To be over having to give up EVERYTHING due to perimenopause

[Edenspirits]

• Can’t tolerate alcohol anymore- even a couple of drinks give me a massive hangover
• Bread makes me massively bloated and I have to really watch what I eat as I get piled really easily 🙄
• Chocolate gives me a headache
• Tea gives me a massive headache
• have to watch everything I eat as the slightest deviation and I put on half a stone by barely looking
• the slightest deviation to my routine and I don’t sleep 😴

I feel like I barely recognise my own body!

Sigh- it’s SO dull!
Aibu to be really really really over perimenopause! Waiting for HRT from the doc and ready hope it helps!

Waving from the other side (54 last period 18 months ago) !!
HRT gave me massive migraines. Menopace supplements, loads of fluids and developing a regular yoga habit helped me with the sweats, bloating and general rage. It really will pass.

@SunglassesSeventy

Anyone else got random other body stuff going wrong? Last year I had loads of problems with a minor nerve impingement in my neck, this year it's sciatica.

Not sure if my issues are just caused by me sitting at a computer too much of my life, or whether hormones have increased my vulnerability to these things.

Other than that my main symptoms are tearfulness, rages, feeling depressed and/or doomy and anxious. What fun!

Sciatica and aching joints here, along with random skin complaints that just won’t fucking go! I am as physical wreck and quite nasty to be around at the moment. Such a joy.

@Chewbecca

I understood blood tests to rule out other potential causes of symptoms is good practice. But there is no need to wait and repeat 6 weeks later? If the bloods reveal there is no other reason, symptoms should be treated as relating to menopause, i.e. hrt offered.

Yes, you are right Chewbecca. They do need to rule out thyroid malfunction and anaemia and so forth. But I don't understand the need for two lots of tests, either.

46 here and just got a mirena (to replace non-hormonal IUD and it has helped a lot. Sadly being healthy also helps, I gave up meat and sugar and red wine and feel much better. I take magnesium and cbd oil every night and that helps me sleep well. I also had to change up my exercise. I do a lot of weights and intense yoga and less cardio, running just makes me miserable now. I will also consider hrt if necessary. I have been reading a lot about it and seems the risks are relatively low and it works. I refuse to suffer over some statiscally small increase in risk of breast cancer

Right ladies I need help here to be forearmed

Had my telephone consultation refusal to prescribe as I'm still taking the pill and my hormone results were normal (I take the pill for heavy periods and haven't had one in years ago don't know if they have stopped or not). Told him that was fine, I'll stop the pill today and with respect hormone levels fluctuate.
More fobbing off ensued. In the end I was so frustrated I said I was over 45 and asking for hrt as per the nice guidelines. This rattled him. Said it could be dangerous etc, I told him leaving me in this state was bloody dangerous and I want hrt. More posturing.

Eventually he looks up the nice guidelines and says I need to come in for him to run through details so I'm in tomorrow. I imagine this will be where he tries again to back track.

Anyone have any key points I can raise please?

I'd imagine your hormone results are going to be affected by taking the pill anyway @Verstappen ! You're already taking synthetic oestrogen and progesterone, and no woman ovulates on the combined pill.

There is a very helpful person called @JinglingHellsBells who posts a lot on the menopause forums. She would be able to help you a lot more than me! Hopefully tagging her in this post might bring her into the conversation.

Your hormone results are bound to be normal if you're taking the Pill, Verstappen! I can't believe your GP isn't considering that. My advice is to print off a copy of the NICE guidelines to refer to yourself in the appt and also fill out and print off this checklist of symptoms – then stick to your guns!!! I took both to my appt (although my GP was happy to prescribe). Failing that, ask to see a female GP.

@PerseverancePays

I had hot flushes for ten years straight. I thought it’s a process, I’ll get through it with a few herbs and supplements. They probs work for people who ‘are sailing through’ . The lack of sleep was the worst. So I tried bio identical hormones and in four days the flushes stopped and I slept. Expensive, as it’s private healthcare, but brought me back from the brink. I’ll be on them for the rest of my life as all those hormones are needed for a healthy old age.

I have bio-identical HRT through my NHS GP.

Massively shit for everyone going through it but can I say a huge thank you? I hadn't realised anxiety and palpitations could be a perimenopause symptom and reading this thread has given me a push to stop assuming I know enough about it and go looking for more information

Nausea- is this one?

Thanks all. The checklist is fantastic @Loudestcat14. I hit 90% of that. Also printed out NICE guidelines and highlighted the following:

Diagnose the following without laboratory tests in otherwise healthy women aged over 45 years with menopausal symptoms:
perimenopause based on vasomotor symptoms and irregular periods

Take into account that it can be difficult to diagnose menopause in women who are taking hormonal treatments, for example for the treatment of heavy periods

Hopefully that will be enough to convince. Not looking forward to stopping the pill. My periods were painful and heavy in the past, but if thats the payoff for feeling better bring it on.

Just to warn you OP, doctors are not brilliant regarding the menopause and HRT, so don't rely on them to sort you out. I had a consultation with a menopause specialist who then wrote a report up of what she recommended I be put on. I then sent that to my doctor who has agreed to it. even he said to me that getting that consultation was a great idea as GP's are not really clued up on these matters.

I'm starting my regime this week so am expecting to feel like a new born lamb at some stage lol.

It's shocking. I've just read a page on my local NHS CCG. It states the following:

Most women do not take hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which has to be prescribed by a doctor. They just accept that the menopause is a natural event and get on with it, not allowing it to dominate their life

That statement has really irritated me. It also goes on to suggest CBT for hot flushes. What chance do we stand when this is the stance of the medical profession?

Whoever wrote that can do one, Verstappen! I felt like I was losing my mind because of the brain fog, plus I've needed two root canals/crowns in the past year because of teeth grinding (bruxism, and one of the teeth eventually had to be taken out), which my dentist said was caused by me being peri. Am I supposed to "just get on with it" with no teeth in my head, with skin rubbed raw on my forehead from itching, with my poor OH and DC pushed to breaking point by my vile mood swings???? I bet a man wrote it.

@Loudestcat14

Whoever wrote that can do one, Verstappen! I felt like I was losing my mind because of the brain fog, plus I've needed two root canals/crowns in the past year because of teeth grinding (bruxism, and one of the teeth eventually had to be taken out), which my dentist said was caused by me being peri. Am I supposed to "just get on with it" with no teeth in my head, with skin rubbed raw on my forehead from itching, with my poor OH and DC pushed to breaking point by my vile mood swings???? I bet a man wrote it.

It's funny how much I've accepted without realising....

Constant peeing in the night, Indigestion in the night, outbreaks of acne and a fungal skin infection I had in my teens has returned, also teeth grinding and generalised jaw pain, suddenly sneezing and coughing with hay fever despite never having suffered with it in my life, sore ears (who knew that one!) , migraines etc

DH called in his lunch hour, he's going to help me collate everything on paper tonight so I can be clear and concise in what I want from the GP, using words like duty of care etc. He says should he still fail to listen I'm to ask for a referral and we'll go through his works medical insurance.

The article I quoted was written by the Commissioning Group, which is made up of the city’s family doctors who work within the GP practices in the area. You can bet your life that was written by a man and you can also bet that were men to suffer with this HRT would be handed out on every street corner.

@Verstappen

It's shocking. I've just read a page on my local NHS CCG. It states the following:

Most women do not take hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which has to be prescribed by a doctor. They just accept that the menopause is a natural event and get on with it, not allowing it to dominate their life

That statement has really irritated me. It also goes on to suggest CBT for hot flushes. What chance do we stand when this is the stance of the medical profession?

An NHS gynecologist at a local hospital (I'm in Surrey) told me to have CBT for peri meno insomnia. CBT. For fuck's sake. Essentially telling me that my HORMONE related insomnia is 'in my head'.

I was so pissed off at this fob off approach that I insisted on being referred to a London based meno clinic, I had my first appointment with a shit hot meno nurse at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and have never looked back. Incredible sleep, no hot flushes, emotions in check, skin looks great, etc etc.

Don't be fobbed off, people.

HRT all the way. Two years into feeling like the crappiest piece of shit in existence I gave in and the transformation is nothing short of miraculous. I'm on the oestrogen gel and a pill (progesterone?) and I would save grab them before anything else if the house was on fire.

You can bet your life that was written by a man and you can also bet that were men to suffer with this HRT would be handed out on every street corner.

If men needed HRT they'd be getting a text notification on their 45th birthday inviting them to come in for their appointment to receive their first dose, which would be gift wrapped and nestling in the middle of a crate of beer.

@Loudestcat14

You can bet your life that was written by a man and you can also bet that were men to suffer with this HRT would be handed out on every street corner.

If men needed HRT they'd be getting a text notification on their 45th birthday inviting them to come in for their appointment to receive their first dose, which would be gift wrapped and nestling in the middle of a crate of beer.

🤣🤣🤣 👏

That document is truly shocking, @Verstappen. It may well have been written by a woman - one who sailed through the menopause with no problems.

I was reading some of the responses to Naga Munchetty's story yesterday about how agonising she found the coil fitting, and some of the most unsympathetic were from women, because they hadn't suffered any pain. There are so many people who pass down judgment just based on their own subjective experience, and this also seems to be the case with menopause.

What isn't a natural event, ffs? If we adhered to that mentality, no child would ever be vaccinated, there would be no birth control, every woman would give birth alone with no medical assistance, and all our teeth would fall out by the age of thirty. The idiocy (and complacent smugness) of that document infuriates me!

For anyone interested the full page is here:

www.stokeccg.nhs.uk/news-and-events/health-blog-by-dr-ruth-chambers-obe/768-the-menopause

I'm also questioning some of the other advice on there as well, especially the bit about it not being recommended long term. Though I confess I'm still learning so might be mistaken.

I was reading some of the responses to Naga Munchetty's story yesterday about how agonising she found the coil fitting, and some of the most unsympathetic were from women, because they hadn't suffered any pain. There are so many people who pass down judgment just based on their own subjective experience, and this also seems to be the case with menopause
Yes. I'm also someone that found both of my coil fittings agony. it was worse than labour and I both nearly passed out and was being sick all night from the pain. I think lots of people do find it really hard to believe that others experience things differently to them.

Ok so is blubing like a baby part of this circus ? Wandering onto work a think popped into my head that just made me cry (a schoolmate of ds was killed a few years back crossing the road - he was only about 9). His name just popped into my head (not even near the spot) and my heart just dropped.

It’s going to be a rough ride...

Well, that was unexpected. Settle in this might be long.

I went in armed with the marvellous checklist from @Loudestcat14 along with highlighted parts from the NICE Guidelines and a printout from Menopause Charity in how to get your GP to help you. His attitude today was completely different, he listened and apologised. He said after our conversation he refreshed himself on the guidelines and called a Gyne Colleague to discuss. My symptoms checklist was brilliant and we went through everything. He called in the female GP as a 'learning exercise in the practice'.

I needed an abdominal exam and blood pressure which was done there and then. The result was I have been prescribed patches, he's kept the checklist with a view to using it as a tool for other menopausal women and has even decided after researching just how left behind menopausal women are after the breast cancer statistic misunderstandings, to approach the practice managers about a menopause clinic. I cant fault him at all.

The next battle is getting the prescription. When he said that there was always a shortage of prescribed patches he wasn't kidding. Nobody within ten miles has them in stock so he's had to tweak the prescription slightly, local pharmacy can get them tomorrow.

If you're reading this and suffering take that checklist in, write everything down and fight. I know without your help on this thread I wouldn't have got what I needed.
Thank you all

Brilliant news Verstappen I'm so glad you didn't have a battle. Well done!

I have oestrogen gel which is amazing. One pump of it, rubbed into my arm once a day and I'm done!