Help please

Women's health
1

After a few months or irregular erratic periods, no sex drive and dryness, feeling tired constantly and needing to wee at a moments notice I finally took myself off to see my GP tonight.

Well I wasn't expecting to be told I'm probably in the perimenopausal phase and having to have blood tests done.

They did my bloods straightaway although I'm not sure what they're testing for tbh? And I've got an appt to go back in 3 weeks to discuss the results and my next step.

I'm only 43 so it was a complete shock, can anyone offer any advice please?

Thanks

Angie

2

I have a few minutes here to provide some info.

First, off, 43 is a perfect age to enter the perimenopausal phase of life.  Peri, is the 10 year period leading up to menopause .  In this phase, periods can change length, strength, and consistency.  You may notice temperature deregulation, emotional issues, sleep problems, just to name a few.  Sometimes period cycles will levle out and feel normal, other times they can be a real surprise.  In many ways, this is similiar to when you were just entering puberty.  Things were finding their way, and not very well coordinated.  But it's quite a shock to women in their 40s to have these issues, mainly because your've done 2 decades where everything was pretty status quo.

Now blood work (labs) in this phase are often pretty worthless. And unfortunately, often totally worthless, as they don't seem to reflect how the women is feeling.   Bet you 10 to 1 your labs will come back within normal ranges. The things that they may look at are your thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) just to make sure your symptoms aren't a thyroid issue.  But if they are looking .for peri symptoms, they would test your E2 (Estradiol) level and your Follicule Stimulating hormone. (FSH)  As a woman ages and gets closer to menopause, her FSH will rise.  It's a feedback loop hormone from the pituitary gland in your brain that encourages your ovaries to produce estrogen.  

I'm 60 and been in menopause for several years now.  But back in peri, I did try both the BCP and bioidenticals.  Nothing worked, and it often made me feel worse.  Having said that, many women do like the pill during this phase, if you can find one that suits your system. 

Not to worry, we've all been down this road.  The best thing I can offer is to be really good to yourself.  Eat a really good diet, take a good multivitamin, drink plenty of water, get to bed by 10pm, do anything you can to de stress and take some time for yourself.  A little exercise, but don't over do it. (We use up our chemicals as we exert ourselves.)  Give your body the best chance for coping and changing.  It will likely be another 10 years of intermittent odd sensations and strange cycles before you finally quit having periods.  The average age is 52 1/2 for menopause.  But no doubt things are starting to change, and you're feeling it throughout your entire body.  

Come back with questions, and get some good books to understand what's happening.  

Hope this explanation helped.  

3

Oh my gailannie,

Your reply was fantastic and contained everything I needed to hear. It's great to know what bloods they've probably taken although it does sound like they'll be pretty useless but we'll see. I asked my mum how things were for her as thought that would help but she said she never had any problems with periods but one day when she was around 53 they just stopped! I've been getting hot flushes but just assumed my bed was too warm, maybe not hey 😂

Thanks for the advice, I do generally have a healthy diet but will try to drink more water.

Thanks again

4

Meant to say, what are BCP and Biodenticals?? Is that like HRT?

5

BCP= Birth control pills.  They are a combination of synthetic estrogen and progesterone (Called a progestin)  The idea for perimenopause, is that they shut off your irratic system, while supplying a daily dose of both hormones.  When a women is given a progestin every day, she will not ovulate, and this is why they are a good form of birth control.  (You can't get pregnant if the egg doesn't ripen and come out of the ovary, right?)  So many women find a BCP consistent and steady for perimenopause.  

"Bioidenticals" is the term used to explain hormones which are chemically altered from plant sources, that's chemical structure is IDENTICAL to those produced from our ovaries.  Therefore, you are replacing, or supplementing, these hormones with something that your body understands and has delt with for most of your life.  There are  countless ways to supplement bioidentical hormones to your system.  The patch, under several bland names, is one way to provide the estradiol many women are lacking. But it can aso be taken in pills, creams, vaginal suppositories, injections, and now even pellets.   Progesterone, can also be supplemented in many forms. From pills, to vaginal suppositories, to creams that are rubbed on your skin.

HRT = hormone replacement therapy.  Meaning that you are supplementing the hormones that your body can no longer make.  When this goes well, a women will often feel wonderful, and many women truly believe it gives them their life back.   

For some women supplementation works beautifully, and other (like me) it can be a disaster.  I never felt right on a BCP, and the combinations of bioidenticals I tried often made things even worse. I was never able to the right amount or combination.      

6

Ah ok, thanks for all your insight Hun. I'm learning a whole new language!! 

I'd never really considered BCP had any other use apart from preventing pregnancy. 

I guess we'll discuss all this at my next appt. 

Thanks so much 

7

what can i say , a fantastic reply nothing else i can add ,, just take one day at a time ,, thinking of you all out there we have a tuff life us woman, big hugs to all of you xx