doctor texted me 'menopause passed' after a blood test.

[Tennyson1]

Hello, this is my first post and if anyone could help I'd be really rather relieved.
I am 45 years old. Slim and healthy and active. In mid August I had a very traumatic experience, very, very traumatic. Since then I have missed two periods. My periods are always very regular, every 28 days and I bleed for 3 to 4 days.

Because of my missed periods I went to see the doctor who did a urine test, pregnancy test and also a blood test.
Today I received a text! from her saying 'menopause passed'. When I rang up wondering what it meant, the receptionist said (after speaking to the doctor) that I'd gone through my menopause and that I wouldn't be having any more periods.
I found this really shocking. I've never missed a period before and I thought the two missed periods would probably be because of shock.
Can this be correct?
Thank you anyone for reading and even more for advice!

That sounds odd. I thought the menopause was officially defined as one year after the final period. You could maybe do with a second opinion.

In either case, I'm sorry that you've been through something that has caused such disruption for you.

Also (I'm not at this stage yet but someone more experienced will hopefully advise you!) I think that 45 is pretty young for the menopause. Either the doctor is wrong (hence the advice for a second opinion) or she's right - in which case you'd need to discuss the possibility of HRT to protect your bone density.

Yes the menopause is generally defined as happening after a year with no periods, so if you have only missed two you can't be classed as post-menopausal. In periods of intense stress your hormones can get messed up and I would imagine that is what happened with you, especially if before your periods were very regular. In any case I would probably try and see a different GP, and I am very sorry that you have been through a difficult time, I hope you have support IRL.

I don't think that sort of news should be communicated by text - it seems rather unprofessional and even callous. See someone else who is prepared to discuss this properly!

Callous is a good name for it. Yes, it was quite a blow and I don't actually know if her comment is correct. Thank you.

Tennyson1 - you may well have missed the periods because of the shock. I missed 3 periods when I was 21 when I went travelling - not a shock as such but my system obviously decided it was worrying enough! Also it is not usually possible to diagnose menopause on the basis of a single blood test and especially that you are post-menopausal - and as the others have said you have to go 12 months without a period for this to be the case so the date of menopause can only be determined in retrospect.

Hormone levels fluctuate dramatically when peri-menopause starts and FSH ( the one normally used to indicate peri-menopause is beginning) levels can go into the post-menopausal range at this time.

There is more info on diagnosis of menopause here

Do doctors really text diagnoses!?? I'm really shocked. Where do you live OP?

I'm sorry you've been having a difficult time

Yeh, that doesn't sound right. I thought that it was a year after your last period. And in your case, there was a reason for the missed periods. I don't know obviously but I would make sure you have pads in the house still.

Thank you everyone. I must say, I was ever so upset after that text. And everything I've read since says that under 50 menopause is diagnosed after two years with no periods. It just felt like such a catastrophic thing to text.
I live in Devon.

yes, a pretty brutal text to receive!! kind of like "you're dumped, don't ever ring me again" out of the BLUE.

Do you have a women's nurse locally. Go see her. You sound like you need a second opinion, hand hold, apology and probably HRT. In menopause terms you are but a spring chicken.

Your doc sounds like they are having a break down, certainly a bit of a moment.
Maybe the text should have read 'Menopause passed, with distinction. Congratulations, your certificate is in the post.'

As others have said this could be a reaction to the experience you had. I had a friend whose cycles went all over the place after the death of a much loved pet and her gynae told her this is quite common- periods can come out of the blue or stop due to emotional upset. This is evidently well documented throughout history.

I'd allow things to settle down for a good 3 months before you or your dr jumps to conclusions.

Hope you are ok and getting support for whatever you went through.

Thank you all for your support and loveliness. I think I will go and see another doctor and get another opinion. I must say, I do feel too young for a menopause, especially as my periods have always been regular and there's been no mental preparation for this!

Just an update. I went to see another doctor (at the same practice) today. I went in to try and understand what had happened and to say how sad I was at the brutality of the text.....
The doctor told me that there is no test to see if you've passed menopause. That it could only be a guide along with lots of other factors (e.g. two years without a period if you're under 50). She also said that the test is a 'snap shot' and will only tell you what you're body is doing at that moment. So, as I experienced major stress/trauma in mid August she said that I would be expected to miss a few periods and that for e.g. if I were an anorexic girl of 20 and missed periods it would give the same reading and certainly wouldn't mean that person had passed menopause!
Really awful. The doctor was incredibly apologetic on her colleague's behalf and I've complained so they're looking at the situation, seeing how to avoid any such thing in future. They were shocked (without condemning the other doctor) at how the first doctor could send such a text and that text being so inaccurate too.
So, I feel so much happier now.

Thanks for updating, OP. I'm glad that you've been listened to - you did well to complain, as it might stop somebody else from suffering the same way. I hope that things settle for you.

Whilst you may have to wait for 12 months for an official declaration of 'menopause' you should not have to suffer symptoms for a year with blood tests that indicate menopause, just because you are under 51. You should get hormone replacement if you need it.

You only have to wait for 2 years to stop contraception (one year over 50). It is probably very daft for a doctor to declare someone 'past menopause' in their 40s, on the basis of 2 missed periods and a blood test, because they could still conceive and end up with a menopausal baby, or miscarriage and the complications that go with it. Ought to have more sense really .

Glad you have been listened to.

I am glad that you had a good second opinion and an apology. Similar happened to me in January of this year. I had a period that continued spotting so I went to the GP and a locum ordered hormone tests and thyroid tests. My periods were regular at the time but had been having trouble with sleep and my skin for the year before, also working through some very stressfull life events. I didn't even think of menopause - I was 44 at the time.

A DR called me the day after the blood test, late Friday afternoon and said, you are post menopausal. This is young, come in for HRT as you are at risk of heart disease and osteoparosis.!! He said I would not get another period but to check the bloods again in 6 weeks

I was a mess, angry and confused and low and behold I didn't get a period when expected. I did get a period just before the next blood tests and those tests were completely normal.

I have been having periods ever since, albeit they are becoming irregular, so I am definately in the stages - but as others have said, menopause is a diagnosis after the fact - 12/24 months after the last period depending on age.

I have since seen another Dr who sort of apologised and said not to worry about HRT and risks due to age until periods have stopped.

Wishing you well and hope things get back to normal for you soon.

Glad you've complained and they are looking at it. That's a truly terrible way to communicate anything with any patient. It's not rocket science to say 'don't text a patient with any kind of result, and by the way, don't jump to massive conclusions about test results either!' I hope things settle down for you soon.