Private clinic recommendations

[perihelpneeded]

I have decided I need help, I cannot keep getting ignored by my GP because my mental health is now seriously suffering so I think I need to speak to someone that I at least feel wont dismiss me and am looking at a private menopause clinic.

I wondered if anyone else has used one and could recommend an option that does online appointments?

@perihelpneeded Have you thought of being tested for coeliac? Or IBD? Inflammation in your bowel sounds more like a gastro consultant you need to be referred to. Undiagnosed coeliac can cause all kinds of symptoms

I have EDS and the joint pain and the fatigue seem to have got to extreme levels honestly, they have always affected me but its so severe the past year.

But this wholly feels hormonal and I said this talking to the practice manager today, who funny enough explained she was the same age and experiencing similar so it was good to speak with someone who actually understood exactly what I meant.

I feel like years of having lousy health unfortunately mean I know my body really well and I have said for 9 months now that this feels like a hormone issue but the last few months it just feels like its ramped up so much. I feel 90% sure this is peri, there may be other things going on like the cyst has grown (that was found late 2021/early 2022 time) and there was some inflammation in my bowel when that was tested, but I really think most of what is going on is a hormone issue.

I know someone who works for one of the private clinics as well as specialized meno stuff for the NHS. She's brilliant at her job and has given me loads of great advice. I'm vaguely medical so I know she really knows what she's talking about. DM me if you want her details. She does virtual consults

'I feel like years of having lousy health unfortunately mean I know my body really well'

I know what you mean. Having a serious illness can make you very switched on to new problems. I hope you get some help soon .

Its rubbish that you understand this but its so true, I hope things are good for you at the moment.

Today is actually the first day ive felt remotely hopeful in a while so keeping fingers crossed I may be on the way to getting either help or at least feeling heard.

Thank you for the advice, much appreciated.

The difficulty you're having @perihelpneeded is that you have a very rare condition (I'd not heard of of it and had to google) as well as perhaps peri symptoms.

Most of the advice about dealing with peri is going to be skewed because you're also battling a long term chronic and rare condition.

It must be hard to know where the chronic condition ends and peri starts.

Did you also have a thread running about a possible hysterectomy and skin conditions? (Sorry if I'm muddled on this.)

The easiest answer is to try HRT and see if it helps but if it's only a case of getting the standard sort, your GP can offer this perhaps?

No that is not my posts, may be someone dealing with similar situations but not me.

I do understand what you are saying, there will be differences, EDS is actually not as rare as initial google searches suggest but there are rarer subtypes which confuses the situation somewhat. But of course this will make a difference and having an awareness of this is necessary.

Ultimately I think you are right that trying HRT and seeing if it impacts things is the way forward and would be the simplest solution and may be possible now, but after feeling I was just not being listened to at all I decided to look for options whereby I would have that opportunity.

Sometimes having other health issues makes it very easy for everything else to be dismissed unfortunately and ive had too much experience of things being overlooked because of this, but you get very good at knowing when there is a difference but it also means you have to advocate for yourself far more than you should have to.