How do I check menopause/ perimenopause Post Reply

[Howdoiknow]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone can help?

In the past few weeks I've experienced regular night time hot flushes that have sometimes woken me up in the early hours.

I'm in my early 40s and I've not "felt myself" for a while but can't quite put my finger on it. I have gained some weight which I'm finding hard to shift in spite of eating mostly healthily and exercising and loss of desire to even have a drink or socialize. One could say this is normal given the impact of the pandemic.

I recently went for blood tests to check my thyroid, fsh levels and the test results for all vitamin and organ functions all came back as normal. I am awaiting a call from the gp next week to discuss but they take so long so I asked for a print out for my results.

In lieu of that gp call, could anyone advise on how best to interpret fsh levels? I took this blood test mid cycle but I've googled and I think it is suggested this should be tested earlier in the cycle, day 3? I think (?!)

Can anyone offer any advice? I have never taken hormonal contraception but I definitely feel my body is experiencing changes in hormones. My periods are still very regular but the hot flashes indicate something surely. I'm not trying to conceive.

Can anyone talk to me about HRT? In particular I worry about osteoporosis as I age and have heard this helps reduce that.

Many thanks to anyone who can offer any experiences and wisdom. I would prefer to not have to use private health because financially I'm quite stretched with our mortgage. I can afford a few hundred but not thousands and would like to use the NHS ideally but worried I will be fobbed off.

[lostmylogin]

As well as seeing your GP you may find this website useful (I can’t share the link so stick “the well hq” into your search function). Full disclosure - a friend of mine is one of the team who set it up, but I trust her so it’s the first place I’d look for more info on the menopause. They do occasional free webinars and there is a free trial option for the website community.

[mrsbfrombalham]

You absolutely shouldn't need to use private health care - however not all GPs are well versed in Menopause or perimenopause symptoms and treatment so it can be a bit of a battle to get listened to (some GPs also start by prescribing anti-depressants which is not the guidelines they should follow - but that's another story). So before going to the GP, do your research and come armed with facts and a good understanding of your symptoms (keeping track of sleep, hot fluhses, etc in a journal can be helpful).
Talking to other women going through the same thing has also be really useful for me - if only to feel like I wasn't going crazy or imagining things.
This all really helped in the process of confirming that indeed perimenopause was at play and more importantly get the all important prescription for HRT. This was over a year ago and has been life changing for me. I now feel like i am back to being myself again.
One thing to note: as hormone levels fluctuates constantly, test results can come back normal but it doesn't mean you are not peri-menopausal as the test only measures the levels at the time it was taken.
See below a few useful resources:
https://www.lattelounge.co.uk/
https://www.balance-menopause.com/
https://www.newsonhealth.co.uk/resources/#factsheets
https://mysecondspring.ie/
All the best on your journey - you do not have to suffer from this - if indeed hormone deficiency is what is causing your issues there is simple treatment(s) available.

 

[thebronteclinic]

The post above is a brilliant summary.  The balance app can be useful to keep track of symptoms so you can show your GP.  
If you are getting stuck then we see patients privately at The Bronte Clinic for perimenopause and menopause assessments ( more information on the website) and would be happy to help if you need.

[Howdoiknow]

Thank you Mrs B for your reply I really appreciate you sharing your experience ❤ . Your comments really helped arrange my thoughts and to know what to ask my gp and I will ask about HRT. Agree it would be nice to talk to other women going through similar physical changes. It's taken me aback to be honest how odd I feel and how sudden its been, though actually prior to the hot flushes there was something I couldn't pinpoint; brain fog perhaps but very difficult to pinpoint with the pandemic. I always looked forward to the menopause in many ways but seems like there is this bumpy phase in between.

Thank you too to the others for your responses. I also will consider that there are resources and services outside of the NHS.

[Medicalmam]

Just to follow on from the excellent reply, from mrsbfrombalham, with a link to helpful resources.
The FSH test is not a particularly helpful test in peri menopause, as the hormones fluctuate a lot in this period. You may capture the results at a good moment rather than seeing the bigger picture. Symptoms are the best guide to diagnose peri menopause. I would suggest downloading the Greene climacteric scale and completing this to take to your appointment.
As well as the previous brilliant resources already listed you may wish to look at https://www.womens-health-concern.org/
This is the patient arm of the British menopause society.
If you struggle to get the help you need from your GP (I really hope this is not the case) then you can try a different GP.

[Medicalmam]

Just to follow on from the excellent reply, from mrsbfrombalham, with lots of links to helpful resources.
The FSH test is not a particularly helpful test in peri menopause, as the hormones fluctuate a lot in this period. You may capture the results at a good moment rather than seeing the bigger picture. Symptoms are the best guide to diagnose peri menopause. I would suggest downloading the Greene climacteric scale and completing this to take to your appointment.
As well as the previous brilliant resources already listed you may wish to look at https://www.womens-health-concern.org/
This is the patient arm of the British menopause society.
If you struggle to get the help you need from your GP (I really hope this is not the case) then you can try a different GP.

[Br1goPT]

Hi, the balance app is a great resource hub which I reccomend, and listening to my clients experiences  many GP's are reluctant to put women on HRT and don;t diagnose menopause proplery and have to go through many stages before being considered, even when the symprtoms are completely obvious.

I have a client at the moment doing blood tests, blood pressure tests and mammogram screening before considering HRT even though she has mentioned menopause before.

Reading other comments there are many other resources out there and some really goood dound advice, hope this helps: https://www.balance-menopause.com/balance-app/ 

If you need any advice and guidance with your health and fitness your welcomed to see more here: https://brigopt.kartra.com/page/SuccessStories

[sladva]

Hi,

Totally agree with the above recommendations and am a huge fan of Louise Newson. 

If you're looking for support for your symptoms, a better understanding of HRT or how to go about preparing for menopause consultations with your GP, I'd be happy to help. I'm a pharmacist and I run a health coaching service designed to help women make better lifestyle choices during the menopause. I can offer a one to one conversation or can forward a testimonial of a recent client who was in a similar situation to you.

Please get in touch if interested and good luck - there is an incredible amount of good support and advice available.

https://6pillarhealth.com/


 

[LondonGP]

Hi there,
So it’s probably peri-menopause, but your GP is there to consider other diagnoses too. Night sweats, fatigue and weight gain could also be caused by other, serious conditions. So they will be looking to outrule those also.

If other conditions have been excluded and perimenopause is suspected, NICE guidelines say that in younger women, an FSH should be checked. Whereas in women aged 45yrs+, if all signs point to menopause it’s not necessary as it doesn't change the diagnosis or treatment.

If you search “NICE CKS perimenopause”, you can view the guidelines your GP uses for diagnosis and treatment.

If your conversation with your GP is not very helpful, ask which GP in the practice has a special interest in womens health, particularly menopause, and ask for a further consult with them for a second opinion. Otherwise, if you decide to go private, ask for a print off from your surgery of your results, to avoid duplication. Louise Newson is excellent.
Good luck!

[Howdoiknow]

Thank you for all the advice. As expected the triaged GP was very dismissive and not very helpful.
She said I could repeat the test, to rule out infection causing night sweats and that I should go to a pharmacy for supplements to help with perimenopause symptoms.
For hrt she said you are too young and your symptoms are normal.
I am considering changing my gp service as I moved home and able to. It feels like it will be a battle but I will refer back to all the suggestions.

[Howdoiknow]

I say "as expected" but actually I was quite surprised at just how dismissive she was!