GP says I am not in peri, can anyone relate to these symptoms?

[RhodaCamel]

I am 47 and for the last year or two I have been feeling pants! I asked my gp if I could be perimenopause but he said because I have regular periods and no regular hot flashes then I can’t be in perimenopause and just prescribed me antidepressants (which I haven’t taken yet).
Now, I appreciate that I may not be in peri but I wonder if any of you ladies can relate to the symptoms which are currently controlling my life and frankly making me down right miserable. These are the things are suffer from on an all too regular basis:-

Major, all consuming anxiety this is a huge problem which never used to bother me so much until the last 2 years.
Very heavy periods (I have uterine polyps) and aura migraine on 3rd day of period
Massive increase in my IBS symptoms (have had it for 20 years but nothing like this) lots of indigestion, acid, gurgling, growling, excessive wind, bloating and all worse in the last two weeks of cycle) all gastroenterologist tests have come back clear.
I don’t sleep well, wake up lots during the night, I just can’t sleep deeply enough
Knackered (see above!)
Skin tags keep popping up especially on neck area
Dry, itchy skin
Headachy at times but not a full headache is that makes any sense?
Absolutely no libido at all
Terrible PMS which I never used to suffer from.
And all in all, blooming depressed (Re all above!!)

I’ve recently changed from that gp to a new practise but the new gp basically says the same as the original one!

Can anyone relate to these. Wonder if this is all hormone related or am I just going insane??

I have decided I am going to try and see someone privately. I’m am in the north Essex/Suffolk area if anyone can recommend a good specialist.

No, you'll get cancer you hysterical old loon

Made me laugh as well

Well worth googling the NICE page on peri and menopause - gps should prescribe hrt before antidepressants for women after 45 etc

Hi, I’ve sent you a PM, really agree with everyone that your GP is fobbing you off.

I went private and thoroughly recommend it. 45 minute appointment, blood tests, sympathy, understanding of the menopause.

This is really interesting as I have lots of the same symptoms (except I don't feel tired or lethargic). I do have sub clinical hypothyroidism and my antibodies are very high but I'm not being treated due to my lack of tiredness.
The cycle related migraines and abdominal discomfort/dyspepsia are have been getting worse over the last few months as well. I know I don't ovulate every month anymore too.
I'm really

This is really interesting as I have lots of the same symptoms (except I don't feel tired or lethargic). I do have sub clinical hypothyroidism and my antibodies are very high but I'm not being treated due to my lack of tiredness.
The cycle related migraines and abdominal discomfort/dyspepsia are have been getting worse over the last few months as well. I know I don't ovulate every month anymore too.
I'm really interested to know whether tire was is there main symptoms that triggers a gp to treat.

I went to my GP recently with the following:
raging insomnia, anxiety, irritability, severe brain fog, flushes, reduced libido and periods beginning to 'jump about' from reg 28 days to between 26 and 34.
She told me 'you can only tell if someone is menopausal a year after they've had their last period. lots of women don't get many symptoms, but get something herbal from the chemist if you do'.
I am 52.

So she's not heard of the menopause @Pinboard? Other than periods stopping.

Change your GP.

You can't argue with stupid.

It was odd as she and I are same age & other than that she's a good GP.
Head of practice, small rural area so I'm stuffed on that front sadly.

It’s the peri menopause that’s the tough bit. Why are all these GPs asking women to come back when it’s effectively over? I would recommend the menopause matters website (as mentioned up thread) as there are some gynaecologists on the forum boards as well as people who have had problems with GPs not paying attention to NICE guidelines. I really am fed up with the sidelining of women by many in the medical profession. There's no excuse for not knowing the current advice for HRT when half the population will go through the menopause. We shouldn’t have to fight for help.

Of course it's worth getting some of the other things mentioned on this thread checked out, but I would put a pound to a penny that you are peri-menopausal. You are basically me two years ago.

I was on the mirena coil which I had (completely inexplicably because I am absolutely phobic about getting pg) forgot to replace. I did get it replaced pronto quick and that wee bit of hormone really straightened me out. Things are slipping somewhat now and I have new symptoms so reckon I'm full on menopausal at the moment. But your symptoms have been written off and it makes me so mad!

I have had three hot flushes in my life, all in the past 3 months, and reckon I've been peri for at least three years. It's utter bollox.

I've found the menopace night tablets a great help, I get cramping in the leg which keeps me awake. That said, I'm super-sensitive to any sleep medication, can't even take rescue remedy without falling asleep so they may not be strong enough for you, but worth a try.

LoonyvoonyWilsonFrickett I’ve been offered the Mirena numerous times by my gynaecologist due to my uterine polyps but always refuse it as I’m concerned the levonorgestrel will make my peri symptoms worse, did you have any symptoms/side effects from the Mirena?

I'm a GP, interested in women's health, and this topic winds me up no end, second only to the assumption from some of my colleagues that heavy painful periods should just be accepted.
Obviously having not actually met you, my advice is quite general. The symptoms you list do fit with perimenopause and I would diagnose you as such, providing you've had bloods for full blood count, thyroid, B12 folate and diabetes returned normal.
Then you have to decide, how do you want to manage this? If the mood is the main issue, sertraline is a reasonable suggestion. Some ladies prefer to try herbal remedies such as Menopace then of course there's HRT.

Check on your practice's website which doctors have DRCOG after their name and see one of those. This means they have done a postgraduate women's health diploma so should be more clued up!

@WisteriaPurple With all respect, the NICE menopause guidelines state very clearly that drugs like Sertraline are not to be used for mood in peri and post menopause.

They state that for women with no history of depression, the first line treatment is HRT as it is loss of estrogen causing the low mood.

See below from NICE.
Psychological symptoms
1.4.5 Consider HRT to alleviate low mood that arises as a result of the menopause.

1.4.6Consider CBT to alleviate low mood or anxiety that arise as a result of the menopause.

1.4.7 Ensure that menopausal women and healthcare professionals involved in their care understand that there is no clear evidence for SSRIs or SNRIs to ease low mood in menopausal women who have not been diagnosed with depression (see the NICE guideline on depression in adults)

Menopause consultants are very concerned about this incorrect use of ADs,, the British Menopause Society is running courses all year round to train GPs on this and menopause GPs (like Dr Louise Newson) have numerous articles on their website discussing the incorrect treatment of women who were given ADs.

d2931px9t312xa.cloudfront.net/menopausedoctor/files/information/321/GPs%20give%20HRT%20or%20antidepressants%20PRH%20June%202019.pdf

www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/menopause/s1e20-menopause-and-antidepressants-dr-louise-newson-and-kim-goulding

Check on your practice's website which doctors have DRCOG after their name and see one of those. This means they have done a postgraduate women's health diploma so should be more clued up!

Not necessarily. That is a qualification in gynae work- it doesn't always cover HRT or meneopause. They need to have done a menopause training course, ideally one run by the BMS.

Wisteria it is very concerning to me that you give this advice. It is wrong.

A'D's , Menopace , last resort HRT.

Bloody typical.

It's all online for you to read.

@RhodaCamel rapid weight gain of around 3/4 of a stone. That's exactly what happened with my first coil too, but it was a lot easier to shift it ten years ago! But that's the only side effect I've had, the Mirena really suits me. This is my third. I know others have had side effects though.

It's shocking we have GPs coming on here thinking they are clued up yet haven't read the 5 year old NICE guidelines (which women are printing off to show their GPs.)

This was a major publication and guidance on how to manage menopause, which will affect 50% of the population.

Why are GPs not up to speed?

Would this be allowed in any other type of employment when a major new set of guidelines are published for professionals?

Totally shocking.

If it were not for mumsnet, I would have been post menopausal at 45 and my bones would be even worse than they are now, at 49.

I would also be blindly taking the antidepressants, which would be damaging, as would not be treating me at all. I have never been depressed in my life.

I get very angry about this. Agree 100% Jingling.

The arrogance, frankly.

I just can't imagine anyone else in a profession like law, dentistry, dietetics, pharmacy, or even industry, not reading professional guidelines that came out 5 years ago. The only 'excuse' could be the GP is newly qualified and not aware of the NICE paper and has latched onto old training/ behaviour from other GPs.

Well, I saw a very ill informed lawyer on Monday. Again, had it not been for someone knowledgeable on this site, I would be in an extremely bad position indeed at the moment.

I wonder if you could arrange with mumsnet to put what they used to call 'a sticky' at the top of the menopause thread with that up to date info?

It's not your 'opinion', it is simply the NICE guidelines.

If people then want to have blood tests, get fobbed off, take anti depressants, take Menopace, be told they are too young, be told there is a proven cancer risk etc, ignore the real risk of osteoporosis which is a bigger health risk, then they could choose to do so.

(Obviously, I know some people, for very real reasons CAN'T take HRT... but... I think it would be worth posting as the majority should)

I think 'Gransnet' has some advice, but at 45 I had a 6 year old and now at 49 I am the mother to small DC.

I am a long way off joining 'Gransnet'

There was some advice on Gransnet a while back which was slightly incorrect. I did tell MNHQ about it and not sure if it was changed.

I also asked for a sticky of the NICE guidance here and thought some time ago it was pinned but has been lost.

No harm in asking again- you fancy emailing them? :)