Possibly perimenopausal and wondering about my options

[WorriedMama12]

So I'm early 40s and think I'm in perimenopause. I had my DC a couple of years ago and a few months later, started feeling really hot overnight when I used to be a really cold person. That was my only symptom. Then, a few months later, my periods were completely erratic, I now have a heavy period which lasts for around 3 weeks of every month. I've become anaemic as a result.

I went to the GP around 6 months ago, she tested my bloods I think 6 weeks apart and my FSH was high. This was the only out of range result from the entire panel of bloods.

I then got a private test a couple of months ago (I'm not sure what day of my cycle it was as my periods are all over the place). My FSH was OK but my testosterone was low. I have had a low libido for a good 5-6 years.

So at the moment, my symptoms are complete exhaustion most of the time. Hot/sweaty even at the slightest exertion. Pretty much all the time. Periods erratic.

I'm not sure if HRT would benefit me, only being in peri (possibly) as opposed to full blown menopause? And if it would help the low testosterone?

Has anyone been just in peri as opposed to full menopause and felt the benefit of HRT? Or has anything else helped?

I’m a little older than you but I’ve been on Elleste Duet now for three years. I was still having periods but they were completely erratic… I went seven months without one and then had one that lasted for three weeks. Had a hysteroscopy to make sure the lining of my uterus wasn’t skewed. Had other nasty symptoms, sweats in the night where I would wake up so wringing wet I had to change the bed, brain fog and aggression/rages that I simply couldn’t control over the most minor things. I was also shattered all the time. My hair was like thin string and I was utterly miserable.

It took about 6 months on 2mg tablets until I started to feel better but since then the improvement has been amazing. I’ve got my life back after four years of struggling. I’d advise you to speak to your GP as it’s entirely possible to have HRT when you’re still having periods.

Thank you. Im gojng to make a GP appointment next week to discuss my options re HRT. Did the medication regulate your period at all? That's a major thing for me.

I now have a heavy period which lasts for around 3 weeks of every month. I've become anaemic as a result.

This is your problem. You need a referral to gynaecology as a period that lasts for 21days in a 30 day cycle is very far off normal. Perimenopause will put periods further apart or closer together, shorten or lengthen them but something as extreme as yours should be checked out.

And yes, iron deficiency anaemia from excessive blood loss does all by itself cause your symptoms of:
my symptoms are complete exhaustion most of the time. Hot/sweaty even at the slightest exertion. Pretty much all the time.

HRT isn’t going to fix your anaemia.
You need to get your iron up and ask about Tranexamic acid to reduce the blood loss and shorten your period days.

I have endometriosis, I'm not sure if this, in conjunction with the peri is causing my periods to last for so long. I did mention to the GP about the length of my periods but she didn't offer a referral to gynae. I may need to push for this. She did give me the pill in the hope that it would regulate my periods but I just bled through it and it didn't make any difference. She also mentioned the coil.

I've got my iron up now, or it's getting up at least, with my prescription of ferrous fumarate. I was thinking about tranexamic acid so thank you for reminding me, I'll ask next week at the appointment that I'm going to make.

I am on both at the moment and referred to Gyne for similar issue to yours. Except I described all bleeding beyond my usual 6 days of period as unexplained bleeding between periods. Because to my mind, it is. No period lasts more than a week. Good luck.

Your symptoms seem like low estrogens. I would ask your hormone doctor to check it and regulate it with either herbs or bioidentical HRT so you don't have to suffer any longer. I know other people don't want to take any medicine at all and live through it; it's a choice, but the downside is your quality of life and productivity go down. Anemic is due to heavy period, so fixing the period is the key. It sounds like low progesterone and high estrogen in your body, which make your heavy period last longer. I would ask for the support of estrogen.

Depending on what lab level of your iron, people can get iron infusion if oral iron gives them constipation.

I tried HRT for the last two months, my periods stopped completely. Prior very heavy periods very regular but with shorter cycle in the last year basically 21 days between them which were exhausting me. I don't know whether I am feeling better because of HRT or simply because of not bleeding so much.