any advice?

[The80sweregreat]

Hi everyone , not posted on this board before, usually on the telly or AIBU threads.
I am 52 and have lots of symptoms of being peri menopausal. My periods have become erratic the last year or more - had one last month that was very light and lasted less than day - came on this weekend and its horrendous, heavy and experiencing pain in my left hand side top of my stomach that had me doubled up in pain on sunday.
Painkillers have helped and i'm not constipated. Period back in march lasted around two weeks once and i didnt think it would ever stop,
I am a little bit anaemic and taking iron for this, not had a blood test since April when it was a few points down. Our GP practice have gone over to a telephone system, so i just know i will be fobbed off as i mentioned problems with periods a few years ago and was told ' its my age, expect this'. A polyp was found 8 or 9 years ago, but seemed to disappear when i went for a smear last summer. i was sterilised 19 years ago
. I am getting night sweats and fuzzy heads, feeling dizzy and lightheaded before a period and the 'brain fog' is awful as is the insomnia, although that is up and down and sometimes i do sleep better than other times. My mood also gets very low and i just dont want to go on.
i know that people will say to see the GP, but i just feel they wont do anything because its my age! These really heavy periods are getting me down and i am up and down all night and bleeding through heavy pads ( cant wear tampons) Just feel a bit of a mess really! Thought i'd be done with periods at my age too.

I'm seeing red on your behalf about the 'It's your age expect this' comment! There should be meds and therapy to help especially with the anaemia aspect. Go back to GP and absolutely insist on a consultation with a GP who is likely to actually know what to do. Some male GPs are utterly shit at menopause, you are slightly more likely to get intelligent support from a middle aged female one in my experience.

Feel free to over-egg the pudding about the level of pain and the fact you're having to re-jig your life to accommodate your symptoms. Presumably this is affecting your ability to do your job? I know until I got mine sorted with Tranexamic acid it was having a serious effect on my work and I was falling asleep every afternoon on the sofa.

hi, thank you for your response. i must admit i havent seen a GP about periods for a while, but they are a bit dismissive about things generally at my practice and none of the others in the area are any better really.
I only work very part time so i can manage, if i were full time and having a long commute then i think i would be suffering a lot more. I wished i could wear tampons, but i find them very uncomfortable. When i had the smear test last summer, the nurse seemed more interested in me being a few stone overweight than my period concerns! the pains i had are a new one i must admit. i suppose i should get a telephone interview really!

If it's your periods that are the issue then see your GP. As PP said they can prescribe something like Tranexamic acid- take a few days before the period comes and once the flow starts. Or ibuprofen works too.

or your other option is to try a Mirena coil which stops the lining of the womb growing so periods tend to be light or not at all.

Tackling peri meno needs a double pronged approach! Lifestyle and HRT if you are suffering.

It would help you to lose weight, partly for overall health reasons (higher risk of all cancers including breast cancer post meno) but also because fat cells make oestrogen which will contribute to heavy periods.

Have you thought about HRT? This could help regulate your periods so you get a withdrawal bleed each month, rather than a flood every few months which is down to missing a natural period.

yes, am tackling the weight and trying to eat healthily etc - not as good as i should be, but better than it was.
i did wonder about HRT as heard good things about it.

Hi there
I had many of your symptoms and the worst bit was sometimes I would pretty much be having bleeding of sorts every day.
The MIRENA coil was inserted 4 years ago and no periods since - the other syptoms have lessened which makes the process bearable.
Best thing I ever did - no more worries about flooding!!!!!!

i will make an appointment i think -

the flooding is awful today, feel as if i am house bound ( luckily not at work)
thank you for all your replies. i really did believe i would be finished with all this by 52.

I was told the menopause can last 10 years from beginning to end and that most women have a coil fitted every 5 years and come out the other side with little effect - I really would recommend it - I'm 57 and feel as if I'm about half way through.
Good luck with whatever path you take - you just have to find what's best for you, your circumstances and quality of life.

I wished it would all go away - would love a hysterectomy but i cant afford it and i know the NHS wouldnt do it either. Just feel so down knowing the dreaded period is coming up and just feel so awful before it arrives too. Breast pain and heaviness is also horrible.

A hysterectomy is not always the answer- it's a major op and unlucky women can be left with serious issues.

Peri menopause can last 10 years but menopause is the date of your final period- that doesn't last 10 years.

After we go into menopause, it's for life.
The symptoms can last for years and years but obviously not periods because they have stopped.
Almost all women have stopped having periods by 54.

Lillian I think you could be confusing peri meno and post meno! At 57 you are post meno though without periods you can't tell.

The only reason to have another coil fitted once in post meno is so it's the progestogen part of HRT (so used alongside estrogen- tablets, gel, patches.)

On its own without estrogen it can give women more problems! It doesn't help meno symptoms like hot flushes, sweats, insomnia, pelvic floor and bladder problems.

another two years then of periods - maybe! just so depressing, i want them done with!

I had a friend who had a hysterectomy and she had a new lease of life! i suppose everything comes with risk, plus not being able to do anything at all for 6 or so weeks might drive me and dh mad too and i doubt i would be a candidate for one anyway. i am having a telephone interview today with a doctor, only one they had today and its a man unfortunately, but the pain in my side isnt going away even with tablets so i guessed i may as well talk to him and see what he says. thanks again for your replies, i do appreciate people taking the time.

So sorry you feel rubbish. You may well be shot of your periods before 54. I didn't notice may peri symptoms till I was 51 -ish and my last period was around 53. They just petered out getting lighter.

I do feel really low for no real reason to be honest - just sick of feeling rough all the time. not done much today apart from Mumsnetting.

i suppose low mood etc could be another symptom. there seems to be loads when ever i look up menopause or peri menopause.

Go and see your GP and say you want to try a low dose HRT. have a really good read of Menopause Matters- all written by a consultant gynae. Loads on HRT. Do not allow your GP to fob you off with ADs for your mood. NICE guidelines say HRT for women with low mood.

Thank you. Waiting for gp to ring now!

I've had really good results with HRT. Do get a blood test though. I flooded just the once and my iron levels went through the floor - doesn't help with the brain fog etc if you are anaemic too.

It doesn't have to be like this and replacing some of the lost oestrogen could make a huge difference.

Oh and it took me 3 GPs to find one that listened so persevere if necessary.

Going for blood test for aneamia first, should get the results by the end of next week.
Doctor was pushed for time on the phone, so thought id do this first then move on to other things when i see them. This new telephone system seems to make it harder to get appointments too.
Thanks all again.