Menopause or Signs of something else?

hi sandy.  I have asked myself this (and doctors) over and over again.  How do you know when symptoms are menopause related and when to worry?  When do you know when to pass off a symptoms as menopause?  I would be at the doctor every day with the amount of different symptoms I have but I have to tell myself that it is a 'natural' process, but definitely at times does not feel like it. I am now going to doc's every couple of months because of the amount of changes I feel in case it is not menopause and is something else.  It really is a very difficult time and hard to just get on with it at times.  

Sandy,

   I can't be much help on the ovarian cysts.  However, the reason they look at thickened linings is the cancer scare.  I also had a thickened lining because I was using HRT.  I did the biopsy, in office, not that much more than like having a pap smear.  The results came out fine.  

  No doubt since you are still having periods, and age 52, your hormonal swings are  huge.  You are producing estrogen, but the chances that you are ovulating and producing progesterone is slim.  This is why it is highly unlikely that woman our age will get pregnant.  (We're not ovulating)   But it's the estrogen that thickens the lining of the uterus.  Progesterone fluffs it up and allows for the lining to shed completely.  

   What;s happening is very normal, however I don't know much about cysts.  Simply that they are fluid filled sacks and can disolve on their own.  My guess is that the estrogen you are producing is causing them.  

   I know it's easy to say,"Don't worry" and very hard to do.  But if it were me, I'd just get the biopsy to rule out anything bad.  Possibly those cysts will go away.  As you get closer to menopause the reduction in hormones will calm things down with your lining.  Menopause is just SO much fun.  

i've had  every tests possible and all have come back normal except for my vitamin d which was low last year. i've kind of diagnosed myself. i was late with my period so i kind of figure that i was going through perimenopause because i have always been regular with my periods even it i was stressed. You should go back to the same gyn and ask him to fully explain what he found and why he wants to do the d&c. i hope this help, i just started going through this myself and it really had me nervous i have to go see a gyn next month so maybe i can give you some answers when i find out what's going on with me in more details.

Ovarian cysts are a normal part of the menstrual cycle. Of course, there are times when they don't resolve or they're not the normal simple cysts. But in most cases, intervention isn't needed. Were you given the details of the type and size of the cyst?

You didn't say when the ultrasound was done but 12mm isn't that thick of a lining since it's normal to get to 16mm. The sporadic ovulations of perimenopause can prevent it from thinning out on a regular basis. But our bodies usually do a good job of shedding it before anything concerning happens. Some doctors prescribe progesterone when the lining isn't thinning out on its own. Imaging cannot always differentiate the lining itself from fibroids (and probably polyps too) making it appear thicker than it is.

I hope this eases your omind a bit.