I'm in a bit of a state - advice and reassurance needed please! (long -sorry)

[willyhaschips]

Hi everyone
I'm new to posting here but have been reading the message boards for a while and really appreciate all the common sense talked here.
I'm 50 and am in the perimenopause.
A little bit of my history. PCOS diagnosed in late twenties. Stage 3 precancerous cervical cells found late 30's, laser treatment and no recurrence (yearly smear tests for ten years)
Always had quite light periods, 3 days max
Started about 18 months ago with periods getting heavier and heavier. Has a transvaginal ultrasound and subsequent biopsy of womb lining due to thickening and previous history. All clear.
Periods getting heavier and heavier until I am bleeding 3 weeks out of 4. Start feeling tired and low. Keep getting anything going around. Go to GP and he does blood test. Comes back seriously anaemic. Put on iron tablets and tranexamic acid. Send me for another ultrasound. Guy doing scan tells me womb lining is very thick and wants to do another scan in 6 weeks. In the time from one scan to another I have only two days where I have no bleeding. Getting to the stage that even taking tranexamic acid I am still flooding heavily and passing lots of blood clots. Innitially felt a bit better on the ferrous sulphate but now am starting to get the symptoms of anaemia back again quite bad (probably due to prolonged bleeding - shovelling it one end - straight out the other!)
Had second scan yesterday. Guy tells me womb lining hasn't changed in 6 weeks and he has never had that before. Tells me it's 19mm and my GP needs to refer me to Gynae. Had a second blood test last week but haven't had results yet.
Now, my GP seems to think having a mirena coil will be the answer to my prayers but after researching this I definitely don't want it. Guy who did the ultrasound told me he didn't think it is the answer either. He was talking about endometrial ablation. But he also said that I need to have a biopsy done just to make sure it's nothing sinister. He said it's probably endometrial hyperplasia which can be hereditary and won't go away just because I have the menopause.
My question is this.. (finally!) can any of this be caused by hypothyroidism? Is my GP ignoring this because he was quickly pointed to anaemia by the blood test results? I do have thyroid problems in the family btw and I think I have a lot of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Should I insist on having my thyroid checked?
Whatever, I feel like it can't carry on like this. It's wearing me out. I am tired, depressed, overweight, my brain is fuzzy, my eyes are itchy, I have tinnitus,not sleeping properly, oh loads of other things...you get the picture.
There seems to be a lot of choices to be made and I don't want to rush into something like a hysterectomy - that's assuming I am even offered one.
Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanx

hi willyhaschips, don't have the answers you're looking for but interested in hearing what others have to say as I share some of your symptoms.

Welcome to MN by the way.

To be honest the only time I got any answers regarding my peri menopause symptoms was when I went private to see a specialist. Thankfully I had all my tests done on the NHS. My doctor did suggest having a mirena coil too but i didn't want it either. Some people are fine with it though.

I would get a second opinion if I were you.

I was the same a few years ago, I'm now 43. i had the ablation done and it was a revelation, really perfect.

But the lining grows back after 3 years and mine has grew into the muscular wall of my womb (anendomyosis) and I'm in agony. I haven't been able to work since December. I'm going for a hysterectomy in a few weeks. to be honest I wish I'd had the hysterectomy instead.

I only found out what is wrong with me now by going private.

I'd have thought the obvious answer was to insist on a referral to a gynae- if you can afford a private appt it will speed things up a lot.

They ought to be able to determine whether your uterine problems are linked to your thyroid.

If you have issues with your thyroid you would I assume have other symptoms as well.

The Mirena can work well adn flooding. bleeding etc is linked to low progesterone so the answer is eitehr tablets or the mirena or an ablation.

Ask to be referred to someone good.

I don't have any advice for you but I was in the same boat from mid 30s to mid 40s and I found nothing helped - not t/acid and definitely not mirena - until i finally demanded a hysterectomy. Best thing ever. I had spent a fortune on pads - 2 huge ones at a time - along with super size tampax which often wouldn't even stay in - clots like chopped liver. Could only wear black trousers after mortifying incident dancing in white jeans. Feel sick just thinking bout it. I am not saying a hysterectomy is the answer for you, just that there are solutions out there. Be very firm when describing symptoms, I always felt the docs didnt realise how utterly miserable my life was. Good luck!

I have now been to my gynae appointment. Was a bit disappointed that I didn't get to see the consultant - just one of 'the team'.
I asked my GP about testing my thyroid and he told me he had already done it and it was completely normal.
I'm beginning to think that it is the anaemia that was making me feel so bad as things have improved a bit generally since really being on the case with the ferrous sulphate tablets :)
Anyway, had to have an endometrial biopsy - and boy was that unpleasant - to check that the womb lining has no cancerous or precancerous cells. Still waiting for the result of that but the gynaecologist indicated that I will have to have a hysterectomy if it comes back positive. He is booking me in for an 'exploratory' regardless and says he is planning on either the mirena and/or a d & c depending on findings.
I'm a bit worried what they will find but at least things are moving forward!

Try not to worry.
Even if it's bad news and you have hyperplasia it can be treated with progesterone- either tablets or the Mirena.

The biospy is a good test but not 100% accurate- I had it done- but if you are having a hysteroscopy too it will give a very clear prcture of what's going on.

Sorry you found the biopsy unpleasant- I was dreading it but found it no worse than a smear, and had the hysteroscopy without a GA- but I didn't have a D&C just another biopsy. I assume you will have a GA if they want to do a full D&C- worth asking as D&C is a bit old hat now and they can tell as much by looking with the camera and taking another biopsy.

Keep us updated.