Posted , 10 users are following.
Hi all
Been to docs today, actually saw a really nice helpful lady doc. Just wanted to talk about symptoms, hrt etc, had a nice long appointment. Finally got to know my FSH level (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) & it;s 76! Which indicates post-menopausal! Probably why i've been in hell for 6 months...had no indication before then that this was coming, then bang...everything with knobs on!! How about everyone else??
0 likes, 18 replies
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BellaRubia brimbo67
Posted
shaznay96184 brimbo67
Posted
I think we should all have a celebratory drink for you tonight, to celebrate your FSH Results!!!
Lets hope your past 6mths of cr*p are behind you and things start to pan out for you.
Brilliant that you've found a GP who's (a) helpful and (b) probably sympathetic: lets face it, it's coming her way one day, so maybe she'll use all her Peri/Meno patients' experiences to help her understand what's going to happen to her!
What sort of help were you offered now that you're actually post-meno?
Most of us on her seem to be very much still stuck in Peri: think I'm one of those who's been in it for yonks, and haven't known that much about it way back then, so just put most of it down to being, well, 'ME'!!
I pray that things don't get too bad for me. I have a monthly battle with myself regarding 'Should I get HRT? Should I battle on?' Decisions. Decisions.
I'm going to follow your thread brimbo to keep an eye open for advice other ladies will give you.
I hope knowing a bit more about the state-of-play helps you now.
S x
brimbo67 shaznay96184
Posted
I would love to think the worst is over, but I'm not counting on it! More recently I've been having much worse headaches, bladder irritation, bone & joint pain, although some of the other symptoms seem less intense. The doc said I'm just one of the unlucky ones, had an acute early menopause. I was 46 when the bad stuff kicked off, 47 now.
We talked about hrt, the risks etc, & she wasn't pushing anything, whatever I decide. She talked about soy, sweet potatoes & other phytoestrogens i could include. So refreshingly balanced & helpful.
She's arranged an ecg as I'm having a racing heart that can go on for a week or more, & some horrific night palpitations (although those are happening less frequently), & I'll see her a few days after that.
She prescribed me vitamin D as I got no sun last year (too busy with work).
Looking back I must have been in peri for years, short light periods, mood swings, itchy skin, insomnia, joint pain, bloating, memory loss. Not enough to debilitate me. But nothing like this last 6 months! I think my ovaries just suddenly failed & my body went into shock, almost like having a breakdown.
I'm not sure about hrt because of coming off, but the doc said it wouldnt be so bad as what's been happening. I could try it for a month, or stay on til I'm 51 & come off slowly. I'd rather just get through this without intervention, after all it's 'natural' lol!!
There have been many times I have believed this would never end, & despaired of life, the depression has been rock bottom. But I'm sure I'm starting to get stronger, I'm actually cooking and hoovering again haha!
It's just going out that's a big problem, because of the vertigo/disorientation problem, and super fuzzy head, like having a massive hangover all the time, or like my brain has been injected with anaesthetic. The doc told me even this will get better, which made me super happy!! :D :D
shaznay96184 brimbo67
Posted
I think you sound a saint having put up with all that.
I'm not sure when I started Peri, as from the age of 41-48 I suffered terribly each time I lost my mum and both in-laws. (Both mums passed within 6mths of each other, and father-in-law was ill for 8.5 long, sad months Horrible, Horrible times).
I'm sure a load of my Peri symptoms got tied up in my grieving. Plus, I know it sounds stupid, but I also think I went through a feeling that at 41 I was now 'orphaned' having lost both my parents. Pathetic I know, but I felt like I finally had to grow up!
Also a couple of yrs ago we sold our business, moved house, and are now at the end of a 2-yr 'Sabbatical'. Again, remember hyperventilating, sweating and losing it regularly during the proceedings, and put a lot of that down to the stress of it all. Hopefully, my hidden Peri is almost over and I'll go into full-blown menopause some time soon!
I don't joke about that really as I feel really p*ssed off that I'm well into being 54 and still bleeding as regular as a teenager!! Gutted. Can't want for that illusive 'no show' period.
brimbo, after what you've described, I truly think you've probably gone through the worse of it (correct me ladies who've been there/done it!) but don't rule out HRT help. I say that as I'll be thinking of my bone health as my mum had 3 hip replacement ops post-meno. Poor lil' cow, she was such a trooper too, just got back on with her life after the first 2.
Blimey! That's a sure sign you're feeling better: your cooking and hoovering! Funny as it sounds, its very little things like that, that we take for granted, that show us we're feeling a bit like our old selves.
Take it day by day. You know you've got a supportive GP now, so help's there if you need it.
S x
jayneejay brimbo67
Posted
You only had 6 months of it 😃
Wow thats lucky, i am 19 months post meno, age 50, had a ten year peri menopause, no hrt.
Wish you lots if luck ..
Jay x
jayneejay
Posted
Your post menopause when you have not had a period for 12/14 months following peri menopause
Jay x
brimbo67 jayneejay
Posted
About 7 years peri, but 6 months so far of the SUPER BAD stuff...some symptoms are less intense & some have stopped but.....still have headache, vertigo, joint pain, blurred dimmed vision, nausea, memory loss, feelings of depression, anxiety, racing heart, palpitaions, & this aweful fuzzy, anaesthetized head!! I still can't leave the house alone, but this last two weeks I'm actually feeling hope again, which is a positive step forward. What's reassuring is to know it is menopause & I've got this far through it.
How come you haven't gone for hrt either? xxx
jayneejay brimbo67
Posted
I dont want HRT, i didnt want to postpone meno and boost hormones and go through all this again, i also had the awful migraines lasting 4 days and nights, that was before my very last 3 periods, none now.
We have breast cancer in family females so hrt not for me, also i had endometriosis in my thirties and many hours of laser surgery, so again hrt not for me, but i do use the vaginal estriol ovules for dryness weekly as suggested by my gyno and wow they help no end.
I take supplements for mine B6 been my saviour and Maca capsules 5.1 amongst many others.
Mind you at the moment i am not well at all have 3 bulging disks in back and have shingles 😞 so been dealing with that.
Good luck hun
Jay x
manuela67667 brimbo67
Posted
Saying all that even though my FSH was postmenopausal 2 years ago I'm still not finished and still get bleeds.
Because my symptoms been that bad over the last 8 months and I'm only 41 and need to work (which I couldnt!!!) I started low HRT 3 weeks ago, yet to see how that goes.
Wishing you all the best
brimbo67 manuela67667
Posted
I know I'm not feeling as horrific as I was, but there are new symptoms all the time. Can you let us now how you get on with the HRT. xx
susan21149 brimbo67
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manuela67667 brimbo67
Posted
I will let you know how I go with the HRT, so far so good (Day 18) fingers crossed
xox
BellaRubia manuela67667
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Beetle1965 brimbo67
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I wanted to chip in about the FSH - I had a test in January after 1 strange period - looking back, they had shortened for the last 2 years but nothing I would think indicated radical hormone shifts! I had various skin issues last year, hair shedding, dizzy, sleep problems etc Anyway the FSH was 83 and I was told that was post menopausal levels, to come again and test to confirm and then onto a chat about HRT.
My head has been swimming since then, not understanding quite what has gone on - shock. I didn't have a period after that! Even more weird, first missed one. So I thought, right, it's all over, that's that, the GP said I might get another period but he doubted it but not officially in menopause for 12 months.
So, last week my ankles were really really swollen, one particularly and I thought this water retention must be another hormone thing, freaked out a bit more checking NHS website that mentioned DVT! So off to the doctor, he said it's edema, no, it's not hormone related and none of your other weird symptoms are either (?) I asked what they were and he said we don't know, we do know you are likely in menopause (?)
Came home all worried again - menopause and falling apart.........the ankle swelling went away overnight and then a period started! A really heavy period - so I clearly have some hormone levels still soaring.
In a nutshell, I really think the FSH can be accurate for the day it is taken and yes, with other symptoms I guess they can say where you are in the process but reading around unless the FSH is consistently high with a few tests, I think it can change.
I have the second blood test tomorrow, so will update. Have your periods stopped? Someone told me, symptoms are worse when they stop (hormone activity is less) and funnily enough, my symptoms have been less lately and I have had a period. It's all very challenging and you sound like you have had a horrible time, your body will adjust and hopefully you won't have such a terrible time from now on.
Beetle1965
Posted
BellaRubia Beetle1965
Posted
Me too, I had just one missed period in my whole life (that was not related to pregnancy) and the gates of hell were open, lol. xx