Does this sound like perimenopause?

[ShhhhhItsASurprise]

Hello ladies. I’m 47.5 and think perimenopause may have caught up with me.

Between 2018 and the beginning of this year I was on the mini-pill and had no periods. I stopped taking it regularly at the start of this year and periods returned within a month. Last 3 periods have been pretty normal, lasting around 5 days each. Until now.

I’ve just worked out that since the 5 days of the last one, I’ve been bleeding (not much but enough) for over 2 weeks since. It’s usually dark brown but sometimes there is some fresher red blood. It’s evident every time I wipe, and I’m needing to wear a pad even though there isn’t much. I have cramping again now.

i have a very busy life so always put fatigue down to that, but I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus by 5pm most days.

Brain fog is constant (I have ADHD so there’s always a little bit of it, but even with meds I’m forgetting really simple words and names etc).

I woke up this morning really hot and sweaty. My sleep hasn’t been great for a few weeks, but I’ve been staying in a lot of hotels so had put it down to that/too much caffeine etc.

I guess putting it all together it sounds like it could be. But this never ending period is worrying me.

grateful for any advice. (My GP did put me on HRT a couple of years back but after 3 months I didn’t feel it was doing much. Don’t know if it’s worth retrying now?)

I'd go back to your GP just to get things checked out.

Don’t hold out much hope of getting an appt!

Does sound like it. Night sweats and palpitations were my first symptoms. My last period went on for weeks with very little blood. This period is very heavy and full of clots. I've had so many symptoms and HRT has helped enormously.

Defo go back to a GP but perhaps not the first 'pull up your socks' one. See a different GP for a new assessment. You are definitely peri- and should have treatment if you want it.
Unless you are assertive, GPs will put you off b/c prescriptions cost their practice and the NHS; they are programmed to decline ...
Detail your synomyms vociferously:
bleeding, palpitations, disrupted sleep, brain fog, hot flushes (these often happen at night and less so in the daytime)
Hang in there and push for treatment.

The first GP was very supportive - she prescribed 3 months of HRT and regular monitoring on the offchance it was hormonal. I’m not sure where the “pull your socks up” has come from?

Have a phone appt with the same GP in mid-June. Nothing g available before then unless I present as an emergency.

On the upside, my employer gives access to an online private GP and will pay for a private menopause specialist on referral from a GP. (No shared care here though so not sure where that would lead me.)

Feel like I’ve been hit by a bus. Painful abdomen, back, can’t maintain my temperature, can’t eat. Been very teary today for seemingly no reason. I’m really not looking forward to this process. :(

Hang in there with the HRT. It took 3/4 mths for me to see a difference. Which HRT did they prescribe? Also, there's a great Facebook group with lots of fab info: https://www.facebook.com/groups/702855629805990

I don’t have the HRT now. That was 3 years ago.

It was an oestrogen gel and progesterone tablets.

What’s the Facebook group called, please? It isn’t opening in the app.

MHDG (Menopause & HRT Discussion Group)