Why won’t drs do a test for peri menopause?

At my wits ends

Drs will not do a test for this yet I tell them I need to know for reassurance so I can move on and deal with this hell !!!!!

[Hidden]

But they can test your hormones especially if you are having severe impairment. There is such a thing as women going into early menopause as well.

I’m not sure what hell you are going through, but it sounds harsh enough that a doctor should evaluate you, give you expanded blooded work (including hormone panel) and determine the best course for you. It could be low dose hormones, diet changes, supplements... many things can help.

I’m 51, I’m soooo close to being post meno... it’s been a hellish ride the past 4 years... can’t wait for it to be over. 😜

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I am 48 and my periods are everywhere

Spotting brown

Feels I am constantly on a period

Dizziness unbalanced

Anxiety

Night sweats

Nervous

Sad

So many symptoms

Thanx for replying

I asked my Drs and they said “it sounds like peri menopause and that was it and offered me anti depressants

Feel lost and scared

Don’t feel like me anymore xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Can I ask wat ur symptoms were ? Xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Spotting brown sounds like old blood sloughing off of your uterus, this would not be concerning unless you are accompanied by pain or extreme discomfort warranting the doctor to look for an actual utteran problem.

Night sweats...I’ve had those so severe day and night. I mean severe. For me though they came in droves. I’ll be fine for a few months and then have them severe for a few months.

Dizziness concerns me though, unless you are on medication that has dizziness as a possible side effect, this isn’t a symptom I’ve experienced, but could be a symptom of many things. An ENT and/or NEUROLOGIST can help you find what’s causing it.

As far as them handing out anti depressant for peri...you need a different doctor. Hormones if you need them or alternative therapy to balance your hormones will help correct the emotional swings you are having. Get a new doc.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes I am on anti depressants

Trying to taper off them x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ahhh... I see now.

Could you be tapering too fast. Discontinuation syndrome off these is a real thing. Could explain the dizziness too.

The peri symptoms could be aggravated by this, or just a normal part of what your body is going through.

Supplements might help the hot flashes and night sweats, cross reference anything you take with your meds you are taking to make sure additional side effects or worsening might happen while you are tapering.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Dizziness does actually go with perimenopause, I’ve dealt with it.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/...

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Well, the more you know.

If I stayed dizzy all the time I’d never be able to move nor want to. I’d have to get on hormone therapy to fix this. This is terrible for those that experience this 24/7.

Edited to add, I have a close friend on low dose HRT for her peri at 43 yrs old, she’s had a terrible time bleeding too much, over sleeping, fatigue, etc. it’s really helping her. I am personally against choosing synthetic hormones for me due to cancer risks, but would choose it if my quality of life exceeds the risks.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes, dizziness can be a thing unfortunately. Mind you I went through it for a while but it eventually ended thank goodness!

I’m not for the HRT route either, I just don’t feel it’s worth the risks. I’d rather suffer through the annoyance of it all, lol, perimenopause is the least of my problems.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

It’s not dizziness

It’s so hard to explain

It’s like I feel unbalanced on my feet and my vision is like I am wearing someone’s glasses

But it’s weird as some days I am fine but some I am bad

But I still work full time

I just have like brown blood sorry if saying this

But it’s jyst always there like lil dribbles so to speak had this for bout 3 wks on and off

Don’t really have periods

Just so weird

Some nights I sweat some nights I am fine

Some days I have energy and happy some days I am low and no energy

Just sooo weird

I also feel I am panicking if things get busy around me too

Or travelling on bus or loads of noise around me

Never had this before xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I mentioned tapering too fast off your antidepressant, as I had severe balance issues, lightheaded, dizzy what ever you want to call it when I quit trazadone (antidepressant for sleep).

I finally found a site called surviving antidepressants and found a wealth of information about tapering. Kept researching this, it took me months to feel normal again.

Also, if the doctor is not alarmed by your physical symptoms of peri enough to do specified testing, or perhaps offer suggestions for the night sweats etc. I’d find another doctor if you are concerned you have a medical issue. All this could be exerbated by your tapering, could be normal. I’m hoping you are doing a medically supervised taper if you been on your antidepressant for many months.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yeah I am tapering slowly

I was missing lots of days but now I am doing it slower

I want a blood test too to see if I am low in iron or b12 or anything else xxxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I was on 40 mg of citrapram last year

Then switched to sertraline that didn’t help then back on citrapram but 10 mg do I know I have drastically gone down

But as said I am going to ask for tests

I need to to feel reassurance

I have always had anxiety too which doesn’t help xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Just been thinking

Two yrs ago at 46 I was fine happy normal

Was on 40 mg citrapram at that time

Then July summer one morning woke up with severe panic

Went gp and they said that the citrapram has stopped working ???

I started a period that morning too which makes me think was that the start of peri??

But Drs dismisses this and said it’s the anti depressants!!!

So they switched me straight over to sertraline

Then two yrs down the line I am a complete mess and back on citrapram

Which my psychiatrist said to go back on

Dismissing my periods and the anxiety that came with it all of a sudden

I am thinking now was I peri menopause back then and they dismissed it

Sorry was just thinking back when all this started

I am 48 now xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ideally if you missed days, reinstating at the dose that gave you balance and stay there for a period of time and then taper 10% at a time. I don’t know you length of time on it, your dosing , etc. but these meds alter our brains chemistry and it takes a long time to balance back out.

Yes go get you a CBT, a comprehensive metabolic blood panel done, ask for Vit D, B12, and if you go to your female doc, ask for hormone panel. You’ll get tested for thyroid, cholesterol, etc. Taking you own health by the hand is a good idea. Good luck. 😊🥰

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Will do thank u

I also take diazepam xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I think it’s a mixture of anxiety my meds and peri lol

Xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Dizziness is a side effect of both citalopram and diazepam. Diazepam also has a whole host of side effects that could explain things as well. Tapering off antidepressant is going to cause some discomfort as you are withdrawing from this, even if it’s slowly. The brain is trying to self correct.

I think you are right, your meds and anxiety are playing a key role in your emotional symptoms, as far as you periods being wonky, going back to your doctor about this....let him/her rule out you have any uterine problems. This should help with that part of your anxiety.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I take 1 or 2 mg diazapam a day

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Woow went on your link

It is defo all my symptoms xxx

[Lulububs in reply to Hidden]

I have all same symptoms as u...

Im 45 had all the test before xmas and all my hormones were normal? So just been put on the pop pill.....

I still feel anxious, off balance and have headache but im only 21/2 weeks into it.. but i am starting to feel bit more normal..

Happy to actually not b bleeding though which ive had 11 periods in about 5 -6 months..

Plus spotting inbetween them all.

Just dont feel like me anymore though

[Hidden in reply to Lulububs]

Can I ask wat is a “pop pill” xxx

[Lulububs in reply to Hidden]

Well as we get older( urgh hate saying that lol) we start to lose our progesterone which is what makes us have periods and ovulate and all the things women generally do....

So the pop pill is a progesterone only pill.. so usually general pills are combination on ostrogen and progesterone.

So the pop is better suited to a women of say over 40ish... as we still make oestrogen but were lacking prog.

So it should make u feel more balanced hormonally as it will give u what ur missing...

Progesterone.

I been on it now 21/2-3 weeks and i got to say it is evening me up abit... mood wise, sleeping, balance and headaches...

And i have endo and i have horrific periods so as u can imagine having as many as i have been has been severely draining ...

But yesterday started my first period on this pop pill( degestrol) and i got to say i wished i had done it sooner as i have no pain?? My period is by far the lightest ever....

Also she said after about 2-3 months they may just stop all together which i would b mega happy with

As they put such a strain on my life

[Hidden in reply to Lulububs]

Thank u for advice xxx

Don’t think I can take the pill as their is blood clots in my family

I was thinking maybe a iud !!! Xxx

[Lulububs in reply to Hidden]

Yes there is in my family to that why im on the pop pill.

Progesterone only is not one u need to worry about for blood clots it the combined pill u do as it the oestrogen that is associated with blood clots not progesterone.

The iud has a progesterone releasing one to the mirena , the only thing that put me off is i have 4 friends with it... 3 love it and say best thing ever did but the other got sepsis and nearly died so it has put me off that... plus once it in there the doctors are very reluctant to take it out..... until u given it at least 4-6 months

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

That’s perimenopause symptoms. There is no ‘test’ for perimenopause, they go by the type of symptoms you have. Bloodwork can be done of course to check hormones but it’s not always accurate as hormones are so all over the place with peri.

What I find despicable is that you’ve been prescribed antidepressants just for perimenopause! If you were prescribed antidepressants for PERIMENOPAUSE then find a new doctor immediately. It’s a NORMAL phase of a woman’s life, one that is not meant to be ‘treated’ as an illness. Essentially you were given antidepressants simply for being a woman.

You can alleviate symptoms, sure, but not with antidepressants.

You needn’t ask others what their symptoms were/are, as all women are different. That being said, you are definitely stating signs that are perimenopausal.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/...

[Funkyfaerie in reply to Hidden]

Tyson,

My symptoms were same as yours and at age 38, runs early in my family.

The doctor did do a test. Once I knew what it was the symptoms didn't go away, but were less as I stopped worrying so much.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi there Roxie, I’m 51 as well, and oh my, it’s been a long process for me, longer than 4 years, lol.

Are you feeling like a furnace that won’t shut off at night? I can’t handle the heat. 🔥 I haven’t slept well in eons, and of course not just due to being a human furnace ready to self combust but also because of racing thoughts overload. But part of the heat causes me to feel so warm and uncomfortable that I find the air literally stifling, like there’s no air circulation. I need the ceiling fan on and that doesn’t fully help. 😭

[Dolphin14]

I have a friend on low dose anti depressant and she feels so much better.

Mayb they don't do the blood test because it's not going to change the treatment? There is of course hormone therapy they can offer or the antidepressants but what else can they do?

Have you tried any natural remedies? I don't know anything about them but I know things are out there.

It's not a pleasant experience but it's a part of life we have to endure. If the symptoms are too much for you talk to your md about options. I would use a gyn for this.

There's a woman's health site in HU that is very informative. Mayb they have some answers for you.