Dr phone call menopause diagnosis - should I have expected more?

[Amberduck]

Morning all
This might be a bit long so I will put in bullet points

• age 46 (just!)
• been on contraceptive implant for about 15 years and had very rare periods during this last one Jan 25
• DH had vasectomy and I had implant removed Oct 25
• in January I still hadn't had my periods return so contacted gp who recommended blood test
• yesterday had a call about my blood test results. I have an FSH of 83.9 which combined with no period for over a year means I am probably menopausal/post menopause.
• GP asked before telling me I was menopausal if I felt ok generally and I said not too bad
• after telling me she didn't ask if I had any symptoms, how I felt about diagnosis or if I had any questions relating to it
• I have been having anxiety issues which I thought was me just being stupid but I now think might be related

TLDR - just been told I'm probably post menopausal at 46 - should I have expected more support from the GP than "that's why your periods are not happening so it's nothing to worry about"

Sorry for the rambling post, I'm just trying to get my head around things. Feeling a bit lost and unsupported.

Oh gosh.
That’s probably not what you were expecting.

Anxiety is very much a part of menopause.

I would make an appointment for a face to face with your gp or nurse at your practice.

I haven’t heard of anyone being over the menopause in a year.

💐

What did you want from the call?
It's quite that you are post menopause if you've gone a year with no periods. BUT with the implant you can't tell where you are.

Did you GP go through any symptoms you have?

Do you want HRT? That is the first line of treatment for anxiety linked to menopause.

You're on the young side for menopause anyway and if your periods stop before 45 HRT is suggested anyway up to age 51 to protect your bones and heart.

Since you are feeling a bit lost, the conversation probably wasn't handled by the GP as well as it could have been. But the phone call was essentially made to tell you that there is nothing wrong. Menopuause isn't a diagnosis because it isn't an illness.

46 isn't even all that young to go through it.

It is an important life stage that you may well want to talk through with friends, family, etc., but it isn't reasonable to expect a GP to proactively invite discussion of a normal life event during a phone call.

If your anxiety problems are bad enough to need to see a doctor, make an appointment. You can explore the anxiety, and as one aspect of the conversation, explore whether menopause might be implicated.

I haven’t heard of anyone being over the menopause in a year.

Tbf that may be because some people may not bother to mention it if the menopause hasn't caused them problems. I suddenly realised when I was 52 that I hadn't had a period for at least a year (they'd been becoming infrequent before that) and, when I did mention it to some friends, most of them had a similar experience.

46 is young though and I agree with the PP who suggested investigating HRT.

Thanks everyone for a range of really useful comments. It's helpful to hear others agree that maybe it could have been handled a bit differently but also that the main issue was addressed by the GP and that I'm perhaps being a bit over sensitive! I think I need to think about what I've been told, think about the problems I have been having in light of finding out I am further through the process than I thought I would be at my age and decide where to go from there.

If I have questions, or any symptoms I want to talk about I say so rather than wait to be asked. Or did they just say 'you're in menopause' then hang up before you had a chance to speak?

You're right, I should have said something. I think I was surprised by the results of the blood test and wasn't expecting it so hasn't really thought things through. I can now go back and discuss things if I need to. I suppose I just thought maybe asking if I had any symptoms I was concerned about or any questions I wanted to ask might have been helpful as it would have given me more opportunity to mention things. Completely understand though, I need to take responsibility for managing the conversation.

I find it helpful to write a list before I see the GP. It's easy to get a bit 'deer in the headlights' and forget everything you wanted to say, especially if they tell you something you weren't expecting to hear.

@Amberduck I'd make a follow up appointment and have some things written down that you would like cleared up. I read a post this morning on Instagram, a repost by Jo Wiley, about how important it is to start hrt as early as you can as it will help with atrophy, which as a current suffer of it I can tell you is not much fun.
My anxiety was a HUGE thing, but had no idea it was a symptom, as was insanely itchy skin. Not being able to sleep, or waking up and not getting back to sleep, overthinking, night sweats, aching joints, hair gone super wavy/curly (the one bonus)
I hope you get some answers. It's horrible when you are taken unawares by something like this, and all those questions come after the call, I guess once your brain has begun to process things.