‘Very, very early ovarian failure’ at 44!!!

[runningpram]

Id be v grateful if someone could recommend a good doc private or otherwise who can support with HRT.
I am 44 and my local NHS clinic wont believe I am peri without tests. They say that i may be having ‘very,very early ovarian failure’!!! This does not inspire confidence!!!
I dont feel I meed the big guns yet but I am in need of something! Any suggestions gratefully received!

They can't say they won't believe you are peri and in the same breath say they think you have early ovarian failure, because they are one and the same thing.
Keep on badgering them until you get the outcome you want from them.

44 is really not that young for perimenopause symptoms. Don't waste your money getting a private doctor yet. Change your GP. Most decent GPs will listen to you and offer you HRT to try.

When you say they think you have ovarian failure, what symptoms do you have?

I don't think they know what they're talking about. They don't keep a record of when women go through peri and menopause. Loads of us are ignored when we have all the symptoms.
Of course your ovaries could be packing up. You have to find the energy to keep on at them.

What is menopause if not ovarian failure? Most women's ovaries begin to fail in their 50s, but for a substantial proportion of us it happens earlier. I began HRT when I was 43. Would have gone to the doctor two years earlier had I recognised my symptoms as peri. Would have started HRT 6m earlier, had a male GP not decided that I was depressed.

Try another GP.

I’m a little younger than you. NHS sent me for blood tests and an ultrasound to rule out other causes of my symptoms. Then offered me HRT. I was happy to have the tests - no point in potentially treating the wrong thing! Especially since HRT doesn’t clear up all symptoms quickly.

Sometimes I think the classic hot flushes and irregular periods are the best symptoms to have for chatting to doctors. I should have been on hrt sooner but started when I was 45.

Just see a different GP
Or try the Newson Clinic if you can go private.

Yes, you need to be talking vasomotor symptoms, lack of libido and skipping periods..
When I first went I talked about 'feeling very ill' for parts of the month, but actually it was debilitating. Truly debilitating. I had such a catalogue of symptoms and didn't prioritise mentioning the sweaty nights, wild palpitations and irregular heavy periods (they finally diagnosed and treated the anemia those had given me). I did have a lot of tests to rule out lots of other things, and they then started talking about fibromyalgia. No-one mentioned hormones, or peri - this was over a two year period fromage 43-45. In the end I asked for HRT and said 'if it doesn't work then I guess I don't need it'.
It did work and now I am able to as well.

Thank you all! I understand why the tests might be necessary but are they going to show anything different at 44 , thank a few months later at 45 - when i dont need tests. It seems v tick box to me.

@runningpram they may want to run other tests (non hormonal) at any age to rule out other problems like thyroid and deficiencies, which are helpful as you may have more than one thing going on. Regarding the hormones, you could let them test you now in case you are already menopausal but I agree that if you are having periods you may as well hang on until 45 and get prescribed on symptoms alone. A private specialist will still prescribe on symptoms alone at that age. In the meantime you could try agnus castus, black cohosh, or soy, if you are inclined.

If you're in your mid 40s you're not experiencing POI you're in the normal age range for menopause. I say this as someone who became post menopausal before 40.

‘Very very early ovarian failure’ is when a woman is in her teens, twenties and thirties begins to have menopause. There’s an organisation cashed The Daisy network to support these young women.

having menopausal symptoms in your 40s is the norm- it’s not ‘early’

It doesn’t inspire much confidence in your heath care providers that they said that as it’s really inaccurate.

get a different opinion.

go to menopausematters.co.uk for a handy symptom checklist to bring with you and present to your doctor to get hrt.
Good luck with it! I love my hrt