I think menopause is coming for me. What now?

[Magicunicornpower]

Posting here for traffic. What to do now, who to talk with? Does your GP in UK refer you to an endocrinologist for HRT? Do I have to go private? Symptoms are very mild for now, but I am dreading it already. Any wise words? Thanks

Mine started at 42 nd by 49 I had osteoporosis so don't listen to those who just tell you they flew through it, these people don't realise that everything is not just like their experience. Osteoporosis is brutal.

it sounds like you are not from the UK? so i guess you head home and do it their way if you are not happy with the nhs. blood tests are pointless for hormone levels and not a clear indicator of any thing much during perimenopause.

GPs do it all

So they should only listen to people who suffered?
Height of illogicality. And as for ' these people' not understanding that not everyone has their experience (we do, thanks) - how about you take a leaf from your own book instead of being hypocritical?
OP doesn't know what the future holds. Simple.

It's a natural thing. Some women get lucky and have mild symptoms, some are unlucky and it's trickier. I had next to no symptoms, but decided to get HRT for various reasons. Mostly peer pressure! It seems very easy to get HRT these days, I just had a phone call with a menopause nurse. I'm sure it varies but where I am it's easy to get the drugs and everyone seems to do it. I have mixed feelings about this. We don't really know the outcome of women being on HRT from 45 to 85, but that's what many modern women want, so I guess we'll see!🙂

Bloods not needed
Speak to GP or you can see an actual specialist if you are prepared to pay
I did and it was worth every penny
either way it's not a "one size fits all"
It may take time to find medication that works for you and you may need to adjust over time
Making lifestyle changes to help as well is important too

Guidance on prescribing HRT changed in autumn 2024. No need for blood tests anymore.

I haven't done anything, but my symptoms aren't that bad and I don't feel the need to currently.

I've recently started HRT. I saw my GP to begin with, he ran some blood tests but suggested I try HRT even if my blood tests are in the normal range. Once my results came back I saw a nurse who took my weight, height, blood pressure etc and then she booked me an appointment at the menopause clinic. It was all very straightforward.

Bloods aren't required for women over 45.

I was diagnosed with premature menopause at 41.
A locum GP requested an FSH test unbeknownst to me.

Bit of a shock when the GP offered me HRT as I was TTC.

I started have symptoms around the age of 44//47 and finally got to 13 months of no periods at the age of 57, it can definitely go on a while.

Asolutely this ^^.

Women post about how awful it is because they are having a hard time. It is tone deaf for those who aren't having a hard time to post on those threads and say that it is nothing to worry about, but it is important to understand that many women do have a tough time of it, but conversely many women don't.

To give a balanced view I didn't suffer as many symptoms as some of the women here did. The hot flushes weren't too bad, I didn't get brain fog or anxierty or lose confidence driving, but I had hormonal migraines which at times were debilitating.

I am out the other side now. The headaches have gone, my hair is thinner and my waist is thicker and the peri is history.

My advice is don't dread it, but be prepared and educate yourself, and see a GP if you need HRT.

For the record, I started with peri at about 47 and had my last period at 50.

Same here

And here.

Great advice. Just the tonic to deal with vaginal atrophy or anxiety.

Menopause is more than hot flushes and night sweats. OP may not have symptoms but if she does, cotton clothes and a fan may not cut it.

I've had a radical hysterectomy( inc removal of ovaries )and menopause. Still not got the vaginal atrophy, anxiety etc

When can I expect these?

It doesn't happen to every woman.

At least you didn't tell me I was lucky lol.

The way people go on on here you'd think it does

Im only 43 and was put on HRT 7 months ago. It has revolutionised my life. Ive been depressed to the point of suicidal ideation and panic attacks for 3 years and the GP tried every other bloody thing before one of them put me on HRT. The results were almost instant. Like magic. The relief.

Never had a hot flush or a rage attack. Turns out skin pigmentation, thinning hair, thinning eyelashes and aching joints were all symptoms that were helped by the HRT, but I hadn't realised they were connected until they improved. But the mental health issues were crippling and ruined my life. Dont rule out perimenopause in your early 40s and dont dismiss how transformative HRT can be if you need it.

No it doesn't happen to every woman. But if every woman and every GP was aware of what the possible symptoms could be, they may join the dots quicker and not have several years of misery over it. Just read the current thread on vaginal estrogen cream and see how much ignorance there is from both women in general and GPs.

I didn’t even notice it so it’s not always something to dread (mine was surgically forced which is meant to be even worse).

Just be aware that if you have other health issues then they might not give you HRT just because you want it. My GP wouldn't give me it because I have both high blood pressure (with family history of strokes and DVTs on my dad's side) AND family history of breast cancer. Plus I've had a blood clot in my leg. It wasn't in a deep vein but still it was a factor they took into account.

So I've had to go through years of perimenopause with nothing but a daft online sleep course (that was prescribed by the GP when they were trying to help me with symptoms but couldn't prescribe me the HRT). Wasn't that useful really as it was simply about developing healthy sleep hygiene and good routines, it did nothing to stop my brain being wide awake and the anxiety being there! I've just had to struggle through with all my other symptoms but just about at the end of it all I hope.

There is so much more to menopause than hot flushes and frankly I've learned about symptoms that most definitely weren't talked about by older women in my family when I was growing up when all I overheard them saying in hushed tones was "she's going through the change". So I had no idea that some of the things that I experienced were even due to menopause.

So education is key and being aware of symptoms. Plus an awareness that it's different for everyone and some women will have an easy time of it (and over quickly) and some will have an awful time (for many years). My older friend's periods just stopped overnight and she had no other symptoms at all. No anxiety, nothing. Other people I know became virtual recluses. You could be lucky, OP, and hardly notice it happening.

If things feel pretty mild, then do nothing. It may be manageable for you. You don’t automatically need HRT.
If it gets worse and you need help, that’s the time to go to your doctor

It’s really not too early. The davina McCall book is quite good for more information. I meant to say I’ve also started testosterone cream as I had virtually no libido, it’s not gen long but I have noticed a bit of a change.
my private dr recommended magnesium glycinate too, I actually sleep well already but she said this also gives you a bit of energy the next day. (I was always exhausted, falling asleep on the sofa etc).
it’s important to build up muscle too as you will be losing it. I’ve started swimming, lifting weights (not big ones!) Pilates and yoga and I think they help my mood too.

My journey went like this:
Me: Hello, I'd like to speak to someone about HRT and the menopause.
Receptionist: really sorry, can't fit you in today. Is tomorrow OK?
Me: great! Perfect. See you then.

The next day I spent 50 mins with the meno nurse. Had a full health and lifestyle check and bloods taken (thyroid, liver function tests, not hormones). Walked out with a prescription for oestrogel. All NHS.

Couldn't have been easier.

Mine started with what I now know as perimenopause symptoms about 3 years ago.
My experiences are uncomfortable, discombobulating and annoying, but also manageable.
I spoke to my GP practice who have been very accommodating. Even the male GPs have been sympathetic and supportive, which pleasantly surprised me.
I have taken HRT for about a year now. It helps with some symptoms but doesn't touch others. I find it mildly annoying to have to wait 20-30 mins for the gel to dry every day (allergic to the patches) but the benefits outweigh the costs for me.
My advice would be to find a list of all the wildly disparate symptoms you can find that are attributable to menopause (for the 'aha' moments of realisation e.g. 3 of my 28 finger joints hurt. Sometimes. I mean wtf?).
Given that everyone's experiences are different, you may just sail through. Otherwise forewarned is forearmed.
Best.of luck.