Doctors are ignoring me due to my age

[Victoriancat]

This year I have had some strange things happening, my family are convinced it's perimenopause or leading to it.

I will say I'm 33, my mother my aunts and my grandmother all started theirs early to mid thirties, my family also start the actual menopause really early.

I had a smear the other day and voiced my concerns, I've had purple period blood which I didn't even know was a thing, the nurse told me it could be from my copper coil...which I've also never heard of happening.

I'm constantly on the verge of tears or I'm horrendously angry and shouting, I'm a happy go lucky person, no stressed and very chilled but everything is setting me off. My periods are weird, they're going every 3 to 5 weeks and one is super heavy and lasts ages then one is very light and lasts a couple of days. I've had the down there dryness that has been sore, my weight has been up and down, forgetfulness, hot flushes 😳

I've managed to get a telephone appointment for a couple of weeks in the future, is there anything else I should mention? It just feels like nobody is interested cos they assume I should be older for this.

You need to emphasise that many relatives have had early menopause. I have always had any medical concerns taken seriously, my sisters have had a few issues. The big difference is I speak confidently, my sisters are very shy when it comes to speaking to people they consider in authority.

Ask to book in with which ever GP specialises in women's health. While you are waiting, start evening primrose oil & vitamin b12. When you see the GP, start by telling them about your family history. They may agree to do bloods based on that and your symptoms, although be aware that hormone blood tests in those still having periods are not that helpful. Clearly you have a decent amount of oestrogen as you are having periods. You can ask for oestrogen pessaries to help with the dryness. Mirena mentioned above would be a better option for you to help with your current bleeding issues and also if you do end up needing hrt at some point, then you would be covered from a progesterone point of view.
Remember, peri symptoms are very non-specific, and there could easily be something else going on eg thyroid issues, so try to keep an open mind.

Who has ignored you? You spoke to the nurse and you have an appointment to speak to a doctor in 2 weeks. Premature menopause happens but it’s very rare. I expect the doctor will arrange some blood tests. What is it that you want them to do?

Thank you so much for being so helpful, getting on Holland and Barrett now!

Personally I wouldn't start any supplements until you've had a blood test - you need to know it you're actually deficient or struggling with any imbalances before you start self-medicating and potentially masking any symptoms.

OP@Victoriancat “purple” blood can indicate high oestrogen levels. Have you a history indicating PCOS? Any history of obesity/ type 2 diabetes/ thyroid issues in your family? Please go back to your GP and get them to look at you objectively and thoroughly as prem menopause has significant risks for bone health amongst other issues, sounds like you have already had issues linked to hormones so you want to know an action plan really.

Some advice - stop throwing hormones at your body! I have never taken any kind of pill or used anything hormonal. I'm 50 now and had the menopause with absolutely no symptoms whatsoever. Friends who have used coils and all sorts of stuff are on HRT, patches etc and are suffering badly.

B12 might help her forgetfulness. You wee out any excess vitamin b12 so it is very safe. You don't check your vitamin c levels before taking that.
There isn't a blood test that would indicate whether you should be on evening primrose oil. But many women find it helpful for hormon related mood symptoms, so it is worth a try.

@Gloschick that's true but a lot of the symptoms of B12 deficiency can mimic the symptoms of perimenopause - what you don't want to happen is for the doctor to say "oh, it's just your B12" and not take any other issues seriously.

When I had my blood tests in September I was told that supplements often throw off the results and mask symptoms so it's best not to start anything until you have a diagnosis (or at least an indication of one).

I ended up with two - PCOS and anaemia rather than the perimenopause I thought I had.