Actual Perimenopause Symptoms and Information

[PocketPeanuts]

I'm 34 and I strongly suspect I've started the perimenopause. I have a GP phone appointment this week to discuss it. I'd like to ask for one of those hormone tests to see if it does seem likely that's what's happening (I read that they're useless once you get to 40ish as hormones will be changing/reducing etc. by then anyway so now seems like the ideal time) and then I'd like to discuss the possibility of HRT if it's appropriate.

However, having spoken to other women (in the area who will have gone to the same GP practice), I suspect the GP will try to brush me off by saying I'm too young to be going through it etc. so I want to be armed with as much information as possible. Except, many of the 'official' pages seem to miss a tonne of symptoms I've seen discussed on MN.

The main thing I'm getting is hot flushes/night sweats (I even remarked on how hot it was in a dream about Buffy the Vampire Slayer I had last night as I was obviously in the middle of a hot flush!). I also feel like I'm emotionally very dysregulated and I'm getting upset very easily (feels like being pregnant again - I suspect I could watch someone read out their shopping list and if some sad music was played over the top I'd be bloody sobbing). I've had a few headaches recently, which I didn't realise was a symptom until I looked it up. I also had a UTI a little while back out of the blue and have since found out that can be a sign!

I'm on the mini pill so don't get regular periods anyway (tend to get nothing for a while and then some spotting now and again with a heavier bleed every few months) and between hormonal contraception, pregnancy and breastfeeding I haven't had a 'proper' period/let my cycle do its thing for well over a decade so I have no idea what's happening there.

So, what else should I be looking out for? What else can I mention? And what sort of excuses should I expect from the GP (I tend to find if they can't just prescribe antibiotics or antidepressants they don't want to know - I'm also autistic so have problems being taken seriously as I don't always display the emotions/pain responses etc. others expect)?

I just feel a lot of the pages online miss a load of information and think MN is a good place to get some real experiences and maybe some advice from women who have been successful being taken seriously.

Well you are too young. It's bad for your overall health to have it under about 45

It's also incredibly rare at your age

If you are going through peri menopause the doctor will be wondering why , is something else behind it

Thanks to pp for the list of 66 symptoms. I seem to be acquiring new ones every week! Allergies, 'middle aged' looking weight gain all ringing true at the minute. But the crawly itchy skin is another thing I wouldn't associate - I've been looking for nits or spiders on me at times!

I've been putting up with it for a while, half thinking about seeing a doctor but not sure things are really 'bad' enough.

If it's not perimenop but you are determined to treat these problems as perimenopause, you may get treatment for perimeno when you actually would get better faster by treating the real cause.

The main thing I'm getting is hot flushes/night sweats

Causes of night sweats can also include:

anxiety
some medicines – some antidepressants, steroids and painkillers
low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
alcohol or drug use
stress, sleep environment, quite a few other medical conditions such as GERD.
a harmless condition called hyperhidrosis that makes you sweat too much all the time
unknown
Infection, other changes in endocrine system, cancers

I hope you feel better soon.

@EarringsandLipstick

I just checked the medicine leaflet for Evorel Conti. It supplies a synthetic version of progesterone which isn't a effective as Utrogestan which is a micronized, body identical form of progesterone, probably why Evorel Conti isn't prescribed here (Ireland).

As far as I'm aware Everol Conti shouldn't be prescribed if you are still getting fairly regular periods. Everol Sequi can be as its separate patches for oestrogen and progesterone. But it's still norethisterone rather than micronised progesterone.

@EarringsandLipstick

I just checked the medicine leaflet for Evorel Conti. It supplies a synthetic version of progesterone which isn't a effective as Utrogestan which is a micronized, body identical form of progesterone, probably why Evorel Conti isn't prescribed here (Ireland).

It is just as effective. It may not be as well tolerated by some women. I felt terrible on utrogestan and absolutely fine and dandy on a tablet with noristherone in it.

Also my tablet (Novofem) which has noristherone in it is most definitely prescribed in Ireland

www.facebook.com/groups/384849495215750/?ref=share

Lots of resources in the FB group, have a look in Topics, & Files too

www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/menopause

thebms.org.uk/publications/

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190612110127.htm

www.managemymenopause.co.uk/

menopausesupport.co.uk/

Find your local NHS &/or private menopause specialist thebms.org.uk/find-a-menopause-specialist/

Blood tests to diagnose POI in your age group are advised thebms.org.uk/publications/consensus-statements/premature-ovarian-insufficiency/

I am on the Everol Sequil patches and I put it on yesterday at 4pm and I swear to god the pain in my arm is gone already and I just woke up about an hour ago compared to the 4am-6am time I’ve been waking up recently, I didn’t think they would work that quickly!

If the blood tests come back not showing anything, I would then ask your doctor to fully investigate what is causing your symptoms. Make sure you get your thyroid function fully tested as well.

@SunbathingDragon

If the blood tests come back not showing anything, I would then ask your doctor to fully investigate what is causing your symptoms. Make sure you get your thyroid function fully tested as well.

The OPs symptoms sound like peri to me, very strange if a thyroid issue gave the exact same symptoms.

Also blood tests aren’t accurate because hormones fluctuate.

@PocketPeanuts
Could the symptoms be to do with the mini pill?

I don't think you can know for sure unless you take all synthetic hormones out of your system, allow your body to return to its norm, and then observe. I'd stop the mini pill and wait months to see what exactly happens.

You can't know anything for sure when you are taking synthetic hormones, I think. I might be totally wrong but just a thought.

And yes a minority of 1% only is still thousands of people, so you may have early MP, but it would be interesting to put a different exposure over the symptoms and see how rare or common they are with the mini pill.

Bit late to this OP but I went through IVF a couple of years ago at 35 and found out through tests for that that I was perimenopausal. (Fortunately the IVF was successful anyway). Symptoms so far are hot flashes before my period, spotting a few days before my period, vaginal dryness on a and off, and a regression to adolescent oily skin and spots.

Some posters on here are misinformed, it's unusual for it to happen so early but it's not necessarily an indicator of something wrong, it can just happen this early for some of us.

@HateJudgmentalPeople

I am on the Everol Sequil patches and I put it on yesterday at 4pm and I swear to god the pain in my arm is gone already and I just woke up about an hour ago compared to the 4am-6am time I’ve been waking up recently, I didn’t think they would work that quickly!

Oh wow! I'm so pleased they worked for you. Glad the GP gave you combined patches . I've been talking to my sister about HRT last night and this morning. Her wife has had a rough time with her periods/hormones for a while and had an ovary removed last year and has been struggling with peri meno symptoms since. She started on everol conti patches a couple of weeks ago and feels AMAZING again .

Yes I am so happy just to be again!

I’m so glad that your sisters wife is happy too.

I have to go for a food shop soon and I may just skip along the road

Okay, I'm starting to lose track and struggle to reply to every post!

For everyone saying it might not be perimenopause, that's absolutely right. However, as far as I can find, nothing else would explain every single symptom I'm getting in the way perimenopause does. A couple of people have mentioned the mini pill but I can't find any reference to it causing hot flushes. If someone has information on this, I'm open to looking at it!

As I have said, I'm happy for other things to be ruled out because what I want is for these symptoms to go away and my quality of life to increase. So, I want to find out what is causing this and get treatment. However, from all my reading, the perimenopause seems by far to be the most likely explanation.

I have spoken to quite a few women who started perimenopause in their mid-thirties so it seems much more likely to me that medical professionals refuse to believe these women because the info. generally states they're too young and the reason the info. states they're too young is because medical professionals refuse to believe them so it doesn't get recorded. I've seen this in so many areas that I really don't think it seems unlikely at all!

@HateJudgmentalPeople

I am on the Everol Sequil patches and I put it on yesterday at 4pm and I swear to god the pain in my arm is gone already and I just woke up about an hour ago compared to the 4am-6am time I’ve been waking up recently, I didn’t think they would work that quickly!

I'm so pleased for you!

[quote Newhorizon21]Find your local NHS &/or private menopause specialist thebms.org.uk/find-a-menopause-specialist/[/quote]
I found one about 13 miles away but it doesn't look like there are any options to self-refer.

What should I do with this information? Ask my GP to refer me there?

I hope that doesn't seem arsy (my autistic communication style comes across as blunt when that is not my intention), I'm grateful for the information but not sure what I'm supposed to do with it and would appreciate a pointer?

Thanks OP I am so happy.

I also think you are correct in saying that lots of women do start the peri in their 30s and because they are written off then it’s not recorded and it’s a shame, I know 7 women, excluding me that started peri from 38 years old, it’s a shame it happens so young and especially before women that want kids, have them, although I think you’re still fertile in the peri.

If you are worried that you will come across arsey then why not just explain to whoever that you have autism to prepare them for any of your arseyness

@Bryonyshcmyony

Also my tablet (Novofem) which has noristherone in it is most definitely prescribed in Ireland

I'm sure. The general practice at present definitely favours Utrogestan tho.

(I have to say I'm not loving Utrogestan so I'll have to see if things settle down in hut coming months).

@HateJudgmentalPeople

Also blood tests aren’t accurate because hormones fluctuate.

Yes, if it's peri menopause, hormones fluctuate. However, blood tests are absolutely needed to rule out other issues, and have a baseline to start from.

Especially at OP's age

I understand what you are saying but what other illness could possibly have all the same symptoms as the perimenopause, from what I’ve read from the OP then it’s pretty obvious she is in the perimenopause.

I also agree with what the OP said about doctors not recording all these women in their 30s going through perimenopause and so women in this age group get fobbed off from their doctor and these early peri women aren’t being recorded so the info about woman being 45 plus in the peri, is so wrong.

It’s really not that uncommon to be in your 30s, infact I started symptoms at age 37.5 but I could handle them so didn’t tell the doctor, it’s only been the past few months that they have gotten worse.