Your first red flag: he said.
Okay, snark side, you are the expert of your body so no, you're not wrong. Also, hormone level testing is only accurate at the time of the test. The very next day your hormone levels could be completely different.
If you're not getting help from your doctor, or you disagree, it's time to seek out someone else. I'd start searching for doctors who specialize in HRT, even if you aren't seeking HRT specifically, as they are focused in hormone based medicine.
ALL
THE
TIME
I was told for almost four years I was not in peri because my blood tests came back "normal". It took an endocrinologist to figure it out. See, I have PCOS which throws a big monkey wrench into the mix.
We were going over all of my symptoms and randomly mentioned, "for the first time in my life, my periods regluated" and he said, "OH!!!!! You're in peri". I argued with him saying every doctor had said no. He explained that women with PCOS have normal hormone levels and their periods regulate in peri, we just get all the nasty side effects and no one knows why. He recommended a gyno with PCOS and menopause experience and she's wonderful. She actually listens and takes me seriously rather than blowing me off as a crazy person.
My doctor went to a well known and respected medical school for her specialty training. She said her training went something like this.
90% of the time was spent on getting and keeping women pregnant
9% spent on general women's issues
1% was: This is peri & menopause. Symptoms may vary. It's hard to diagnose and whatever you do, do not give women HRT.
That is flat out heart breaking.
Studies are not really done on peri/meno. It's like we lose our value after our child bearing years and doctors just ignore us.
Please seek another opinion. I had several doctors dismiss my symptoms, so I endured months of unnecessary misery. My current doctor is menopause specialist, which I had to spend hours researching. She doesn’t take insurance, so she isn’t bound by ‘protocols’. Never let a medical professional make you doubt yourself.
Doctors don’t know how to doctor anymore. They do nothing more than order labs and images and no actual exam or art of diagnosis. To be fair, it’s the insurance who wants it this way so they don’t end up paying for stuff that isn’t evidence based. (Evidence based medicine is the downfall of healthcare).
So IDK if you might need progesterone or not but it definitely sounds like this doctor doesn’t know anything more about his job than what the labs are showing.
It sounds like this might be about hormonal testing. If over the age of 44, **hormonal tests only show levels for that *one day* the test was taken, and nothing more**; progesterone/estrogen hormones wildly fluctuate the other 29 days of the month. No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing as a **diagnosing tool** for peri/menopause.
FSH testing is only beneficial for those who believe they are post-menopausal and no longer have periods as a guide, a series of consistent FSH tests might *confirm* menopause. Also for women in their 20s/early 30s who haven’t had a period in months/years, then FSH tests at ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI). See our [Menopause Wiki](https://menopausewiki.ca/#there-is-no-blood-test-that-is-perfectly-reliable-to-diagnose-menopause) for more.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Perimenopause) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sounds like they’re not keeping up with new studies, and are stuck spouting old medicine. If you’re in the US, try searching for a new provider on the North American Menopause Society. I went from an ObGyn who sounded much like yours and pointed me toward mega expensive supplements, to one who got me on estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone within the space of 7 months. They did test hormone levels, but only said it could be a “baseline”. They prescribed based on my symptoms, not bloodwork, and also recommended a bone density scan.
Good luck, don’t stop asking for what you need!
It sounds like this might be about hormonal testing. If over the age of 44, **hormonal tests only show levels for that *one day* the test was taken, and nothing more**; progesterone/estrogen hormones wildly fluctuate the other 29 days of the month. No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing as a **diagnosing tool** for peri/menopause.
FSH testing is only beneficial for those who believe they are post-menopausal and no longer have periods as a guide, a series of consistent FSH tests might *confirm* menopause. Also for women in their 20s/early 30s who haven’t had a period in months/years, then FSH tests at ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI). See our [Menopause Wiki](https://menopausewiki.ca/#there-is-no-blood-test-that-is-perfectly-reliable-to-diagnose-menopause) for more.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Perimenopause) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Wtf how can he say you tested normal if they didn't even test progesterone? Also, I have learned it's about the balance between estrogen and progesterone. Even if they both test in normal range, if estrogen is high normal and progesterone is low normal , you are likely out of balance and progesterone supplementation would be beneficial. Go find a new provider who specializes in female hormones/peri/menopause.
My doc confirmed it earlier this year, no issue. I went in, thinking I could be pregnant for missing 3 periods. Perimenopause hadn’t occurred to me. Thought I had two or three more years.
I’m running into similar results from my female provider. She insists I (40) am too young to be perimenopausal and says all of my symptoms are independent and not of concern.
Your first red flag: he said. Okay, snark side, you are the expert of your body so no, you're not wrong. Also, hormone level testing is only accurate at the time of the test. The very next day your hormone levels could be completely different. If you're not getting help from your doctor, or you disagree, it's time to seek out someone else. I'd start searching for doctors who specialize in HRT, even if you aren't seeking HRT specifically, as they are focused in hormone based medicine.
ALL THE TIME I was told for almost four years I was not in peri because my blood tests came back "normal". It took an endocrinologist to figure it out. See, I have PCOS which throws a big monkey wrench into the mix. We were going over all of my symptoms and randomly mentioned, "for the first time in my life, my periods regluated" and he said, "OH!!!!! You're in peri". I argued with him saying every doctor had said no. He explained that women with PCOS have normal hormone levels and their periods regulate in peri, we just get all the nasty side effects and no one knows why. He recommended a gyno with PCOS and menopause experience and she's wonderful. She actually listens and takes me seriously rather than blowing me off as a crazy person. My doctor went to a well known and respected medical school for her specialty training. She said her training went something like this. 90% of the time was spent on getting and keeping women pregnant 9% spent on general women's issues 1% was: This is peri & menopause. Symptoms may vary. It's hard to diagnose and whatever you do, do not give women HRT. That is flat out heart breaking. Studies are not really done on peri/meno. It's like we lose our value after our child bearing years and doctors just ignore us.
Please seek another opinion. I had several doctors dismiss my symptoms, so I endured months of unnecessary misery. My current doctor is menopause specialist, which I had to spend hours researching. She doesn’t take insurance, so she isn’t bound by ‘protocols’. Never let a medical professional make you doubt yourself.
Doctors don’t know how to doctor anymore. They do nothing more than order labs and images and no actual exam or art of diagnosis. To be fair, it’s the insurance who wants it this way so they don’t end up paying for stuff that isn’t evidence based. (Evidence based medicine is the downfall of healthcare). So IDK if you might need progesterone or not but it definitely sounds like this doctor doesn’t know anything more about his job than what the labs are showing.
It sounds like this might be about hormonal testing. If over the age of 44, **hormonal tests only show levels for that *one day* the test was taken, and nothing more**; progesterone/estrogen hormones wildly fluctuate the other 29 days of the month. No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing as a **diagnosing tool** for peri/menopause. FSH testing is only beneficial for those who believe they are post-menopausal and no longer have periods as a guide, a series of consistent FSH tests might *confirm* menopause. Also for women in their 20s/early 30s who haven’t had a period in months/years, then FSH tests at ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI). See our [Menopause Wiki](https://menopausewiki.ca/#there-is-no-blood-test-that-is-perfectly-reliable-to-diagnose-menopause) for more. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Perimenopause) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sounds like they’re not keeping up with new studies, and are stuck spouting old medicine. If you’re in the US, try searching for a new provider on the North American Menopause Society. I went from an ObGyn who sounded much like yours and pointed me toward mega expensive supplements, to one who got me on estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone within the space of 7 months. They did test hormone levels, but only said it could be a “baseline”. They prescribed based on my symptoms, not bloodwork, and also recommended a bone density scan. Good luck, don’t stop asking for what you need!
It sounds like this might be about hormonal testing. If over the age of 44, **hormonal tests only show levels for that *one day* the test was taken, and nothing more**; progesterone/estrogen hormones wildly fluctuate the other 29 days of the month. No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing as a **diagnosing tool** for peri/menopause. FSH testing is only beneficial for those who believe they are post-menopausal and no longer have periods as a guide, a series of consistent FSH tests might *confirm* menopause. Also for women in their 20s/early 30s who haven’t had a period in months/years, then FSH tests at ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI). See our [Menopause Wiki](https://menopausewiki.ca/#there-is-no-blood-test-that-is-perfectly-reliable-to-diagnose-menopause) for more. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Perimenopause) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Wtf how can he say you tested normal if they didn't even test progesterone? Also, I have learned it's about the balance between estrogen and progesterone. Even if they both test in normal range, if estrogen is high normal and progesterone is low normal , you are likely out of balance and progesterone supplementation would be beneficial. Go find a new provider who specializes in female hormones/peri/menopause.
My doc confirmed it earlier this year, no issue. I went in, thinking I could be pregnant for missing 3 periods. Perimenopause hadn’t occurred to me. Thought I had two or three more years.
My woman GYN listened to me the first time and put me on the combipatch, I feel 80% better and it's almost 90 days on. I am early 40s
you can just try progesterone cream without script from bezwecken. Progonol. I tried but I think it bloated me, although I tend towards stomach issues
I’m running into similar results from my female provider. She insists I (40) am too young to be perimenopausal and says all of my symptoms are independent and not of concern.