Hi all, I've joined this forum because I'm looking for advice from those who might be (have been) experiencing the same things. Over the past year or so I saw an endocrinologist, a gynecologist, switched GPs, did 3 ultrasounds and countless blood tests on both NHS and privately, and I'm still unsure where I am. I have unexplained pelvic pain and - unrelated to this - I'm not sure whether I'm perimenopausal or menopausal.
I'm turning 40 this year and last year I was told I was perimenopausal - this after a long stream of investigations. I started missing periods at the beginning of last year, had periods every 2nd month. My GP told me last August that I also displayed PCOS signs. Then in September I went to see an endocrinologist who specializes in PCOS, he said it wasn't PCOS, but low ovarian reserve and that I was perimenopausal, and he recommended to try Femostone 2/10 (which I did not go for at that time).
Then periods stopped in October. In November/December, I started to have hot flashes and also daily sweating. Then in January, very strange pelvic pain appear on the lower left hand side, stabbing pain,, really bad when sitting.
Went to see a GP first (I changed GPs because I got fed up with the old one), then a private gynecologist, had swabs, cervical screening, bloodwork (including cancer marker CA125), two ultrasounds, even the AMH fertility test etc.
They didn't find the cause of the pelvic pain, but confirmed once again low estrogen levels and also high FSH (19). Both the new GP and the gynecologist suggested HRT for dealing with hot flashes but also for osteoporosis prevention. They prescribed Femoston, which I started in February but could not stand, my feet got swollen and I felt horrible on Femostone - so I abandoned after 2 months (2 packs). Got 2 withdrawal bleeds on the progesterone part of Femostone which I was told it was normal.
The gynecologist then told me I could opt for Mirena coil (I wanted a contraceptive too) plus estrogen (Evorel 50 patches) for osteoporosis prevention and for dealing with hot flashes. I had the coil inserted by my GP late April, and started the Evorel patches too, and it seems like it's working much better for me, I feel much better and there are no hot flashes. There was some spotting and minor pain in the first 2-3 days but then it was all good.
However, this Sunday I started bleeding and it looks like a period (which I have not had since October). I am very confused now, I thought there was no bleeding on the Mirena. Is it possible that my periods came back? or is it some sort of withdrawal bleeding similar to the Femoston one? I'm due to see my GP in two weeks for now, so that she can check on the coil and how I'm doing on evorel, and has also mentioned a referral for a bone density scan), but until then is this something I need to worry about?
For the pain part, the gynecologist suggested I wait a couple of months and if the pain doesn't go away, he can do key hole surgery to investigate it - which I really don't want to do. The problem is, several months later I still have bad pelvic pain on the low left hand side which nobody can explain. There is no infection, no cysts, ultrasounds were all clear, cancer marker test came out negative, PID or IBS were ruled out, it's not PCOS either, cervical screening was fine, etc. The pain is aching, not continuous, it comes and goes and it's much worse when sitting. I did my own research online and I suspect it might be something called pudendal neuralgia (PN) or pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE) - which the gynecologist has not explored yet.
Anybody has any suggestion on what the pain could be, perhaps similar symptoms... and also answers on the bleeding part, is it normal on mirena+evorel 50? I'm so fed up with doctors and reading stuff online, and also very stressed, it has started to affect my work life - and I can't afford anything bad to happen on that front (I'm a single mum working full time).
Thank you! and sorry for the very long post.
PS. To top it all up I gained weight over the past 3-4 months, and it's not due to the HRT, it's comfort eating!