Menopause - at what point did you go to the Dr's?

[Frenchcremefraiche]

Did you go to the Dr's?

I'm 46. Pretty sure I'm in perimenopause. Not suffering much (so far?) - main issues are that I'm too hot and really tired. And grumpy but if other people weren't such idiots, I wouldn't be grumpy. Being grumpy is increasing my DGAFs so is that even an issue really?

I've not had a period for almost 3 months. I cant remember the last time I had sex so I'm not pregnant.

It's a fight to get a dr appointment so I'm wondering whether it's worth it? By all accounts it wont be much use. I dont feel like I need HRT at the moment. Is there anything they can do?

It’s not just about managing the symptoms though, I’m hoping it will slow bone loss, help with cholesterol levels etc.

Magnesium in the evening has helped massively with sleep quality.

With hindsight, I wish I’d taken this route to begin with.

I don't think you have to go.

I only went in my early 40's when my periods became extremely heavy (flooding) and irregular and (you are going to think my so naive) I had no idea this was a symptom of peri-menopause. I thought something was seriously wrong. I was put on the mini pill and stayed on it until last January.

I am now post-menopausal and have not been back the the GP as I do not feel that I need help with anything. I am 54.

Well my mums dead but my nana who is 89 was talking to me about it last week and said to get on it the sooner the better because I'm going through perimenopause, and she said it was life changing. I'm guessing she's older than you and your friends.

I feel I need HRT as I literally hate everyone (apart from my immediate family), periods are all over the shop, I'm constantly itchy and often wake up at 3am and that's it for the night. I've always been decent at sport and now I'm slow and rubbish. I'm 48.

My worry is I'm actually just aneamic or something, and I also don't understand if you have you have to stay on HRT forever? What happens if you come off it at say 70? I also worry it will make me put weight on.

These stories are really jnterating, I think I might make an appointment with the Dr.

I don't take HRT as I didn't have any symptoms associated with menopause. I do lift weights and have regular scans to monitor bone density plus a host of other health checks. I'm not against it but it's not something I want to consider at the moment.

SO MUCH dangerous misinformation on this thread. I urge anyone wondering about HRT to do actual solid research and not listen to the likes of @Sausagenbacon nonsense.

Some general ppints- it isn't "fake" hormones necessarily, you can get bio-identical HRT. Also dosage is tailored to each woman's needs and can be changed as you go.

You don't become dependant on it, if you stop talking it, you return to your previous baseline.

Blood tests to check hormone levels are UNRELIABLE and fluctuate far too much. Symptoms = diagnosis. Blood tests are not reliable enough, unless you somehow get tested every day or hourly!

HRT protects us against very important risks like increased levels of heart disease, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis etc etc. The study showing link to increased risk for breast cancer was debunked, the increase is very small and applies to women with family history of it, from what my menopause specialist said.

HRT is not being over prescribed to make money for companies. Look on here and see just how many women are denied it until they are literally begging for it. It's a lot of us.

It's such an old fashioned regressive view, to think that women should put up and shut up, when we could instead take a safe medicine that improves our quality of life.

I reiterate, do proper research, half of the posts on here are wild misinformation.

2 years too later than I should have done.

I was angry at the world and everyone in it and blamed the world rather than hormones.

HRT is a revelation. The whole the world and everyone in it might still be shit, I can deal with it oh so much better.

37,38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, oh bingo you're old enough now.....

I went on HR about 5 years after I personally felt i needed it. I wish the level of support I needed which is there now was there when I needed it.

Good luck x

To those saying menopause is pathologised/medicalised, I’m so glad that this is not the attitude towards child birth which is another ‘natural’ process, but thank fuck for gas and air/epidurals/c-sections etc.
A lot of women are able to give birth naturally, and many are not. Same with menopause: some breeze through, others suffer. But should they need to?

When my periods were that unpredictable that I flooded in an airport queue despite not being due.

My periods became so erratic it was unbearable so I went to the GP who said it would be down to peri so had mirena coil. A while later I started on oestrogel because I was having other symptoms but it was the anxiety causing the most problems (and suddenly hating my husband/plotting divorce which is a pretty common side effect)

The rage and wanting to divorce my husband sent me to my GP. HRT is amazing. I'm still married 😂

I went to the gp after about 9 months of having a week every month where I just felt awful. Nauseous the whole time, and generally feeling unwell. No hot flushes or brain fog, and periods getting lighter, but more frequent. Minimum dose of HRT sorted out the nausea and 'unwellness'. I was 46/47.

Never, at least not about peri or cessation of periods. I'm 57 now.

Is there a need to actually speak with a doctor about menopause unless you are suffering? I was lucky I think. A bit hot at night and six months of brain fog which passed fortunately so I didn't see a doctor.

I spoke to the GP last year (just turned 49) about my poor sleep, but they said only symptom and bloods wouldn’t work well as on mini pill (no periods so no clue if they’ve stopped or not, unlikely as no other symptoms). My this last 3-4wks i’ve been waking for the day between 3-4 and just exhausted as work full time. I am taking magnesium and melatonin but no avail. So may see another trip on cards if no improvement.

SO MUCH dangerous misinformation on this thread. I urge anyone wondering about HRT to do actual solid research and not listen to the likes of nonsense.
Do let me know what dangerous nonsense i said.

Really interesting thread, thank you.

I had my second child two years ago, age 45, by caesarean. I have refused to go on the pill because I wanted to know what my body was doing as it adjusts between child birth and peri-menopause. Now that it’s been two years I should give it a bit more thought.

A PP mentioned tingling arms - yes - but I have had this as a symptom of carpel tunnel for 3 years (which may or may not be a symptom of peri)
Flooding periods - YES - every period since I gave birth, which have been longer and more frequent. I didn’t know this was a symptom of peri.
Brain fog and extreme tiredness - I’m 47, working full-time with 2 children - how do I know??
Loss of libido - absolutely! Couldn’t careless - hadn’t thought about this being any more than lack of time and general irritation with my partner.

Perhaps I ought to consider HRT before I change work or partner!

I’m 50, still having regular periods but they are so heavy. I discovered period pants a year ago and they are great but occasionally leak.
I have had anxiety for years so I don’t feel it has got worse but the brain fog is terrible.
I don’t have hot flushes, rare flashes of rage but nothing too bad (unless family are too scared to tell me! 😂)
I don’t know when is the right time to start HRT as I don’t want to start taking it too early or too late. It’s such a difficult decision to make but I did see in a news article today about the risk factor of grey matter reduction and how this can be linked to menopause.

I went when my hit flushes were happening 3 times an hour from 5pm to 5 am. Unbearable. The rest I could cope with. But not that.

It's such an old fashioned regressive view, to think that women should put up and shut up, when we could instead take a safe medicine that improves our quality of life.

Especially when this view comes from other women!

As we get older we take statins for our cholesterol, drugs to help our heart, omeprazole to reduce stomach acid, metformin for type 2 diabetes, anti depressants, drugs for dementia, aspirin.

But HRT? Nah, shouldn’t take that.

has anybody said on this thread that women shouldn't take HRT?
No.

I dont take any of those other things either though so I guess it wouldn't occur to me to consider drugs for a natural aging event unless I was actually suffering in some way. For women whose life is hell because if menopause it makes sense.

OP there’s a whole Board here dedicated to menopause where you’ll get some excellent advice. Why did you post in AIBU?