I came off the patch and went without any contraception and for 2 months my moods were all over the place.

Couldn't get out of bed for 2 weeks around ovulation time. Intense panic attacks and depression seriously dark thoughts. Iv also noticed my body temperature seems to be through the roof constantly. Sex drive been non existent on and off contraception the last 18 months.

 I'm currently not taking contraception and my last period lasted 2 days.
I feel like I'm losing my mind brain fog around ovulation also.. doctors only focused on the anxiety and want me to try sertraline?

Any helpful suggestions? Should I stay on contraception as doctors say it will help balance me out which I feel it does to a certain extent.
Is it worth trying the sertraline ? Or should I be pushing for HRT?

I am not one for medication unless I'm desperate which I now am and prefer healthier alternatives. I eat healthy regularly exercise no caffeine no alcohol or cigarettes.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated 🙏

[sheila99]

You  could try a combined bcp such as zoelly or qlara as they also contain oestrogen. This approach is often successful in younger women like yourself at the start of their meno journey. I would take a list of all your meno symptoms so they can u derstand it's peri not just anxiety and therefore hormone should be offered not ads. Many gps don't understand how early peri can start in some women.

[CLKD]

Morning.  Your GP should be prescribing appropriate HRT if U don't want to go the ADs route - which do work if they are targeted at anxiety . 

There is no such thing as 'early menopause'.  Do have a lookC at the Daisy website, for those going through 'early' menopause.  Medics don't seem to realise that some girls have a few periods then nowt, ever; others, rarely never menstruate.  Some women begin peri symptoms from i.e. mid-30s so there really isn't a real though GPs seem to stick by the mean age of 52!

Keeping a mood/food/symptom might help.  Is there a Nurse Practitioner in your Surgery who will know a little more about peri etc.?  You R not losing your mind: brain fog is common during pregnancy and menopause.  My head feels muggy all the while 

If U feel that the current contraception helps, mayB keep with it until you have had proper advice from someone in your Surgery.  There are dedicated menopause Clnics but waiting lists are long, both on the NHS as well as in the private sector.  Though it is often good to get onto a List the appt can be canceled if U do not require it when it eventually arrives.

NICE suggest HRT as the 1st route for those with intermittent bleeds, aches and pains - often due to a loss of oestrogen.

[bombsh3ll]

My vote would be for a a birth control pill with body identical estradiol - I take Zoely myself.

This is often a better approach in younger women because it can get rid of your periods if taken continuously, and you are more hormonally stable because it shuts down your own fluctuations and adds back a stable level of hormones.

It is also often easier to obtain if you have a GP who "doesn't believe in" perimenopause.

Birth control typically contains a higher dose of estrogen than menopause hormone therapy which can be better for bone health because of the risk of undertreatment with MHT - many women are given tiny doses of estrogen - which is particularly inappropriate for those whose own hormone production is starting to decline at an earlier age.

The combined oral contraceptive pill also reduces risk of ovarian, endometrial and colorectal cancers, with a bigger effect the longer you take it, whereas MHT does not. I personally plan to do 20 years on it due to my family history.

Additionally, if contraception is relevant to you it obviously provides that as well, which MHT does not.

[Woowaa33]

Thanks all.. really appreciate the support and words of advice.

I will speak to my doctors tmoro all being well and mention zoelly. Dreading the conversation as feel like Iv constantly been hitting a brick wall either they ignore my question about perimenopause or flat out tell me it's not possible at my age.

I think I will go back on contraception purely just for levelling out my hormones.

Iv also been looking into Magnesium glycinate so any further advice or sharing of experience taking this would be helpful Iv read a lot of positive things about it.

Now that the severe anxiety has tapered off a bit and I'm thinking more clearly I really don't want to take sertraline unless it's a last case scenario.