Looking for peoples experiences/expertise.
I'm 42 and have been diagnosed as perimenopausal/ heading for an early menopause and started on HRT, but I'm concerned that there is something else going on that is undelying things. I have my ideas but want to hear other opinions first.
I orginally went to the GP with dry vagina, tired all the time, weight gain when I was 34. Referred to Rheumatology, told it was my, admittedly awful, rotating shift pattern that was the problem and vaginal dryness not even mentioned. I went part time/ days only and life carried on. Got pregnant, easily, at 36, baby just before 37. Breastfed until she was over 3, and so dismissed tiredness, non existent libido, poor sleep etc as a consequence of my choice to breastfeed longer.
Symptoms carried on worsening, GP very dismissive of low libido symptoms, "periods still regular therefore not perimenopause, need to work on relationship"!! So eventaully earlier this year I got a blood test done privately. Low oestrogen and low testosterone. So, GP started me on HRT, but a really low dose (25mcg patch), and told can't have testosterone till I've been on HRT for 3 months and would then need to see specialist, even though my testosterone level not even registering on NHS blood test. Also TSH very low but T4 and T3 normal, but nice guidelines just say repeat in 4-6 months (August), so still waiting on that.
Since then I've had a video consulation with a Newson GP and Oestrogen increasing each month (now up to 75mcg), switched utrogestan to vaginally, and Dr agreed to start me on Testosterone right away.
The thing is my FSH and LH are pretty much normal which doesn't seem to fit with everything else and with what I'm reading online. Am I just overthinking it, or is there something else going on?
Day 3 blood test
LH 8.9iu/l
FSH 9.6iu/l
Oestradiol 54pmol/L
Testosterone 0.4nmol/l
TSH 0.04mIU/l
T4 16.7pmol/l
Repeat test later in cycle by NHS had consistent result but testosterone level not even registering on that test.
Fed up of feeling like shit. Help!