My GP says I am not in perimenopause. But could I be?

[Afternooninthepark]

Firstly, sorry this is long.
I know this isn’t a medical site but I am not getting too far with my gp so am just wondering if anyone who is in peri or has been through the menopause could relate to how I have been feeling recently?

I am 46 and the last year (and in particular this year) I have been starting to feel quite shit at times.
Sorry for long list but these are most of my symptoms for far (btw these symptoms become very much exacerbated the week before my period even though I have never previously suffered much from PMT!):-

Extreme anxiety especially the week before my period it can be so bad that I am to the point of panic at times.
Hot sweats in bed the week before my period
Very heavy periods (although I do have uterine polyps)
Increased aura migraines (usually on the 3rd day of my period so must be hormone related)
Digestive issues (IBS for years but much worse the last few years), bloating, very gassy, indigestion and gassy stomach pains - I had a gastroscope and colonoscopy last week which was clear.
Skin issues - dry, itchy skin and lots of small skin tags keep popping up.
Very low libido and dry (sometimes quite itchy) down there.
Low mood.
Very short temper.
Lethargy and little interest in things.
I struggle to cope with the stresses in my life (poorly mother, dad not coping and ds with school anxiety, I really struggle to cope at times with the responsibilities I have).
Brain fog, although that could be anxiety?

My gp says that as I am having regular periods and am not having many hot flushes during the day then I am not in peri, he just keeps offering me antidepressants.
When I saw a gynaecologist this year I mentioned this to her and she said it was a fallacy.
So who do I believe?
All I know is that I am starting to feel ‘off’ a lot of the time, especially the run up to and during my period.
I look after myself as best I can, I eat fairly clean, don’t smoke or drink, exercise, try to relax!, keep my bmi low and yet I am still feeling crap.
I’ve been told by my gp that there is no hormone test for peri as hormones are erratic at this time which I believe to be true but I keep reading about this Dutch test? What does that show?
Can anyone relate to these symptoms? Could I be in peri?
I didn’t really feel this way 2/3 years ago (although admittedly I did have less stress in my life back then!) but this is something which is gradually getting worse the older I am getting!

It does sound like you might be. I know hot flushes are the definitive symptom in that they are unlikely to be caused by anything else (I never had them except when I got into bed) but I am not sure if they always occur? Self care I can recommend that really helps is reducing or eliminating sugar and alcohol and increasing exercise. Supplements can be helpful - search posts On the menopause board for good ones - and read the NICE guidelines to see what is recommended for you if it is meno

Of course it's perimenopause. Honestly, most GPs know bugger all about menopause.

If a consultant says you can be in peri while still having regular periods, then you take her word for it- a GP is not a specialist.

Your GP is right - blood tests are not accurate but NICE says treat the symptoms. You have all of them other than irregular periods. (Never heard of anything called a Dutch test!)

Find another GP. Ask to try HRT.

Some GPs are very rigid on what can and cannot be perimenopause and others seem to pin anything on it. It's frustrating for many women.

Your gynae is right that the GP is wrong that one can't be perimenopausal with regular periods, but your GP is right that after 40 or so, there is no reliable test recommended to do. The only thing they can do is clear other issues. They are meant to treat the symptoms (not with antidepressants, I believe the NICE Guidelines specifically recommends against that). It does seem most likely perimenopause, but it can also be an idea to run checks for nutritional deficiencies, thyroid function, and other screenings for things that can cause similar symptoms.

Peri menopause is the 10 years before periods stop. The average age of periods stopping is 51 I think. So ergo you are in your perimenopause years. People say going through the menopause but it’s really going through peri menopause. Menopause is a point in time when periods stop.

GPs can be clueless and not have uptodate knowledge. Have a look at the Nice Guidelines, print off and refer your GP to it.
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23

You don’t have to suffer.

Here is a list of 66 symptoms of peri menopause. patient.info/forums/discuss/66-peri-menopause-menopause-symptoms-you-may-experience-which-may-help-some-ladies-271903

Have you had your thyroid tested?

Thanks all, I am going to change gp within the practice and fingers crossed, will get somewhere with them.
Gingerkitten bloody hell, I can tick off loads from that list!!

I have every symptom too, have had thyroid and full bloods checked and GP says nothing wrong but I feel hideous.

My experience of peri is like the boiling frog metaphor. I didn’t realise how bad I felt until it was really extreme. I’d summarise as PMT to the power 1000. So whereas I used to maybe feel pmtish for a day before, it grew to be a week to 10 days before.

I was prescribed transdermal oestrogen and felt like a new person less than 24 hours later.

Women are being badly let down on this front. There’s so much misinformation kicking around and prejudice about hrt. Periods don’t have to stop for hrt to be prescribed. I’d urge anyone suffering to read the Nice guidelines and take that as the start point.

Unfortunately we have to advocate ourselves and if necessary be really pushy.

Blimey that’s quite the list, we really get to have all the fun don’t we 😂!!

(& in answer to OP - sounds like peri, lots of ill informed medical professionals about but if you have specific concerns/think you require intervention etc then specialists tend to be a far better source of information. I’d also worry that some of the symptoms on that list if just chalked up to peri might mean you miss the actual reason behind them)

Hi...sorry about how uou feel and that you arent getting much help from my ilk..
Perimenopause can present in a wide variety of ways.Important thing to do is to have the basic bloods to rule out other conditions. AN irregular period and hot flushes are probably the 2 commonest symptoms around the perimenopause.Unfortunately blood tests aren't reliable in diagnosing the perimenopause.
HENCE YOUR NEXT BEST OPTION IS TO TRY SOME HRT.

If you try hrt and you feel better it is for sure that you are in peri. I diagnosed with early meno with almost regular but very light periods at 41.

Hi afternoonin the park

Request a blood test for thyroid. Your symptoms sound similar to mine and mine was low thyriod.

Thanks all. I did have my thyroid function test last year, came back within the normal range. I’ve tried to change over to a female gp (hoping a female would be more on the ball with these things!?) yesterday but they said I couldn’t do that and I would just have to request to see a female when I come in (we have a come and wait system, you can be there up to 2 hours waiting!!)

The gender of the dr is irrelevant. There are as many sad tales on here about female GPs as male ones.

I have a male consultant and he is absolutely lovely, but he is also a menopause consultant who is keen to help women.

You need a dr who knows about menopause, and that doesn't always mean they are female.

There are specialist menopause experts all over the UK but you would have to pay for a consultation- depends if you can, want to and can afford it.

It's totally peri-menopause. I was put on the pill at 42 for peri-menopausal symptoms and it pretty much took care of all of them including a few that I had no idea were hormonally related. I am now 56 and still on the pill and still needing the hormones. (I tried switching to Hormone Replacement for about 10 months last year and it was an unmitigated disaster.)

These are the NICE guidelines for diagnosing peri-menopause. And These are the NICE guidelines for diagnosing and managing menopause. Read them carefully and print out a set for your GP and any other disbelievers.
If you are in the London area, please try to get a referral (or see him privately) to Mr. Panay who is the UK expert on hormones. He was the one who put me on the pill 14 years ago. I believe that he is still running a hormone clinic with both NHS and private patients.

PS. I have yet to have a hot flash in 15 years of peri-menopause and my periods have always been pretty regular. And increased symptoms the week before your period is a classic symptom of the irregular production of estrogen that creates peri-menopausal symptoms.

@SophiaAmes
Mr Panay is at the Chelsea and Westminster but he has a team so patients do not necessarily see him.

I have heard his waiting list for private patients is 6 months if he is even taking on anyone new.

There are plenty of other equally good consultants.