Perimenopause, Menopause and work.

[2plus1]

I am perimenopause now with fish levels rising from 27 to 30 and beyond. I have a multitude of symptoms that I feel affects my ability to work, and I know it. For this reason, I have been on restricted hours whilst I try hrt for a few months (hopefully I will feel amazing soon). My job is a high pressured clinical job I have done for years yet now my peri-meno symptoms have really affected my confidence with some anxiety too. I am only 41 so this has hit me hard when I should be at a great place in my career. I have told my manager about my 'condition' which took a while to diagnose by associating all the symptoms to peri-meno and not 'stress/depression etc'. However, I still feel people I work with think I am slacking rather than trying to do as much as I can. Do other ladies find this the case?

Interestingly the unions seem to be providing advice for this stage in a ladies life and guidance on dealing with it.
www.worksmart.org.uk/health/what_should_employers_do

In some countries like Japan, women get menstrual leave each month.

YABU. Most of us just get on with it - no other choice.

If you have been taking HRT for at least 3 months and feel it's not working completely, then maybe go back to drs to discuss as you might need a higher dose of oestrogen?

You should have been advised to go for a review after 3 months anyway- so if not, ask for an appt!

After 2-3 months at the right dosage, your symptoms should have gone.

I really struggled (and at times still do), some women cant 'just get on with it' I know last year when I wasnt on hrt because I was advised to wait a year and have blood test every three months(as I was only 30) to be sure that it was menopause. I could not cope at times with lots of horrendous symptoms. To be fair I spoke about it to my manager and she was very kind and insisted that I have time off and go to doctors and demand they give me something. Feel much better on hrt but still suffer with anxiety (been worse over last few months)

P.s My colleagues have been very supportive thank goodness.

Pink I have been on hrt for a couple of weeks. Before I was advised to have ADS which I cannot tolerate and supplements until my fsh rose to 30+. I feel some improvements with mood, energy, flushes, palpitations, headaches, dizziness, indigestion and temp regulation. But I still get forgetfulness, brain fog and some anxiety. I think the anxiety and brain fog are the most debilitating especially at work. I am on elleste duet 1mg and haven't started the green tabs yet.

Chuffing I am glad you have support at work. That is essential to help you get through this phase in our lives. I don't have that and feel quite isolated at times.

You might need a higher dose of oestrogen but in any case, give it time- it won't work wonders in 2 weeks.
1mg is a low dose- if you have some oestrogen of your own still- which you will do at 41- it might be enough, but if not you could try 1.5mgs or 2mgs.

I'm surprised more drs don't use patches or gel- all transdermal HRT is safer and you need less as none is lost in digestion.

Gel is brilliant because you can self-dose anywhere from 0.75 mgs to 3mgs simply by suning more or less.

You have to take a separate progestogen each month as well.