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[honeybun]

Can I ask just what are the simple checks that will tell you if you are peri.
Blood tests are notoriously unreliable and most doctors won't do them. Hormone levels can change by the hour, day, time of the month.
I had three sets of bloods done years ago when I started missing periods.....at no time did they show anything amiss. My GP was happy to go with symptoms after having ruled out thyroid for instance.
As for gastric issues....lots of us have them but they need to be investigated. I would be less than pleased if every time I went to my GP with something wrong ....I was dismissed by the words....oh you are peri so we won't bother investigating anything else.
Surely all possibilities have to be explored to rule out any illness before peri can be considered.
Obviously our hormones should be considered and be high on the list of possibilities .....but not the only possibility.

If you could let us know what the simple checks would be I would be very interested.


Honeybun
X

[Limpy]

Simple checks at the point when I started getting sudden onset headaches would have confirmed me entering peri.
We could have tried BCP further or HRT to help whilst further investigations occur.

With sudden onset headaches presumably Drs would want to check on things like BP and Neurological issues to try and establish the cause. Wouldn't have thought they would contemplate giving the pill or HRT till they knew what the problem was.

[20032003]

I think that further investigations into problems are VERY important. But I wish that more doctors would ALSO consider the possibilities of hormones. Many seem to not have a clue, and I don't think it's so weird really. Many doctors are male and have never had a chance of experiencing PMS, cramps, indigestion caused by the hormones during your period, etc...

[getting_old]

hi getting_old,

I'll change that to getting_wiser (as we all do when we start our journey when our eyes start to open).

Tbh even my close female friends don't talk about peri/meno.

One friends husband joked about her flushes and you'd have thought someone had switched off the volume suddenly.

I really think thats half the problem with a lot of what we experience in life, periods, pregnancy etc.
All are taboo to talk about the "truth" and get people more aware of the issues

The most worrying aspect is the fact most ladies have a 10 year period in their life where quality can suffer at the very least. No surprise that the highest divorce rate is over this same time period.

 

So very, very true (and also very sad). I've always tried to hide the problems I had with my periods, possibly because I worked in a very male dominated environment, so never knew if the other women did suffer similar, and if they did they were doing a great job of hiding it too.

I'm sure DH was hoping that when I hit menopause things would improve. I'm still trying to work out how I tell him it could get worse!

[Briony]

Can I ask just what are the simple checks that will tell you if you are peri.
Blood tests are notoriously unreliable and most doctors won't do them. Hormone levels can change by the hour, day, time of the month.
I had three sets of bloods done years ago when I started missing periods.....at no time did they show anything amiss. My GP was happy to go with symptoms after having ruled out thyroid for instance.
As for gastric issues....lots of us have them but they need to be investigated. I would be less than pleased if every time I went to my GP with something wrong ....I was dismissed by the words....oh you are peri so we won't bother investigating anything else.
Surely all possibilities have to be explored to rule out any illness before peri can be considered.
Obviously our hormones should be considered and be high on the list of possibilities .....but not the only possibility.

If you could let us know what the simple checks would be I would be very interested.


Honeybun
X

I think there are some diaries you can download which help track your symptoms with your cycle, which at least give you and your doctor some form of clue. Cant remember which site I saw these on?   I've also had (a few) friends who had daily blood tests to track their hormones, but for most people, that's simply not realistic.  I also agree with you that it's important to check out other nasties first - especially as there are so many varied symptoms associated with our hormones. My only gripe with my previous GP was that he tested me for just about everything (I think I saw 8 different consultants over two years) yet refused to explore my hormones because I was only 40 at the time. If more doctors would only accept some of the less common symptoms as 'a possibility of something connected to hormones' I am sure they'd save the NHS a lot of money?

[peegeetip]

Simple symptoms, simple checks.

***Hot flashes
*Breast tenderness
*Worse premenstrual syndrome
*Lower sex drive
*Fatigue
**Irregular periods
***Vaginal dryness; discomfort during sex
**Urine leakage when coughing or sneezing
**Urinary urgency (an urgent need to urinate more frequently)
*Mood swings
*Memory issues
**Trouble sleeping
**Bowel issues

These are simple symptoms that can be found on any site that mentions the (hidden) peri.

The ones I've added *'s to were ones I had at the early part of peri arrival
The ones I've added **'s were added to the list after a few years
The ones I've added ***'s were those that came later but still at the point the doc was still not saying those magic words!!!
Some of the earlier symptoms like fatigue, memory, sex and breasts tenderness got worse as the peri continued. Its not like I stopped mentioning earlier symptoms either...

"You need some HRT for that!"

So even when I was having urine leaks/urgency and bowel issues, I was sent off for more expensive tests (not to mention pretty unsavoury ones). No peri or HRT solution was mentioned.

When I went with early VA/Dryness symptoms the doc refused me HRT at the first time we spoke and I brought it up.
I think the modern way of saying what doc meant was to "suck it up".
I was then given all the excuses/scare stories to not allow me HRT.
So the my journey began!

So if you'll excuse my list as its not extensive, but these simple checks on symptoms would have saved me years of visits and tests I didn't actually require (not to mention the expense again, did I mention the expense again tsk tsk ).
Simple and easy if they actually reviewed one's notes on their expensive computers and looked for a very simple pattern. Better still if they knew the actual symptoms or where to get a widely available list of PERI symptoms to check!

This is before we ever get to something as complex as taking blood!

Lets consider where we are and understand what could have been easily achieved to help other ladies get out of this long drawn out conclusion I had to endure (and with countless others no doubt).

Thankfully since I've started my new journey things have been much better.

Hope that's nice and clear for everyone.

 

[honeybun]

No not terribly clear to be honest.

A good few of the symptoms you note can be caused by other things too......therefore if a GP is doing his/her job correctly then other things have to be considered too.

Sweeping statements spring to mind.

Not all GPs are anti HRT at all but if a women walks through a surgery door with for example bowel or stomach issues then they would be very remiss in not investigating those symptoms properly. The same can be said for headaches.
The more important stuff must be ruled out first......surely.

I will give you a prime example......my sister.
Bad headaches....no cycle....feeling awful......Pituitary tumour......go figure. What would you have had her GP do.....oh it's peri.....have some HRT....really don't think that would have helped her.


Best to tick every box in case something is missed.


Honeybun
X

[peegeetip]

Tell me whats not clear and I'll clarify, otherwise please refrain.

*Breast tenderness
*Worse premenstrual syndrome
*Lower sex drive
*Fatigue
*Mood swings
*Memory issues

If a doc see's a lady in their late 30's onward and is not thinking peri after this initial list then we gotta ask our selves two things:

1) what are they not training these guys on
2) is this the right vocation for you

Sorry about your sister btw HB. Her symptoms would be more specific and with that type of tumour, growth in hands and feet etc is often another symptom that kick in early in that unless that didnt happen to your sister?

However I really think your missing the wider issue here that's letting down the majority of ladies entering and suffering through peri.

[honeybun]

You haven't included the headaches that you say started off your peri journey......surely they were investigated.
My sisters symptoms were not more specific.....terrible headaches were the first sign. No growth in hands or feet.

Good job her GP investigated.

I stand by my point. If a woman presents with non specific symptoms it's a GPs duty of care to rule out anything more serious than peri.
Then when all has been excluded look to hormonal changes.


Honeybun

[Dorothy]

Age 35 for me.  Started to get fluctuations in periods from very heavy to very light and had a lot of 'feverish moments' which I now recognize as hot flushes.  I also found myself becoming more anxious and tearful, especially pre-period and was upset that I was smelling however much I washed!  I actually went to my GP at that point but was dismissed as having 'normal' PMT and period fluctuations (in spite of the fact that I had never experienced this before!)  Five years to get proper diagnosis and help, but I know other ladies have had a much harder journey.

[peegeetip]

"These are simple symptoms that can be found on any site"
"So if you'll excuse my list as its not extensive, but these simple checks on symptoms would have saved me years of visits and tests"

I cut and paste the first simple list I found and stated the list was not extensive?
Thats how easy it should be for a doc. Join the dots or your in the wrong job...

Can't you read the whole post?

If doctors act and think like some on the site do then no wonder we are in a mess with diagnosis and help with our journeys.

[Limpy]

PGT - You did say the list wasn't extensive, nobody would expect it to be.

It's just that you said the Drs should have started considering meno when you started getting headaches, so it was surprising that didn't show on the list.

I don't think headaches would indicate that a woman had entered the menopause, I started getting bad headaches when I was 5 ish, a bit before meno!

Perhaps it's not surprising that your GP didn't pick up on it.

[peegeetip]

Search for "headache perimenopause". I said "peri" not "meno" btw

Loads of articles

Here's a brief quote:

"A new survey confirms what many headache specialists see in their practice: an increase in headache frequency for perimenopausal women.

A new study shows that the risk of having 10 or more headaches a month increases by up to 50% as estrogen levels drop and women enter perimenopause, said Vincent T. Martin, MD, co-director, Headache and Facial Pain Program, and professor, internal medicine, University of Cincinnati, Ohio."

Perhaps its surprising why more gp's don't pick up the small list I picked from the first peri symptoms website I found!

Like HB you've missed my point on simple symptoms = simple tests

[honeybun]

Likewise PGT, include hormones but don't dismiss every symptom as peri or menopause.

Otherwise something serious could very well be overlooked.

[peegeetip]

Or we could just start by avoiding (or not knowing) the obvious.