Can you be in peri and still have regular periods?

[RhodaCamel]

I’m 47 and over the last few years I haven’t been feeling great. I can tick off so many peri symptoms. However, my last gp said that as I still have regular periods and that I don’t suffer from regular hot flushes then I am not in peri and he offered me antidepressants instead. I have changed my gp but she is basically saying the same.
But I feel like crap.
Will I only be classed as being in perimenopause once my periods start acting up and I am having flushes/night sweats?

I would be very wary of buying any medication online unless you’ve already had an appointment with a menopause specialist. There are so many different types of HRT and different doses of each type. It’s a bit of a minefield. It’s very important to get the right balance of oestrogen and progesterone as if you have too much of one and not enough of the other it can cause your womb lining to become thicker and this increases the cancer risk - the progesterone stops the thickening. If you take the mini pill or coil you already have the progesterone (on the mini pill like me you take half the dose of the utrogestan others would and on the coil you don’t need any generally). I’m waffling but just making the point it’s more complex than many think...!

It's not like the average GP goes into it in any detail, or has ever done any meaningful training on it either. Some have, but not all by any means. (See ops post in fact on criteria for peri and offering antids)

Cheapest option is getting the GP to prescribe. They've told you their personal criteria for prescribing. Sweats/irregular periods. I'd say there's an easy option there

Online pharmacies - just check they are regulated so you know the meds are real. I buy half my meds online now, you just do an online tickbox consultation. There's loads of pharmacies out there now. HRT is hard to get at the moment due to general shortages though.

@TheLegendOfZelda Are you referring to UK online pharmacies? I thought they were pretty strict and wouldn't issue HRT to a patient without either seeing their ongoing script or advising the GP.

I watched a TV program about transgender people who were obtaining hormones online from abroad. They tested the drugs. The testosterone was legit and the strength it said it was, but the oestrogen was only half strength. Which makes you wonder what else it contained. I think it's too big a risk.The UK stuff is probably safe enough and the sellers are reputable, Superdrug etc, but I didn't think they would just prescribe to a new patient. Maybe I'm wrong.

Yeah, I started hrt at 42 with regular but lighter periods and with awful symptoms. It happens often.

Interesting so many of mentioning digestive issues. My tummy is constantly gurgling at the moment, the noise wakes me up!
39 yesterday and haven't had a period for 7 years.

[quote jackdawdawn]@TheLegendOfZelda Are you referring to UK online pharmacies? I thought they were pretty strict and wouldn't issue HRT to a patient without either seeing their ongoing script or advising the GP.

I watched a TV program about transgender people who were obtaining hormones online from abroad. They tested the drugs. The testosterone was legit and the strength it said it was, but the oestrogen was only half strength. Which makes you wonder what else it contained. I think it's too big a risk.The UK stuff is probably safe enough and the sellers are reputable, Superdrug etc, but I didn't think they would just prescribe to a new patient. Maybe I'm wrong.[/quote]
Online pharmacies are great. They are totally legit (obviously check your site). You just tick a few boxes and say you've been prescribed it before. Their computer programme does an online consultation/prescription , which I presume is then rubber stamped by a pharmacist. I don't buy hrt patches that way as it's expensive and I get it on prescription but I would if my gp was useless. Not worth flying to Europe right now to buy it over the counter! In ops case, they have clearly told her their personal criteria for prescribing. The easiest option is to give them what they are asking for: sweats and erratic periods. A meno consultation is a lot of money. Not everyone can afford that.

I was trying to get HRT that way during the lockdown because I was desperate, just more as an experiment to try to see if it helped my symptoms, but the pharmacist rang me and said that although he symapthised, it wasn't legal for him to do so. I guess he was right, HRT carries a risk of sorts, and you should speak to a doctor to give a history. The only way seems to be an online private meno consultation which is v expensive. I think HRT may differ to other drugs, you can get SOME this way, including Viagra, I shouldn't wonder. They also don't want to be inundated with demand from Trans people presumably .

Hi, I started having peri symptoms a couple of years ago, horrendous moods like PMT continuously, plus physical symptoms, still regular periods and hormone tests not conclusive. My GP suggested the minipill might help and it has been fanatastic, absolutely back to normal, plus no periods, no PMT, should have taken it years ago.

GP training does not cover menopause specifically. The GP has to have an interest in women's health and do more training, qualifications in it.
Find a fully trained GP?

Aaarrgh though! 100% of half the entire population will go through peri then menopause. But hey why treat us as actual humans that could need specific help. Gosh I wonder why that is? -head desk-