Is this peri menopause?

[MyBloodyBrother]

This amount of hair is falling out every time I brush it. I’ve cut down to washing it once a week as every wash results in a blocked drain. I’m seriously concerned that I’m going to have bald patches in a few weeks at this rate.

I’ve also been on a period for nearly 7 weeks. I’ve called the doctor and she doesn’t seem concerned at all but it seems my body is collapsing in front of my eyes.

I’m 38 btw and the hair is on my leg if you can’t work out what the scale is.

Possibly. I had those long periods in peri.

But I'd suggest more than anything that you take an iron supplement.

Hair loss in women is often due to low iron, and with having a heavy periods you're likely to have need of some.

Not my experience but I've heard others say it has happened to them. I'd also get your thyroid checked, and other routine blood tests, as it can be a sign of issues there too.

A 7 week period is a huge issue, you’re losing blood and will quickly become anaemic and unwell. You need to see your GP. It could be peri but also fibroids or something serious. Hair loss could be related to the long period or just normal hair loss. You need to get checked out.

Is it really @Commah? GP didn’t seem concerned at all. This is despite me not having had a smear test in over 7 years and having previously had early stage cervical cancer in my mid 20s. That’s what’s really concerning me, that it might be that again and I’m just sat here and told it’s nothing.

@WombatsAndGumTrees how do I get those things checked though if GP surgery is only seeing patients they consider urgent for the foreseeable future? There’s only one GP surgery in my town, I’m not entitled to join another surgery due to distances.

Book a phone consultation.

Tell GP you are having a long period and you want a scan to check for fibroids. You also want a prescription for tranexamic acid to help stem the bleeding and you want a blood test to include ferritin and vitamins d and b12.

Could be bleeding is causing low ferritin which in turn is causing hair loss. Mine was the same before Xmas and my ferritin dropped to 16 (range is 12-300) and there was a warning to my GP on the blood results to investigate the cause of the low ferritin.

Call for an urgent appontment if necessary tell them you fainted on the bathroom floor and you need to see a doctor.

Make it up to get through the door.

Why haven't you had a smear test in over 7 years? You should be called for one every 3 years. With your history there may be more frequent testing advised.

You need to advocate for yourself more strongly - don't be fobbed off. We all know that if it isn't normal for you a seven week period is unusual and needs looking into.

I had a phone consultation which is how the GP decided she didn’t need to see me. I have a history of getting severe anaemia due to ulcerative colitis and I really don’t think I’m anaemic this time as I have none of the symptoms. I don’t know what else to tell the GP - is it standard now to have to lie about symptoms in order to see an GP in person/ get a blood test? I said at the time I was concerned as it seemed pretty extreme for sudden peri menopause as my periods have been like clockwork until now and she didn’t seem concerned at all.

@WeAreTheHeroes i had one shortly before I got pregnant with my youngest. I was then told I didn’t need one for 5 years as I’d been having them annually after the original early stage cancer treatment and they’d been clear every time. Then Covid came and it was cancelled. I tried to reschedule about a year ago and they said they were still catching up. They contacted me a few months ago to book it, then I came on my period and asked if I should still come and they said to rearrange once my period stopped. Except it hasn’t stopped. And now I’m out of the loop and need to rebook it through my GP rather than speaking directly to the nurse and GP won’t let me until my period has stopped.

Is there a different doctor at the practice you could speak to? What about our of hours? Could you ring 111 and get seen by the out of hours service instead?

OP this sounds awful for you.

I went to my GP for some vaginal estrogen which I requested on a phone app. On the call she asked me about my smear tests, insisted on me coming in for an internal exam, djscussed my periods and all other aspects of my health and this led to blood tests, a trans vaginal scan and a uro-gynae app.

Simply because I had a sore vulva.

Your GP is rubbish though I suspect you already realised that!

As PP says you need to advocate for yourself. Do whatever it takes.

And for what it's worth vaginal exams can be done when you are on a period.