Menopause - Armed and Ready...

[Oakley02]

Hi, I am 46 and have been plucking out facial whiskers for years (love it when the tweezers grab first time) for the last year or so been getting hot flushes, regularly irregular periods (for 14 yrs), this month though have stopped bleeding, then 6 days later started bleeding heavily. Should I stop by the GP and accept my invitation to a health review or just put it down to age and leave the poor GP to get on with more needy patients? If I am menopausal, would like your opinions on HRT as really don't wish the suffering (on my DH and DS)Sorry if I am wasting your time reading this, advice would be useful.

You are peri menopausal ( the years leading up to final period=menopause) but whether you see your GP depends on whether you want treatment.
If you have had very irregular periods since you were 32 then there could be a long term risk to your bone health if you have missed periods and / or had long cycles when your oestrogen levels would be lower than normal. (women athletes are at high risk of osteoporosis because their level of exercise stops periods.)

46 is 'just' into the 'normal' zone for peri but average age of last period is 52. HRT is without risks if taken up to the age of the average menopause (depending on your medical history) Between 50-60 benefits outweigh risks and from 60-70 they are equal.

So...only reason to see your GP is to discuss HRT.

Meant to add- HRT protects bones which is why it's recommended/ considered essential by specialists for women who are peri before 45. So if you have a history of irregular periods, you could well fall into that group.

Thanks Polly, I will have a chat when I go for my Well Woman check.