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[Elizabethrose]

Yep, I started taking it at 13 after my mother had a similar run in with another ignorant GP, who'd suggested that if I wait until I had a baby my pain would stop. She was a force to be reckoned with, still is, and told him in no uncertain terms exactly what prescription to write, immediately!! My daughter first start taking it at 14. Good luck! x

[Elizabethrose]

My daughter suffers in the same way as yours it seems, such a shame. She had a period with horrific pain on the day of her Italian oral final at uni. She dosed herself up, took in a hot water bottle and proceeded to explain in Italian exactly what was happening to her and how she felt. The examiner proceeded to discuss it with her at length before switching to the subject they were supposed to be discussing!

[dahliagirl]

I have a friend who was told to have a baby and she did.  She had two. 

Unfortunately, she had endometriosis and it just got worse and she had a couple of ops followed by a hysterectomy at 35, so it was probably the right advice in a round about sort of way, as things turned out. 

I was much the same as you Megamind - loads of periods - 24 days apart and over a week long.  One afternoon I suddenly  had pains, and heavy flow, in a meeting in a place without disposal facilities on Day 3 of my period.  Thank goodness for my 'Menopause Survival Kit' *

*  Spare knickers, ST, large tampon, drawer liners, Ibuprofen, packet of tissues and a couple of nappy bags and a biscuit.

[Hurdity]

Hi Hurdity,

Yes they are heavier but they still only last 3 days or so like they always have.  I went to the Dr earlier this year and had blood tests and although they didn't show up anything in particular she said they're not reliable and Dr's tend to go on symptoms. So she asked me about my periods I told her they were now 26/27/28 days whereas they used to be in the 30's. I told her they were heavier. She asked if I had sweats I said yes particularly in the night and they woke me up. I told her I had lost my libido and that I was very dry down below and other peri symptoms I have. She then offered me HRT! I was shocked actually after reading so much on here and reading how some women struggle to get prescribed it. I declined for now and she said if I change my mind just come back. She prescribed me sylk for the dryness.

So reading what you wrote, makes me think she was a bit premature in offering me HRT?

I'm not sure Megamind. Some women seem to be fine on starting HRT at this point, but if it really is before peri-menopause proper - sometimes the oestrogen surges can be very big so maybe at the ovulatory peak would be even higher? However some women unfortunately do experience sweats and flushes even while the ovaries are still functioning - presumably such women are very sensitive to the large drop in oestrogen which happens just before a period. In these circumstances a constant background of oestrogen as part of HRT would prevent levels dropping extremely low, and the extra progestogen would help keep the lining thin and perhaps reduce bleeding a little. If you are one that does suffer with these it might be worth trying?

The NICE Guidelines are quite clear about how they define peri-menopause and when to prescribe HRT and I think this is because its effectiveness is less guaranteed while you are still having regular periods. You can see I'm thinking out loud here.

Some gynaes prescribe the Pill at this point because it gives a constant dose of oestrogen and progesterone and suppresses ovulation, so cycles are more predictable and bleeding usually lighter. The two that are similar to HRT (they contain estradiol) are QLAIRA and ZOELY, but you need ot be happy with high doses of progestogens.

Hurdity  x

[Elizabethrose]

Never forget the biscuit!

[Megamind]

I have a friend who was told to have a baby and she did.  She had two. 

Unfortunately, she had endometriosis and it just got worse and she had a couple of ops followed by a hysterectomy at 35, so it was probably the right advice in a round about sort of way, as things turned out. 

I was much the same as you Megamind - loads of periods - 24 days apart and over a week long.  One afternoon I suddenly  had pains, and heavy flow, in a meeting in a place without disposal facilities on Day 3 of my period.  Thank goodness for my 'Menopause Survival Kit' *

*  Spare knickers, ST, large tampon, drawer liners, Ibuprofen, packet of tissues and a couple of nappy bags and a biscuit.

I have a few friends with endometriosis. They were all advised to have their babies before they were 30 but in fact all struggled to conceive and all ended up having IVF which they were eventually successful with but interestingly, they all still had horrific periods after the babies. I think that's the endometriosis.

Ha ha, I like the biscuit in your survival kit!

[Megamind]

Hurdity. I think I was right to refuse at this stage but at least I know they will say yes to it when I ask in the future. I think I will keep a note of my flushes as they're not every night but will be interesting to see what stage of my cycle they are coinciding with. In fact, I had a bad one the other night and then I got my period a few days later.

[CLKD]

If you are 'dry down below' you need localised HRT.