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[Nellycat]

Hello, I'm Helen, I'm 43 and very cheesed off!! So spoke with Gp back in November and he did blood test as my mums periods stopped when she was 44 and mine started to go haywire with the odd missed one a year ago plus my dreadful moods, rages (at myself mostly) depression, lack of self esteem, tiredness, palpitations etc. Results were not peri FSH levels were high. I've been struggling since and also have no libido, lack of confidence at work and socially, have withdrawn away from friends and feel so lonely, periods lighter but used to be 28 apart now all over the place, skin terrible. I have white heads, rosacea, and big hard angry lumps crop up. Now I'm getting lots of pelvic twinges, everything feels irritated and tender (ruination wise) plus when I have managed to persuade myself to get busy with poor long suffering hubby I get pain and cramps for a couple of days afterwards. Soooooo, I'm so sorry for letting it all out at once and my first post! I battle with super low iron levels and am on thyroxine for under active thyroid and go prescribed bit d in winter which helped get me out of terrible downer over Christmas but I just need to know if all these things could really be going peri menopause? Would I be better seeing a female dr?
Many thanks if you got this far! Hx

[Dotty]

Hi it all sounds like peri menopause to me x

[MicheleMaBelle]

Welcome Nellycat. Sounds like Peri.

[sheila99]

Another who thinks it's peri. Welcome to the club 

[Jari]

Hi Nellycat, seeing you have thyroid and iron problems, do you have hair falling out at all?

Are you taking a base of good quality supplements?

Are you doing plenty of regular exercise outside? X

[AgathaC]

Sounds like perimenopause to me x

[kayellvee]

Welcome Nelly, sounds like peri to me too.

[Nellycat]

Thanks for welcoming me, today has been awful, I haven't slept much for last 3 nights and that triggers the anxious fretting and grumpiness big time. Hubby around so he dealt with the children but I've been horrible to him and he struggles to cope with my snappiness so we fell out, thankfully whilst children were playing out with friends. But then I feel guilt and self loathing and withdraw more!
I'm just so fed up and hate that this takes control.
Have you guys found a female GP more understanding? We only have one at my practice but she's never been that easy to chat with- seems quite old school “pull yourself together” the gp who sorted me out with thyroid problems was lovely but clearly not knowledgeable about menopause as he just went on blood results.
Hx

[sheila99]

Equally ignorant in my experience. Might be worth asking if there's anyone who specialises in it though our 'expert' knows less than I do. 

[CLKD]

Read round.  Make notes ;-)
Decide which symptom you would like to ease first.
Print off the hints for husbands from the Forum and hand over.
Delegate chores around the house.  What ever age kids are, they can do small chores.  Bribery works 

Do read the threads on vaginal atrophy and bladder issues.  As oestrogen levels drop off so the body may become dry: inside and out; skin, deep in the ears, nostrils roof of the mouth, scalp, vagina  .  Also muscles may become lax = aches and pains.

Good exercise, lots of fresh air, good diet.  Hobbies, 'me' time - I LOVE my bath ;-)

This too will pass.  Have a read of the daisy web-site for early menopause too.  No one is every too early to go into menopause, many GPs still think that a woman has to complain of hot flushes to be !!! whereas I've had few of those. 

[AgathaC]

One thing I have learned is to try not to rush anything. These menopausal symptoms will have crept up over time and there is no quick fix or easy solution.  Keep calm and keep a diary. Try and stay in control of the simple things such as eating and exercising (walking for me) and sleeping.  Do some research (on this forum) and then decide what medical help, if any, you need. It can be a really awful time. I'm 47 and I'm not the person I was 5 years ago  Welcome, by the way!

[Jari]

Agatha is so right, take your time and don't rush into anything. Get a notebook and read up. It comes as a bit of a shock, well it did for me and from my experience, I wish someone had advised me to take my time and not rush into anything. Bear in mind, that for many women, these symptoms do start easing up and do pass x