Menopause or not?

[hopsalong]

I feel completely different from the way I felt 5 years ago. I'm 44. It makes sense that I would be at least perimenopausal. But am I? GP says not after blood tests. Various female relations say not because they (and my mother) were in their mid-50s and 'we all go through the change late'. DH (with kind intentions) keeps insisting that I'm young.

Did you have any clear symptoms that indicated definitely approaching menopause? (My periods have always been pretty irregular, so that hasn't changed.) Could the feeling like crap be general but not menopausal ageing? I feel as if HRT would help but GP won't prescribe it. Maybe even the regular pill, but ditto.

At 44, you are almost certainly in peri-menopause, and blood tests are not used to diagnose peri, so as per usual, your GP has proved useless in assisting you. That said, peri-menopause can last 10 years or more before full menopause, so you may in fact not stop having periods well into your 50's.

HRT is very important for bone and heart health, so if this is something you're concerned about, or if you need actual help in dealing with whatever symptoms you may have, go to a private peri/menopause clinic if at all possible.

@Aquamarine1029
Thank you. That's very helpful. So are there no tests that can be done at all for perimenopause? I'm anxious about heart issues and blood clots and feel uneasy about taking HRT if it's going to push my estrogen levels (which along with FSH were totally normal last month on day 3) very high. I have a lot of symptoms of low estrogen (very dry eyes, aching, hair loss) but don't know why that would be if it's in fact not low. Could it be low on other days but not on day 3?

@hopsalong in peri meno oestrogen levels can fluctuate wildly. There are no tests.

Have a look at the Balance app and track your symptoms.

I'm 45, started HRT at 44, needed it from 42 in retrospect.

Peri-menopause is defined by fluctuations in our hormone levels, which can be quite extreme from one day to the next, which is why blood tests aren't used because they are unreliable.

Could it be low on other days but not on day 3?

Absolutely. This is exactly what peri-menopause is, and why we can suffer with so many varying symptoms. It can be a hormonal car crash, honestly.

I was taking HRT by the time I was 41, and I am still taking it at 50 with no plans to stop.