Thanks 7dwarfs. No I've never been referred to a gynae. The doctors have been pretty much useless. Their response to any women's health problem is the pill or coil. If you go and say you are depressed then they prescribe ADs. No-one seems interested in probing further. I had to push to get a scan which revealed fibroids. I then had to do my own research on them and HRT which is when I found out that fibroids are mainly caused by too much oestrogen, which is why I had such a bad time on the combined pill, as I was piling more oestrogen on top of oestrogen. From what I've researched, HRT is also a combination of oestrogen with progesterone so I think I'm best avoiding. The mini-pill is working to stop the blood loss but my mood has reduced drastically. I don't know how much of that is because of the lockdown and general change in circumstances though. My lack of libido is definitely related to progesterone.
I just feel so angry as I've suffered heavy, painful periods all my life. If I had been treated properly I never would have suffered such drastic mood swings in my twenties that led to me trying suicide and self harm. I also suffered anaemia because of the blood loss. I'm now 48 and I can't get those years back. Nor can I undo the damage it caused to my husband and children who witnessed many of my 'episodes' whilst on the pill. And I've lost count of holidays ruined as I sat up all night, terrified to move in case blood flowed out of me and ruined bed sheets, carpets, etc.
I know I probably am menopausal right now. I have the breast tenderness and my mood swings are too drastic to just be labelled as depression - although I do have that on top of everything else. I am also getting bloated, very gassy and sometimes quite restless and achy. But the one thing that is testing my marriage is the lack of libido. I just don't want him near me at all, in any form. He's very hurt and frustrated by this. As I say, it's been 18 months with no change in sight. So I have cut back on the progesterone and am taking just one every two days to see if that has an effect. I am guessing that my hormones are fluctuating so I just need to keep an eye on my moods and maybe adjust the pill-taking accordingly?
If anyone can give me more information about HRT I would be very grateful. As I say, I only know that it's combined hormones but I might be wrong.