Can't get menopause diagnosis :(

[LittleMo234]

I'm 50 years old and was suffering with debilitating heavy periods so had a novasure procedure in 2018 and a mirena coil inserted. I haven't had a period since, which has been great!

BUT I now feel like I might be going through menopause as I'm getting insomnia, brain fog, forgetfulness, anxiety, etc but as I don't have periods anyway and haven't had hot flushes I don't know whether these symptoms might be due to something else.

I spoke to my doctor yesterday who was quite dismissive and offered HRT without even knowing whether I'm going through the menopause or not, laughed at my suggestion of taking the coil out as it might mean my heavy periods would return and offered Talking Therapies and even meds for anxiety.

This isn't what I want! I need to know whether this is menopause so I can try to treat this naturally if possible. Has anyone else had this issue?

It sounds like menopause. I'm not sure what you wanted your GP to do though. It's normal in my experience for them to offer HRT if you are of menopausal age and suffering classic symptoms. If you don't want to take HRT there are lots of supplements you can try until you find one which works for you n

I'm sorry you feel your DR treated you badly- laughing at you isn't great, is it?

But there is no test for menopause that is reliable when you are having the symptoms you have.

The NICE guidance is to treat the symptoms [as if they were peri/ menopause.] So your Dr is right to offer you HRT.

In some ways you are lucky as so many women here have to BEG for HRT and their Drs won't believe their symptoms ARE menopause!

Your periods are likely to be there - and if they are not, you will still have the symptoms you have now with or without bleeding.
If you made it clear to your Dr that you weren't there for HRT, they were reasonable to suggest other options (which actually fit with your desire to treat menopause 'naturally'- without HRT.)

There is no reliable evidence that anything 'natural' works as well as HRT so you will have to decide what you want. As you already have the Mirena, it gives you the progestin part you need with HRT so all you need to add now is estrogen.

Most women have the opposite problem, GP won’t diagnose without blood tests which can be inconclusive.
NICE guidelines say that women over 45 should be diagnosed in symptoms not blood tests, which can be inconclusive.

There’s loads of supplements available for menopause, Menopace and the Asda rip off version worked well for me for a time.

You can get wee on a stick kits that will test your levels of follicle stimulating hormone.

Superdrug also offer a blood test kit which might give you a more accurate result.

superdrug blood test kit

I don't think most GPs will test, it's all on symptoms and age so it doesn't seem unreasonable that yours has offered you HRT based on that alone.

Have you looked into supplement and dietary changes if you're not comfortable with HRT just yet?

I'm 46 and in perimenopause. Trying to do it naturally but have given myself 6 months and will review the possibility of HRT then.

Is there a test for the menopause? I just dealt with the symptoms as they came up.
Feeling bloated, switched to wholemeal everything
Tiredness, took up running and lost weight. Built up fitness.
Sweats etc, moved to veg diet 50% of the time with plenty of soy. Cut out alcohol. Drank much more water.

The symptoms went away.

If you want to treat it naturally then just crack on with that. Not really sure what you're wanting.

@MintyCedric

You can get wee on a stick kits that will test your levels of follicle stimulating hormone.

Superdrug also offer a blood test kit which might give you a more accurate result.

superdrug blood test kit

I don't think most GPs will test, it's all on symptoms and age so it doesn't seem unreasonable that yours has offered you HRT based on that alone.

Have you looked into supplement and dietary changes if you're not comfortable with HRT just yet?

I'm 46 and in perimenopause. Trying to do it naturally but have given myself 6 months and will review the possibility of HRT then.

it's a shame that these tests are out there as they are useless.

Even the tests that you can have done professionally by a dr are not reliable, unless you are definitely post-menopause.

Tests for peri menopause are not recommended as hormones change each day and all you will get is a reading for that day. It might show 'normal' one day and menopausal the next.

This is the menopause symptom list on Louise Newson's website. Periods are not mentioned

balance-menopause.com/uploads/2021/10/Menopause-Symptoms-Questionnaire-1.pdf

Here is the NHS menopause webpage.

Natural or complementary remedies are only mentioned at the end

www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/treatment/

@JinglingHellsBells

I agree that they are no way to diagnose menopause as such but some people might feel some reassurance from them, especially if due to contraception they are not having periods they can monitor.

I had my mirena removed when I was 40 as I knew I was likely to hit menopause on the early side (family history, one ovary and underactive thyroid) so wanted to get a handle on what my body was doing.

Personally I've found diet has helped massively...less meat and incorporating more soya products and seeds has certainly helped with the physical symptoms.

I agree that they are no way to diagnose menopause as such but some people might feel some reassurance from them, especially if due to contraception they are not having periods they can monitor.

Surely the point you have made is contradictory? How can they be reassured of anything when they are inaccurate?
@MintyCedric

They don't work.

Neither do 'proper' full blood tests done by a dr.

Personal experience- when I saw my gynae (for something unrelated to menopause) he did a huge range of bloods and checked my FSH level (as that may have been relevant to my condition.)

It showed I was post-menopause.
It was totally wrong as I was having regular periods and went on to have them for another 18 months.

He said it proved (as he already knew) they were unreliable.

Thank God id not relied on that as a means of contraception!

Is there a test for it,yes of course there is. A blood test to show hormone levels

If you’ve already got a mirena in, I’d be tempted to go back and ask for oestrogen gel or patch. What have you got to lose by trying it? It certainly helped me with many of the symptoms you describe when healthy eating and herbal supplements coupled with a gym habit, made little difference.

They absolutely should be testing. There are plenty of other conditions that can manifest as "menopause symptoms".

@Trymonnia @nannybeach The NICE guidance (pinned top of the forums here) says that drs are not to do blood tests for menopause.
This is because these tests are unreliable.

If someone is 45-50 and has menopause symptoms, the medical guidance is to treat it as menopause. (Obviously if HRT or other options don't help, other tests might be done.)

Many women come along here and are in despair as some GPs insist on blood tests, despite NICE saying not to! These then show all is 'normal' (as they are unreliable tests) and the women are refused treatment for menopause.

I see someone mentioned FSH that's for fertility. I had hormone levels,GP said I was perimenoporsal two years off full blown. I was 42.

@nannybeach That's right :) NICE guidance is test women under 45 as it can be premature menopause. Over 45, treat symptoms and assume it's menopause if there are many of the symptoms.

@nannybeach

The test I used tested FSH as it increases as oestrogen levels decrease.

[quote MintyCedric]@nannybeach

The test I used tested FSH as it increases as oestrogen levels decrease.[/quote]
The thing is though @MintyCedric that the FSH levels can vary day to day. What it showed on the day you used it might have been very different the next day or the next week.

Mine showed high but I wasn't post meno for another 2 years.

If you have the test done by a dr, they are supposed to do it on day 2-5 of your cycle and repeat a month later.

If you want to treat this naturally- wear cotton, buy a fan and ride it out.

HRT is nirvana, HRT cures every malady known to ever plague late middle aged women, you aren't supposed to think beyond HRT says the Mumsnet GroupThink.

Seriously, doctors only have a few things they can offer: drugs, counselling, physiotherapy, or surgery. Which one do you think would help you?

Every female goes through menopause. The average age is 50-51 so yep that’s what’s going on.

I thought you were going to say you are 40-45.

GPS should rule out other things, yes of course. But if everything else is ok and your symptoms are classic meno then join the club.

My periods were slowing up one every 3 months. Was determined I was going all natural. Had had really heavy painful periods since I was 11, involving drug, hormone and operations. Thought oh yeah this will be great. Overnight from a fit healthy 42 year old,every joint ached, couldn't even remember to feed the animals,had to write it down,hot flushes,then night sweats. My GP said as I was so young and had had a fracture,and am small,I needed HRT for the osteoporosis protection. Under 50 you have to use contraception till you are over 50,latex allergy,no coil because of the heavy periods. So I was taking HRT AND the contraceptive pill till I was 50, never told anyone. People who hadn't been through it would day they wouldn't take HRT it,was dangerous. Downside,was hormone induced bleeding which was very heavy. I worked 5 full night shifts and had a baby. At 50 bleed free HRT. we moved at 60 new GP refused to prescribe it. Looked into private clinics, couldn't afford that route. So,all the symptoms come back. Tried years of soya, different diets, acupuncture,black cohosh, red clover, nope, nothing worked. 12 hot flushes a night is horrible.