Hi Rachlou88
While peri-menopause cannot be dismissed - nor can it be indicated while you are on the mini-pill as I understand - though I guess menopausal symptoms may eventually show through. Also blood tests (for FSH) won't show anything. The only way to tell if you are anywhere near peri-menopause, I would say, is to stop the mini-pill and wait for your normal cycles to resume - which can take some time.
It is known that desogestrel pills (Cerazette) cause depression of oestrogen levels so theoretically may lead to some menopausal symptoms. Here is what it says in the product info:
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/1698/smpc#gref"Treatment with Cerazette leads to decreased estradiol serum levels, to a level corresponding with the early follicular phase. It is as yet unknown whether the decrease has any clinically relevant effect on bone mineral density."
Also some info here about bleeding:
"4.8 Undesirable effects
The most commonly reported undesirable effect in the clinical trials is bleeding irregularity. Some kind of bleeding irregularity has been reported in up to 50% of women using Cerazette. Since Cerazette causes ovulation inhibition close to 100%, in contrast to other progestogen-only pills, irregular bleeding is more common than with other progestogen-only pills. In 20 - 30% of the women, bleeding may become more frequent, whereas in another 20% bleeding may become less frequent or totally absent. Vaginal bleeding may also be of longer duration. After a couple of months of treatment, bleedings tend to become less frequent. Information, counselling, and a bleeding diary can improve the woman's acceptance of the bleeding pattern."
Personally at your age I wouldn't want to be on a tablet like this long term because of the reduction in oestrogen levels.
It's good that any abnornal bleeding is checked out, but if you like to take hormonal contraception in tablet form I would consider one of thse modern combined pills that also contain oestrogen - like Qlaira or Zoely. I think Qlaira is higher dose. That way you would be getting more estradiol that would be expected for a women of your age.
One guide to when you might expect to become menopausal is when your mother went through menppause, if you know this.
Hope this helps
Hurdity x
