Sitting waiting for my gp consultation to see if they will give me hrt. Feeling so nervous about it but no idea why really need something to get my head straight and stop my horrendous night sweats - will probably blame my antidepressants for that but it’s definitely getting worse as I’m getting less and less nights it doesn’t happen. Migraines have increased too has anyone experienced that with the menopause?
Hey, I'm new to this thread (didn't know it existed until now) and your comment immediately caught my eye as I'm in the exact same situation. I've been asking for help with peri for two years, I'm 45 in august so to get HRT needed bloods to be within their range of whatever they seem appropriate to prescribe it. Unfortunately every time they came back normal, despite my periods becoming lighter, further apart, and only lasting a day or two. That wasn't the issue tho, it was the horrific PMT (in which I became a horrible person, couldn't control my emotions and wanted to not be here any more and thought about how to achieve that), the cramps which felt like my uterus was being ripped out, the low mood and self loathing. I began having hot flushes around Christmas, but tried to manage it.
This past couple of weeks I began having really bad night sweats, unable to sleep, alternating between boiling alive, then shivering cold, and the internal sense of dread and feeling of panic was horrible. It wasn't just during night I was suffering these uncontrollable symptoms during daytime. So I thought it might be a UTI (I have issues in that area, I get them a lot) but they usually don't make me feel that bad unless it had spread to my kidneys, and even then this just felt different. So I went to GP, they checked my wee ect and said yes, it's a UTI and sent me on my way. Two days later (Thursday) I felt exactly the same and was freaking out, so I called and they told me to go back round with them thinking I had a kidney infection (which I very well could to be fair but I usually have a lot more pain, but I've read silent infections are a thing) anyway reason I'm explaining all this is because on Thursday I'd had enough. I was thinking it could be menopause symptoms, and that if this was how I was going to feel for the next however many years then that was just not happening. So I wrote down every symptom, and all the info regarding HRT, which one I wanted, and I was not leaving the surgery without it. The GP I seen was the same one who refused to give me HRT around six months ago so I was ready for a fight. By the time I was called into the room I was dripping in sweat, fanning myself with the paper I'd written everything on. I told him that whilst I very well could (and according to the dip test of my wee) still had an infection this was not the reason I felt so bad. I believe my hormones must be on the floor and the infection tipped me over the edge. I said I wanted HRT, had been ready to have an appointment booked for the day I turned 45 but if I was made to wait until then for help I very much wouldn't like to think where I'd be mentally by then. He, the GP, could tell I was serious and had had enough. I was going to ask to speak to the practice manager if he said no. Much to my suprise he agreed to prescribe HRT, but not until I finish the antibiotics this week, which I understand, just to check the symptoms weren't being caused solely by that (they weren't, I'd had them running up to that point for years, but they rapidly increased to beyond tolerable in the course if a couple of days).
Another thing I have had for a couple of years is migraines, which another GP told me were hormonal. I've not had one in months but from Friday last week, up until Thursday I felt like my head was being crushed in a vice, on top of everything else. I've researched it extensively and they are very much a symptom of peri, and menopause.
Sorry for the long post but I wanted you to know you are not alone, I have very similar symptoms to you. It's bloody awful isn't it? I've not read any further in the thread to see if you got help but yours was the first post I saw here and I couldn't believe the similarities. It's absolutely ridiculous women are having to practically beg for treatment, it makes me so sodding angry. I'm not sure if you've heard of her but there's a gynecologist called Louise Newsom (that's not her last name, my brain is fried, it's something along those lines) who is an incredible advocate for women, and also offers private treatment (and has a payment plan to help those who may not be able to pay the whole cost at once, I was ready to book a consultation if my GP still refused to help me).
I really hope you got help, we get fobbed off with absolutely any excuse, blaming everything else rather than believing that we know our own bodies and wouldn't be asking for something unless we actually needed it. My heart goes out to you, fingers crossed your appointment went well
---
Liz is good. I like her. Newson has been criticised for prescribing well over the recommended amount of HRT. Which is off label and therefore might be dangerous.
I had no idea about this, good to know. Whilst I do believe she has done great work raising awareness I will be mindful of this info in future.
