Had enough - off to the doctors - what can you advise?

[moonfacebaby]

I’m 47 and most definitely in the throes of perimenopause (I have been for over 4 years now).

I’ve finally cracked and booked a doctors appointment - I’m sick of the joint pains, the anxiety (& I think I’m bloody depressed too - I’m all over the place emotionally). Periods have not been regular in this time - and I was always regular as clockwork. Headaches, night sweats sometimes where I wake up soaked, and I’m just tired of feeling like shit...

I’m concerned I may get fobbed off with anti-depressants and one of the gps at my surgery is a bit of an old dinosaur who when I last went in for an appointment regarding my joints, I mentioned perimenopause...he effectively said there’s not much we can do until your periods have stopped for a year 😡...

I am desperate. If I have to live like this for the next god knows how many years, I just don’t think I can do it. I do not want anti-depressants - I want to see if getting my hormones sorted will ease this.

I’ve already screenshot the NICE guidelines about not prescribing anti-depressants - could any of you advise me on anything that will help me state my case please? Or your experiences of getting HRT prescribed?

HRT is for women in peri. If your dr doesn't know that there is not much hope. :)

There are 2 types of HRT- for peri meno and post meno.

If your GP isn't aware of such basic info on menopause, you need to see a different one.

Look at these tables of HRT.
www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php

You need to be assertive and remind them that NICE says ADs are not for women in peri or post meno unless they have a clinical diagnosis of depression before their hormones dropped.

Thanks Jingling - I’m hoping I’ll get another GP (& a woman) - I’m pretty determined to get started on HRT....I have suffered with depression previously but not for some time (over 11 years ago) and it’s all the other symptoms that I think are most definitely pointing towards peri.

Hi Moonface... Are you in England? It's my understanding that they really should follow NICE? I'm in Scotland and went to my GP 18 months ago and said I'd cried every day for 3 weeks and I would like either HRT or anti depressants (thinking she might not want to give me HRT) but she immediately agreed to HRT.... I hope you get it easily... if not, I agree with HellsBells - maybe you could change doctor? I spoke to another doctor several months before who said HRT was just for hot flushes (!) although at the time I wasn't really thinking about HRT. If I'd ended up going to her to ask for HRT to help my mood maybe I'd have had more of a fight...

I stopped crying as soon as I started the HRT. Good luck .. keep us posted.