Felt a bit shitty as had to quote the Nice guidelines to get HRT

[LaurieFairyCake]

Doctor was lovely but I had to be very firm about it. The - I'm not leaving without an HRT prescription as I have a lot of the symptoms on this sheet and I feel dreadful - type of firmness. I had printed out the questionnaire from menopausedoctor.co.uk to take with me.

She wanted me to have blood tests (apparently they're useless according to websites as I'm still menstruating normally) and I said fine but I wanted a prescription for after the blood tests.

So I had my blood tests (thyroid and diabetes too) and cashed my prescription for Femoston straight after at 6pm. Thank god the local hospital does blood tests to 5.30 and my pharmacy is open til 7!

I'm going to hope they work, if not I'm going back for a referral to a menopause clinic.

Just thought I'd post this to let everyone know that you still have to be pushy as some doctors don't want to give you HRT

She was literally totally wrong about everything. Saying I needed a blood test/was too young for HRT as I was still menstruating PLUS that I could only take it for 5 years as I 'would likely get cancer'. And she also tried to say I needed a smear BEFORE HRT.

She tried EVERYTHING to put me off.

So if 'normal' ferritin levels are 20-200 - surely at 37 that's normal but low and I could still be feeling the effects of it?

@Laurie

Blood tests are inaccurate. That's why NICE says do not use them for women in peri.

Their guide is to treat the symptoms. So if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, sounds like a duck....

HRT can take 3 months to have a full effect so I'd carry on as you are with the HRT and ignore her- she doesn't understand.

Yes, I will. She just said I didn't need HRT so I expect to have a right problem when I go back in 3 months for my next prescription.

I really hope they take effect quicker, I'm wiped out and feel really irritated by the afternoon and most of my work is in the evening.

okay, your thyroid levels are not normal. TSH should be between 1 and 6 (and 6 is pushing it) you are showing signs of hypothyroidism.

Which is why your GP has referred you. I had a TSH of 11 when tested like you at 47, and I found I had hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto's disease, which is when your immune system attacks your thyroid gland.

I had regular if heavy periods, brain fog, anxiety, crushing tiredness and aching joints.

Thyroxine and Vitamin D helped me. I saw a NHS consultant. I still take thyroxine, and it has basically solved most problems that might be associated with menopause. I only became menopausal this year, and my symptoms are still resolved, without HRT.

Your GP is right to look at the broader picture. Please google hypothyroidism or thyroid on Mumsnet general health threads. It is a common problem affecting "middleaged" women.

oh sorry, got that wrong, I see it is FSH tested at high levels, not TSH

Nevertheless, if your TSH is near 6, please consider it is heading in the wrong direction, for you.. Mine went from 6- 11 in a year, and I was exhibiting symptoms before that, which I falsely assumed were depression and carpal tunnel syndrome, when it was a thyroid problem.

Nettleskins and Jingling

You've REALLY helped me, you can't know how much.

I wakened at 3am in chronic pain. My joints in agony. I got up, hobbled about - starting stretching and pacing (and crying as I felt so sick) and I re read what you all said and googled.

I have dozens of symptoms of fibromyalgia- and the overlap with peri has made me think I have BOTH. The brain fog/Fibro fog, joint pain, nausea

I've been in a low level joint pain (hips/back) (occasionally worse, treated with ibuprofen) for more than 20 years so it's normal for me - not been to doctors with it for 22 years. In the last month it's got worse and worse and I've just been putting it down to peri.

So I got up and forced myself to stretch out and then I went on the exercise bike - I could only manage 9 minutes but I've kept going doing a couple of minutes here or there for the last 3 hours.

I'm now in the bath. I'm just going to treat myself as if I have both - there's no bloody cure - just exercise, water, amitryptiline/Gabapentin (will need to go back to docs)

I've literally been reading everything on it. And I need to get those blood results printed to see if hypothyroidism is in there, low vitamin D (I take supplements) - I've just ordered Magnesium too

But if you all hadn't made me think that there were other things possible too then I think my brain fog would just focus on HRT.

The joint pain was really severe 4 hours ago. Rambling now, so tired and foggy

Try birth control pills. Higher hormones than HRT and will help with all of the above and doctor will be happy to prescribe them for a menstruating woman...(as dumb as that is).

@LaurieFairyCake the Margaret Pyke centre did used to have a menopause clinic because my mum was a practice nurse and did some training with them. I’ve tried to access information about their menopause clinics myself but can only find contraception advice so I presume they no longer offer this service. My own GP is not really interested in pursuing HRT or discussing menopause with me because I still have my periods ( despite suffering very low mood, brain fog etc ). I know from my mum that the blood tests are useless because they only present a snap shot of that day - and the results can fluctuate daily. She keeps badgering me to read the NICE guidelines but I’m too tired and can’t concentrate enough to read it.... oh the irony. I’d love to know if there were any other specialist centres in the South East / London that could be accessed without having to pay privately

I saw Nick Panay for peri-menopausal issues in my early 40's (16 years ago). He was enormously helpful and put me on the pill long before anyone was using it to treat peri-menopausal symptoms. I just googled and he still has an NHS practice in London as well as a private one. Here's a link to the NHS practice at Chelsea and Westminster.

@SofiaAmes

Oh thank you... that’s very helpful.

I’m glad you’re getting help op.

This is an interesting thread, I’ve been having symptoms for 6 years now, started with night drenching at 33, was investigated for cancer and thankfully clear. Hormones suggested.

Brain fog, depression, omg the fucking anxiety and insomnia, I went through a stage of just being so intolerant, now I’m just flat, can’t sleep, anxiety through the roof. Periods got really far apart, now every couple of weeks, mid month bleeding, some months really light bleeding. Every time I go in they say it’s peri, even when I thought I had an infection they explained your scent can change during peri. They all agree, they won’t give me hrt as my blood test fails every bloody time.

Drenching night sweats are quite an eye opener and I have no idea how my Dh shares a bed with me.

Currently booked in for an ultrasound due to a sudden increase of cramps alongside a very light period then a really odd dragging pain and need to bear down 2 weeks ago, had a week and a half with just that feeling before light spotting and my period arrived yesterday. I’m so bloody done, I’m 38 and I can’t function. I’ll have my scan and then follow up requesting hrt or referral to an early menopause consultant.

I want me back, does anyone else feel that way?

I was in the same situation 2 years ago. I was feeling too tired and almost suicidal and convinced that I had a terminal illness. I was 41.

Go on the pill!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It solved all my peri-menopausal symptoms. I was put on the pill at 41/42 by Nick Panay (the NHS hormone expert) and at 56 am still on the pill and pretty much symptom free. I had 10 months last year where a stupid male obgyn (I am in the USA now) switched me to HRT and it was a disaster and then I got a referral to a urogynocologist who put me back on the pill and I'm back to "normal" (or at least pretty much peri--menopausal/menopausal symptom-free).
Do not listen to your gp or anyone else who is not a hormone expert. And please read the NICE guidelines and go armed with those to get yourself a referral to an expert.

I'm currently attempting to get GP to switch me up from Evorel 50 to 75, as I am still waking up drenched in cold sweat and knackered, and it is not a bundle of laughs. I had to get my gynae consultant surgeon to write to her.

As I'm in surgical menopause, the GP practice presumably can't argue about what's actually happening and why. (I've also had to quote NICE guidelines in the past.)

I'm like you OP, fed up and worried about being able to work.

And yes, I want 'me' back.