I've been told it's not peri

[nailsathome]

Around 18months ago I started experiencing irregular periods with heavy flooding at the start. Shortly after started hot flushes and dreadful night sweats which happen a couple of time a week. For the last 6 months I've had vaginal dryness to the point of being sore and bleeding at the end of the day. Probably TMI but I've always had the issue of too much discharge so to be dry is a total surprise to me.

The nurse has told me I'm definitely not peri menopausal based on my normal hormone levels. She said my symptoms are all due to stress and will disappear if I calm down and destress. She has given me vagifem which have helped so much but she said to use them for a couple of months just to get me over this "blip" and then cut them out. I just don't know what to think. Can I have your experiences please? I'm happy to accept it's stress if that's what fits as I've only just turned 40. Thank you!

You need full bloods to determine if you’re in peri or not. If you e not had that, ask, if she says no, ask for a second opinion. It may or may not be. My peri symptoms turned out to be a combination of Pernicious Anaemia and Ovarian Cysts. Both of which I have ongoing medication and checks on. But my (young, male) GP sent me for immediate checks and blood tests instead of fobbing me off with it’s not peri, or worse, it’s menopause ‘what do you expect at your age?.’

Definitely go back and ask again - one blood test cannot give this information.

Oh not again.

They run a test. It's not that, so... oh you're a woman so it is probably all down to stress.

Don't take that for an answer OP.

Thanks everyone. I had a scan last year which was normal too. They've pretty much wiped their hands of it now so I don't actually know what to go back and say. I also have fibro and other things get blamed on that but these symptoms are different.

My periods went from clockwork to haywire at 38 and I saw the GP at 40 due to some dismenorrhoea. I was dismissed with a probably peri but my FSH was normal. I started flushes and thought hell no. The GP gave me Clonidine which did nothing. I went to see another GP and she told me that FSH fluctuates so single result is meaningless and she felt my symptoms alone indicated peri. My periods randomly restarted and were relatively regular so the symptoms resolved but 9 months later stopped completely and 4 months after that symptoms returned with a vengeance. No way was I dealing with that so I went to another GP and pretty much told him to put me on HRT. I’d read up on it and decided it was right for me. I was 44 at this point. I was NOT taking no for an answer. I did not meet any resistance probably because I went in determined.

I have been successful on HRT for 2 years now. No flushes no brain fog no mood swings no tears!

Read up and go back. Be determined, TELL them what you expect. Read NICE guidelines on Menopause and feel free to quote guidelines to the GP/Nurse it really sharpens their focus. NICE recommends FSH in under 45s but also states that peri should be suspected with your symptoms so I have no idea why you’ve been told otherwise.

Thank you @Poshjock I'll have a read of the guidelines. I've tried to stop the vagifem this week but within 4 days I'm so sore I've started them again.