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[Miss Lemon]

Hi, I've just joined the forum and am so looking forward to sharing this journey with others and getting/giving reassurance and advice in this nightmare.

I'm 47 and have been having peri problems for about five years now. Started with mood swings, anxiety, depression....... Developed into thoughts of dying (I was convinced that I'd seen my last Christmas in 2011  ), health anxiety...... Recently I have started having the dreaded hot flushes and night sweats too. It's all fun and games! I cry at the drop of a hat and have never been a 'cry baby', I feel unable to cope with life in general and become easily overwhelmed, this can lead me to act impulsively and I have lost friends as a result. Fortunately I have THE best husband in the world and he is supportive, understanding and caring. I don't know where I'd be if not for him.

My GP is worse than useless. He has tested my hormone levels but as they are 'normal for my age range' he doesn't see a problem. I have been using Serenity cream for the last two months and have found it to be a Godsend!

Thank you for reading and I look forward to chatting!

[CLKD]

>wave< - not another misinformed GP    - is there a Practice Nurse in the Surgery who may be more clued up about menopause? or have a chat with a Pharmacist, they have private rooms these days.  He/she may well be able to tell you which local Sureries support menopause the best 

Have a read of the pull-down menus, top of screen.  Browse round, make notes.  Nothing is taboo so ask away.  We have a funny room too …….

My Gynae won't do blood tests for hormones because hormones alter continually 24/7, he goes on symptoms.  Keeping a food/mood diary can be helpful, something to take with you when you have decided what will help symptoms.

There's lots of morbid thoughts too, we have a few threads about that somewhere here 

[Hurdity]

Hi Miss Lemon

 

Sorry to hear about your GP.  He should not be doing blood tests for hormonal symptoms if you are in the right age for menopause, except to do an overall complete blood test to check your general health as well. The new (draft) NICE guidelines (from memory - I can't seem to open them at the moment!)) state that docs should not use blood tests to diagnose menopause for women in the right age bracket.

What are your periods doing - are they irregular at all?

If you are finding the cream helpful it is probably either placebo effect or your body is changing anyway - the progesterone in there is very weak, and also will not work in the long term anyway ie to cope with hot flushes and it does not replace oestrogen.

Unfortunately the crying etc is normal for this stage! Here is an article about the peri-menopause you might be interested in: http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/article-perils-of-the-perimenopause.php - tells you what's happening in your body.

Do have a look around - there is a lot of information on the site, and also the forum has many threads where women have gone through similar to you - oh and do ask us anything else wemight be able to help with 

Hurdity x

[Briony]

Best thing I ever did for myself was swap GP. Find one who's preferably DOC COG qualified and before signing up, go to visit - see what their reception staff are like and look at the sorts of things advertised on the walls. When I saw a woman's health group I knew I'd found the right place - even though it's further to get there. Looking back, I wish I had done it ages ago. If you cant/dont want to swap, then investigate Qlaira which is a HRT style, low dose contraceptive pill. Has helped me massively.Your GP might consider this even if he wont acknowledge you're perimenopausal. 

You could also try emailing the doctor who runs this site and then printing off her advice to show your GP. It costs £25 x