Who Do We Turn To Doctors Aren't Reliable

Women's health
1

My periods went irregular a year ago and I started having all the perimenopause symptoms, which came as a shock as I’d never heard of it,
Blood tests came back normal and all I had off my doctor was “your too young for menopause”

After being referred to a gynecologist he did blood work and I recieved a letter saying I was in the “post menopause” range and I’d need blood work done again in 2 months,
Day after having this letter I had a normal period (after not having one for 3 months expect spotting of dark blood for a day now and then),
So I rang my GP surgery and waited for a doctor to ring me and I told her everything she looked at the gynaecologist notes and said you were only 10 over making you post menopause so I think you must be perimenopause,
Let me email your gynecologist and I’ll explain you have started a period today and I told her that, I can’t cope and that all I get told is “we will do blood tests again in a few months, what about the symptoms I should be on some kind of medication” (this wasn’t my normal doctor and I was so relieved to finally have someone say something),
And she said she would also ask him that she thinks I should start some HRT and that my gynecologist is usually quick responding,

I was so relieved but I’ve been let down again as I’ve heard nothing since April 27th,

And today ive got the worst cramping and looks like another period, I’m that ill I can’t get out of bed,
I Used to get bad cramps with period when I was regular but when I was irregular I would get bad cramps with no period,

I want to feel normal and have some energy in the days, instead of feeling awful everyday and really low,
I want to lose weight as I know it will help with my joints, but I am just in bed every day,
I’ve got the worst doctors ever, I’ve lost count of the times they have told me “we will call you back” and I don’t hear anything even after putting in 2 complaints,

I have to wait another 2 months for a stomach scan (which to me should have been done a LONG time ago because something isn’t right and blood tests are not always helpful, and can even make things worse with different FSH levels etc

I’m sick of feeling agitated and aggressive (not like me at all) and I’m sick of not being able to get help,
Sometimes I wish I was in in the United States as the NHS here takes years to get anywhere

2

its the same for everyone, im in the uk, in america they unfortunately have to pay, ive been in this state for 14 months, just asked to be referred to a menopause clinic x

3

Do you mind if I ask how old you are Clair?
I would suggest that you look at the NICE Guidelines for menopause on the Internet, As these are the guidelines that all GPs in the UK should be following in respect of menopause treatment.
Possibly print off a copy of them? and make an appointment to see your GP taking them with you ?

4

I’m 43, ill be 44 in at the end of July,

I rang the doctor who told me the previous doctor I spoke to on 27th April has re-emailed my gynecologist, on Monday asking for a response,
And that she was not back at work in my GP surgery until Monday next week and to ring them and if the pain gets worse or the bleeding gets heavier to go to AnE,

Can you imagine me walking into AnE and saying My Period cramps are really bad, and then having to explain to the receptionist through a glass window, in a waiting area with people in there,

I’ve gone before and I was told there was nothing they could do and did I want morphine, which I politely refused, and was sent on my way at 6.10am (I went in at 1.38am) and live 16 miles from my house in a rural place,

Its a full period but I’ve woken this morning with the cramping again and nausea again,
I’ll just have to wait until Monday which I know I’ll be told “well I did email your gynecologist so we will have to wait”
I’m wasting so many years of my life and it annoys me :cry:

5

Oh Clair , i feel for you so sorry for you , I am suffering from different symptoms to you, but they are equally so debilitating and everything on the NHS just takes so long . I’m sorry I can’t really offer you any more advice but what I can say, although I am aware it’s no consolation you are not alone, there are lots and lots of us ladies suffering terribly - Things really do need to change in the UK for menopausal women x

6

The U.S. isn’t any better!! Most of our gyno’s won’t even do blood work to tell you where your hormone levels are.. we pay for our health insurance and its easy to get appointments but the insurance dictates your care. I had a hysterectomy 20 yrs ago, I just turned 53, but kept my ovaries, I’ve been dealing with meno symptoms for about 8 yrs and having a really hard time but not one single doc will check my hormone levels. It took me a year to get a referral to an eye specialist only to find out I have thyroid eye disease! Now that I got this diagnosis I was able to get approval to see an endocrinologist next week to have a complete thyroid work up, hopefully she’ll check my hormones too.. so being in the U.S. isn’t much of an advantage! Good Luck! I hope you get answers soon!!

7

Im in the UK and the doctors at my surgery have gone awol since the covid thing, I just get appointments with nurses. Ive had bloods done (again) last week and told someone will contact me about a menopause plan, no ones contacted me yet. Mine have been useless, I told the nurse im sick of the pain and want somthing done, im sick of having bloods done, blood pressure taken and asking about diet and exercise all the time, if I didnt have pain I would be exercising. I walk the dog for miles but have to make sure theres seating as have to sit down to rest my legs for awhile b4 I can get back home. I used to be so fit b4 all this (2 away from black belt in kickboxing) its soooo depressing. Rant over :joy:

8

Oh and I had a period on April 24th and came on again 15 days later! im 53 btw.

9

Same here hun,
I’m still waiting for my doctor as she said she would contact my gynecologist and try and get a scan done, as I get a lot of period cramping,
I too had a period and then one again 2 weeks,

I really wished someone had spoken to me about all this in my 30,s so I would at the very least know what was going on and mentally prepared myself and be armoured up with enough info so the doctors couldn’t have just fobbed me off like they have done,

My knee xrays came back “no further action” (and I had to ring the doctors up repeatedly to find that out),
But to me just because an xray doesn’t reveal anything, my knees are making the worst crunching (like glass being walked over) that’s how loud it is,
I hate walking upstairs because the noise goes through me,

And the worst part is i WANT to lose weight as I know it will help, but who on earth wants to do any exercise when they feel so low, no motivation, because there hormones are all over the place,

I know what you mean, Its always blood tests and they always say “there normal”,

I nearly fainted once when my doctor rang me and said “you have a brain tumour”
What a way to tell me that my pituitary gland was high,
And its been high with 2 blood tests and yet still no MRI

I feel your pain hun x

10

aww I feel yours to, its just not right how we r treated (or not treated) yeah I wish I had been more informed about this to but I heard that they are gonna be teaching it in schools now think it was on davina’s menopause documentart. I wish I had been prepared at a young age fir whats to come. yeah Im suffering terribly from pain have hip pain both hips, both arms and both achilles tendons my pysio says its tendonitis but not had any xrays yet, apparantely pain is very common in menopause. yeah I agree about the exercise how can you exercise when you dont feel motivated or are in to much pain, it feels like a military operation these days to take my dog for a long walk (shes a very active Staffy so needs lits of exercise) I have to have lots of sit downs there and back then am stiff as a board after a rest. Take care xx

11

sarah, you sound like me, i was so active before all this, and doctors are blooming awful, always fobbing us off, ive had every test possible, been told for 14 months its anxiety, then a few weeks ago my old gp was covering and the first thing she said when i described my symptoms was ( its sounds like perimenopause ) spoke to other doctors this week and she said (we dont even know if its menopause) i said what else is it then??? youve tested me for everything else? my periods are 20 days apart heavy with flushes and night sweats etc etc gee whizz, she went quiet. i go the golf course with my partner and have to sit on every bench i come across x

12

yeah Its crap :frowning: I love walking for miles with my dog as got plenty of time to now I’m jobless but this damn pain limits me now, the docs and nurses just dont get that if they sort out your pain or whatever other symptoms is stopping you then you can exercise again its not rocket science lol Im getting pmt symtoms again to so looks like another period is coming again after only 15 days. Is your partner sympathetic to your peri symptoms or eyes glaze over when you try and talk to him about stuff lol

13

hes been great to be honest so im really lucky, where do you get the pain? mine is everywhere, they just put it down to fibromyalgia, but i highly doubt we all have that, all they offer is antidepressants which are hell to get off or painkillers which also are and we dont need more hormones in peri as most studies show theyre higher, well estrogen is and try getting natural progesterone they wont give you it even though its on the nhs grrrrr x

14

Both hips, both achilles tendons and both arms (golfers elbow its called) I had a few injurys due to kickboxing like the achillies tendonitis and have to be careful with both my shoulders to but the rest just cane on out of the blue, I also think peri is aggrevating my old injuries to. Thats good leadt your other half is supportive :+1:

15

i know its blooming hard but i try to do things regardless otherwise the depression gets you x

16

I can’t believe it, I’ve gone from not having a period for 3 months (but could be the mini pill the doctor prescribed me),
And now I’m in shock like yourself I’m getting a period since 26th April until now Ive just started my 3rd one!!
Weirdly all day today I completely lost my temper over everything and anything, I mean 0-100 in seconds, everyone tip toeing around me and then feeling so bad because I’m the reason there feeling low ,
But the temper is just so bad and I’m not used to feeling it,
Then I go to the toilet tonight and I’ve got darkish blood (the type you get when you are coming off),
So I won’t know if it’s a period or not,

I’ve still heard nothing from the doctors, so my days are spend lieing in bed no energy, motivation, nothing

But I’ve also noticed that I’m getting pain in both arms at different times like this afternoon it was my left arm, like top of the arm deep inside,
Then other days it will be the right side top of arm and deep pain,

I’m sick of being the one trying to diagnose myself, when that’s my doctors job,

Ill be ringing at 8. 30am,
I hate we have to ring that early because I have sleeping problems and panic attacks, I find I’m always too sleepy to ring but I’ll be making sure tomorrow,

17

all they can do is offer you antidepressants, the main reason mosts docs wont prescribe hrt in peri (well the decent ones anyway) is because hormones flucuate so much, so why do you need more hormones at this stage, im not sided with gps theyre highly under educated on peri x

18

yeah I know what you mean, mine still hasnt rang me back so gonna have to ring them at 8am and im not an early bird. It annoys me when they say we will contact you after blood results with a meno plan but dont :enraged_face: