Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[donnalou]

I've just joined to see if I can work out where I go from here.
I'm  43 and have, I believe, been peri menopausal for around 2.5 years.
I don't get hot flushes, night sweats etc... but I have had a lot of hair loss (which the blame got pointed at a severe Vit D deficiency which has now been rectified with a massive dose then an ongoing maintenance dose. No real improvement in my hair though) Vaginal dryness and general irritation, some libido loss but not all of the time and also mood swings/anxiety/irritability and brain fog.
My cycle is relatively normal still, 25-28 days but crampy and painful well before it arrives and heavier but shorter. 
 I have been taking supplements for around 1.5 years or so. Starflower oil and black cohosh.
 I found them a slight help at first particularly with the mood issues and the dryness but not so much the hair but recently those symptoms are getting worse and I feel it's pointless continuing them now.
I did once stop them both around 6 months ago and my period went missing! around 6 weeks without one,  it dawned on me it was probably because I'd removed the supplements so I restarted them and 6 days after doing so my period arrived and has been regular since. Possibly a coincidence, I'm not sure.
I've been thinking about asking my GP for some prescribed HRT
My problem with that is I am not and have not been allowed to take the combined pill since I was 19 years old because of oestrogen (I get focal migraine from it,  it's effect is similar to a stroke) so I'm concerned about putting synthetic Oestrogen into my body but know that's likely what I need.
Through my limited knowledge and recent research I've learned that patches would be better for me, less risk all round (I also smoke, not a lot but enough to be concerned about blood clots while taking hormones)
I'm going to spend some time in the forums reading other people's experiences and hope to arm myself with info before going to the GP.
One GP I asked about Peri - told me I was too young (I was 41 then)  and blood tests don't work to prove/disprove it (I don't know if that is true or not?) so I'll try dodge him next time and see another who hopefully won't just shut me down.
So yeah, hello everyone
Donna   

[CLKD]

Hi! no lady is every too young for menopause!  Even girls as young as 13 get 1 or no periods but have ovarian problems - which needs it's own set of medication/treatments.

Blood tests are reliably unreliable due to the hormones rising and falling all the while.  MayB keep a mood/food/symptom diary?  Vaginal dryness can be helped by either 'vagifem' or 'ovestin', inserted into the vagina to plump up the tissues.  Used regularly, for Life. 

Peri-menopause can begin years B4 we realise, and may go on for 10-15 years B4 periods actually stop.  It depends on each person, there's no real correlation with relatives, when our periods began etc.. 

Regular exercise, a good balanced diet, no smoking - some find that alcohol has to be dropped too as they develop an intolerance or simply no longer like the taste - it's The Change, does what it says on the tin    ......

The Pill will be a different combination of hormones.  You may be better served asking for a dedicated menopause clinic referral, not a Gynaecologist!  HReplacementT is that, putting back into your body hormones that are waning.  Have U been followed up on a regular basis for the focal migraines? 

[Choccadoodle]

 :)Hi newbie here too! I’ve just started on Everol patches and have had symptoms for the past three years.     My main symptom was horrendous
Migraines before and after my cycle. Had other symptoms too plus my mum was 42 when she had early Meno. Best thing is reading up and arming yourself as you said with information and talking to people. I prefer to chat 😂Best way to ask questions we need to know 👌🏻

[gm_thomson]

Hi Donna!

Have you had your ferritin (iron) checked? I had hair loss and my doctor checked that and it was low and he said could be the cause. The range is like 15-200 or something and even if you are like 15 in the blood test that may be low for you even though you are in range.

With me the hair loss wasnt that alone though. Turns out when I have a stressful event (for example a death in the family, actually first one was sudden unexpected death of my pet cat), then 6-8 weeks later my hair falls out all over. Its something to do with growth patterns or something, the stress shocks the hair so it changes phases and then falls out later. Is your hair coming out in patches or like all over (crazy full brush and covered bathroom floor?). Oh and when I have a stressful life event I used to get an extra period too. So helpful when you are stressed as it is. I was getting a period every 2 weeks at one point cos life was bad at that time.