Possible Peri

[DoctorAcula]

I've been struggling for the last 3 weeks with night sweats and then insomnia. I'm waking every single night anywhere from 1am to 5am boiling and covered in sweat despite having a 4tog summer duvet on. I then cannot get back to sleep no matter how much I've tried. I suspect its Peri due to recent irregular and heavy periods, despite being 43.
I've been to the GP today, he's ordered a blood test to check hormones and thyroid so hopefully they can help me. The tiredness is killing me.

I had the same with the night sweats at the same age, a low dose of oestrogen gel fixed it. It was my first symptom I think. If your periods are irregular then it does seem likely that it's perimenopause, 43 is quite a typical age from what I read on these threads. See what the doctor says, but be prepared to be insistent if the blood tests results don't prompt them to help you.

Huge sympathy. I've had great same symptoms for the past 6 months or so. Trying to ride them out but now regularly experiencing headaches from tiredness.

Hope your situation improves with Dr support.

Please go to the GP.

I assume I am in peri at 45 and have more night sweats than I used to (have always been prone to them, worst was after pregnancy). But they're caused by rapidly fluctuating levels of hormones (mine almost always by crashing progesterone) and even in peri this should only be happening some days a month.

If it's every day you need to rule out other causes too, eg thyroid disease, leukaemia.

Sorry, you said you had already had your thyroid levels tester. Keep going back to the GP and don't let them fob you off. Mine tried to write off an impending retinal detachment as peri last year, so feel worried when all problems in 40-something women are chalked up to that cause!

Coming back to say that I had my bloods done and had an implant fitted. My bloods hormone levels were 37 which the GP agreed was Peri, anything over 30. I've been on Evorel sequi patches and I feel normal again. I'm so happy I pushed for meds.

Not had a period since Feb but that could be down to the implant, at least the horrendous PMT bloat and rage have gone. The hot flushes, night sweats and insomnia have all gone. Spoke to my Mum who went through it later in her 50s, I remember her having a bad time of it and she couldn't have HRT as Grandma had breast cancer.