Menopause/ HRT whilst having no periods due to Depo Provera

[0ddsocks]

Hi,

im beginning to find myself identifying a lot with many menopause symptoms I read/hear about. I’m late 40s and would like to discuss maybe considering HRT with my GP. The problem is I have been on the contraceptive injection for years and have no bleeding at all whilst on it.

However I’m guessing it might have an impact on the results of any menopause related blood tests the Dr might do. Am I right? Might it render hormone level checks a bit useless?

do I need to stop the injections first before having any tests? I can do that but the reason I have the injections in the first place is MASSIVELY heavy periods (to the extent I’ve needed medication to control the flow) so I only want to do that if I need to.

thanks for reading, any advice appreciated

I was on the implant when I started getting symptoms.

i went to my doctor and my symptoms were sufficiently obvious (really bad night sweats and hot flushes being the most annoying) that she didn’t do any hormone tests and started me on HRT.

i had the implant out a couple of years later and it being take out has made no difference to anything.

'Might it render hormone level checks a bit useless?'

Hormone checks are useless for everyone when diagnosing perimenopause - the levels fluctuate so much that one result is impossible to interpret. The NICE guidelines say to diagnose based on symptoms over 45 - you can use the Balance app to track your symptoms over a few weeks before seeing the GP

In your late 40s, it's very likely that you're perimenopausal. I highly recommend HRT, it has been a game changer for me

Many people, even in their 20s get HRT when they have depo, its recommended if you are going to be on it for a few months and are planning to continue it.