Blood test says no. Body says yes.

[Goingtobeawesome]

GP sent me for a blood test to see if I was peri/pre menopausal. Result said no.

Hospital consultant said one can't diagnose the menopause through a blood test.

I've been researching and it was a tick for everything making me believe I am starting with menopausal stuff. Also, last month my period was almost three weeks late and this month I'm three days early. I've put on a lot of weight in very little time and healthy eating and exercise is not shifting it.

Any advice please? I'm pretty hormonal, as well as going through a tough time emotionally, so need to try and look after myself better.

TIA

It depends. If you are under 45, blood tests are recommended because they need to try to check if you are having a premature menopause. The test has to be done on days 2-5 of your cycle and repeated once or twice again to make sure it's accurate. If you are under 45, the NICE guidelines say treat the symptoms and don't bother with blood tests.

Did you see the consultant for meno or something else?

Re. weight gain- cutting back on quantity is usually the answer as metabolism slows down anyway at this age!

I had one blood test done. Go and nurse adamant that was all that was needed.

Hospital was something else.

I don't eat much to start with..

GP*

Sorry, forgot to say thank you.

I'm 44.

Well, my GP refused to test me at all. Just said when I've not had a period for a year we'll know I'm menopausal and no reason to know until then - which doesn't help me with all the horrible stuff going on, or treating what may or may not be depression.

OTGY - sorry to hear that. How unhelpful. Can you see someone else at the surgery? I often get meds from Holland & Barrett and was advised not to take menopausal vitamins until I knew for sure I was going through it but I will consider it in a couple of months or so if still think I am.

I currently take Agnus castus for PMT and starflower oil capsules for breast pain.

Outtogetyou - is there more than one GP at your practice? My original GP said "just do some cardio and you'll cheer right up", totally failing to comprehend that I was regularly contemplating leaving my DH and DC - in spite of not actually wanting to do so (if that makes sense).
Saw one who specialises in gynae stuff and menopause and she was 100% sympathetic, put me on HRT purely because of mood swings. Which so far is making me far more balanced and cheery

SunnySomer - that is interesting. I have such terrible mood swings at the moment - either it is the premenopause or I am a complete cow. I regularly do things which get me into trouble at work or threaten to leave DH three days before my period starts. I never used to be like this!

It would be worth getting thyroid blood tests too, weight gain and erratic periods may be due to underactive thyroid.

Well, my GP refused to test me at all. Just said when I've not had a period for a year we'll know I'm menopausal and no reason to know until then

Mine too. And she is a menopausal woman too.

It all depends what you want to do OP.

I wish there was a way of having a permanent sticky thread here for the NICE guidelines because I keep linking to them, because they answer so many of these points- and can be printed off to take to GPs who've not bloody read them!!!!

NICE meno Guidelines

The point of the new guidelines is to bring drs (GPs ) up to speed so they aren't still basing treatment on outdated research from 10+ years ago, and also to inform us women what we can ask for.

Drs are supposed to keep up to speed and also take advantage of the training days provided by the British Menopause Society. These training days explain how they ought to treat menopause and HRT.

If your GP isn't up to speed then you have to take the bull by the horns and tell them about NICE's recommendations!

The link above is about diagnosis but you can scroll through the whole report for other aspects of treatment.

Basically - diagnosis:

If you are under 45 you are classed as having a premature menopause. This is determined by blood tests- see www.daisynetwork.org.uk for info on which tests and when.

HRT is the recommended treatment for women under 45 because you are at risk of osteoporosis and heart disease with an early menopause.

For women over 45 the advice to GPs is to treat the symptoms and not waste a) time and b) money on blood tests - just treat the women with HRT if that is what she'd like to try and there are no medical reasons why she can't have it.

If your GPs are being worse than useless, you need to be more assertive, wave the NICE stuff at them, or change GPs, or find a local NHS menopause clinic or find a private gynaecologist who will treat you with the care you deserve! Like anything, you can choose to buy health care if you come up against a brick wall in the NHS or want a 2nd opinion. You shouldn't have to of course, but if you are getting nowhere then that is an option.

Sorry for the bit of a rant but I get so fed up hearing about mostly useless GPs on the topic of meno.

I'm seeing a nurse in a couple of weeks. I trust her and think she will be able to set me right about what I need. I'm currently using Ovestin cream so something is a bit awry.

Thank you PP. I've emailed it to myself and will have a read later.

Thank you for posting those guidelines.

I will go back to the GP in a month or so I think. My situation is a bit odd: I am 48, fatally allergic to ingested progesterone, suffer from ongoing low level depression and have just had my Merina coil replaced "to see me through the menopause" so I suppose, looking at the guide, not doing a blood test was right.
But, as per a pp, I also have dreadful moods though no ups - ongoing low mood, dreadful very bad moods. Often threatening to leave dp and dss. Sigh.

Out- you might find using Oestrogel perfect! It's fully adjustable, so you use just as much as you need to make you feel better and you don't need any other progestogens because you've already got the Mirena. It's brilliant stuff!