So I had finally accepted that being a hero and toughing things out was not a great plan as the down times are really jeopardising my livelihood. I went to see my excellent GP and instead ended up sitting with a moron who says I probably just have PMS. Joker, since when does PMS have your cycles running from skipping months at a time to two weekly two week long periods!

He has asked me to do the blood test which I know is a waste of time. My sensible GP said of them ' All they can really tell you is that your hormones are ****ed up - but you already know that. ' This guys answer to my concerns was to show me a health website (which was really very basic and I know of much better ones for information), what help was that, I can do that myself!

Looks like it's back to plan A then - tough it out.

How terrible your understanding GP has left your surgery.I truly hope you can find another.

I know how incredible hard it is to find one that has the remotest idea about peri/meno.

It took me countless visits to find one that didnt throw counselling/AD,s at me (Well he hasn,t yet!!)

Have left my surgery many times in tears at the ignorance of Dr,s making me feel like a neurotic hypochondriac.

Have just read an article in a UK "healthy" magazine, it,s about "Hormone Hell" aptly named

It says the NAPS(national association for Premenstrual syndrome) saying the number of sufferers being misdiagnosed with depression is rising fast.Women are contacting the charity saying they have been wrongly prescribed AD,s when their mood swings are actually linked to periods.

It also says they dont know why some women experience more severe symptoms than others,although one explanation is the way progesterone affects the brain,saying some womens brain chemicals may be more sensitive to the hormone.

I realise this is to do with PMS but obviously the point about fluctuating/lack of hormones is then linked to peri/meno.

Also the list of symptoms for PMDD premenstrual dysphoric disorder (a more severe form of PMS) are

1, Intense unhappiness and inability to see positives

2, Crying alot

3,feeling worthless

4, Persistant anger

5,High anxiety

6,difficulty concentrating

7,Feeling overwhelmed

8,Loss of interest in friends and work

9,Various physical symptoms such as breast tenderness,joint pain and headaches.

Sound familiar? it does to me.

I just wanted to post as I am quite happy that I have come across an article,that is addressing "hormones"

and that is saying "yes women can have these symptoms but doesn,t neccessarily mean they all need AD,s.

Of course some women do and they help them enourmously.
However
A close friend of mine has just been to the Dr,s again she is 53!!! periods erratic,joints painful,having hot sweats like noboddys buisness etc etc and feeling very down by it all

The Dr said she isn,t menopausal as she is still having periods!! and asked her to fill a questionnaire in,which she did there,he added up her score pronounced her depressed and said she needed counselling and AD,s

My friend came out more depressed than when she went in!!

I just keep finding it infuriating that we keep being treated like this.

Also Dazed and confused is it possible to switch surgeries? It may be an idea?

Take care KathS

Gosh that sounds dreadful!

The doc I had was an approachable young guy who giggled when I told him what had been going on, when he said 'perimenopause' I was quite gobsmacked but thought little of it for a few months until more damaging 'symptoms' appeared. This guy always listened to you properly, took what you said to him on board and never treated you like you were an idiot. His replacement never even waited to hear why, in particular, I had come to see him before launching into the 'I'm an expert - you're the silly woman' routine. Blabbering on about PMT and anti-depressants.

One ray of hope before I do anything drastic. The nurse there told me a female doc had joined the surgery, she mentioned, pointedly, that she was 'about the right age'. IE, she probably had some first hand experience herself. Fingers crossed!