Hello,
I joined this forum a few months ago, but have taken a while to pluck up courage and post a thread!
So, I'm 51 and clearly Peri, probably have been for a few years now. On the big scheme of things I cope better than some people, in fact the more I read the more I realise I'm doing OK next to some ladies - but everything is relative isn't it? I'm not doing ok for me - I'm a shadow of my normal self.
The thing is, I have no-one to talk to, my sisters are considerably younger than me, I am not able to talk to Mum, no other female relations and I work in an all male environment.
Two years ago, my periods were 2 or 3 a month, I went to the doctor who put me on the mini-pill to settle them - it worked, but just for the hell of it I put a stone on
I wasn't happy being back on the pill, after six months I stopped.. periods were better, back to monthly again.
It was about that kind of time that sleeping became a problem, I'm constantly physically exhausted but after a couple hours sleep I seem to nap for the rest of the night. I work full time (I have to, needs must) and I've been a zombie now for a couple years.
My moods have been up and down too - probably not helped by giving up smoking last year (That'll be another stone gained, thank you)
So I went to see my GP earlier this year and was diagnosed Femeston 1/10 (I think) a three month supply - it helped the nights, the night sweats improved and the sleep was better but I was having breakthrough bleeding and was unable to book an appointment with the GP in the couple weeks before the prescription ended, I decided that the HRT improved things, but not significantly enough, so have spent the last 3 months taking supplements and vitamins (and gaining another stone over the past 6 months too - delightful)
So here I am, about three stone up in the last couple of years, with constant tiredness (ridiculously so) with aching muscles, fighting depressive tendencies, am more anxious and stressed than I used to be, constantly needing a wee and a tendency to have boils in my groin area (I don't shave)
I've managed to get another GP appointment in a fortnights time, am hoping to try HRT again, but I also think I want to be a bit more informed this time, I think I need to be more aware of what I actually want - rather than just be grateful for the prescription.
What can I hope to achieve by trying again? Should I have given the first prescription another few months? Did I give up too early?