Just a quick question

[TotallyBonkers]

Hi all.

This is more of a question more than anything else, my main anxiety focus is usually cancer, in particular cancer of the cervix.

This is somewhat unrelated to that, I have had some symptoms of something, whereby my periods are lasting longer basically start off spotting for about 3 days then the proper period comes then spot again after for 3 days, making the length approx 11 days at a time. This has been going on for about 10 months. I also have sore boobs which I never used to suffer from, hair loss (when washing/brushing) slightly more than normal, hot and cold flushes and mood up and down with crying too. Again all are not how I would normally be. I was also overdue a smear by 6 or 7 years, so of course in my head I had invasive cervical cancer. Needless to say the doctor does not think that is the case as I would have other symptoms if it was invasive cervical cancer, I have had the smear test and am now waiting on the results and driving myself ever so mad over it.

Anyway I was wondering if it was perhaps perimenopause, my Mom started early with the perimenopause also. I asked the doctor about this, but she was not one to lean towards perimenopause and symptoms and concentrated more on menopause saying that it wouldnt be that as I havent gone without a period for over 12 months.

She has booked me in for a full blood test, and also a blood test to check for hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

My question is, would the full blood count test show any imbalance in my hormones that could point to perimenopuase?

Also anyone out there who has perimenopause who has similar symptoms to this?

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I have stopped googling now since finding this site, and the worries of Invasive cervical cancer although still there are not as bad as they were, just hope the smear test comes back as being ok. I hate waiting for results.

[Daisy Sue]

hi hun.. a normal FBC wouldn't test your hormones.. the ones i've had which show where i'm up to re menopause have been the FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) blood test, so maybe you could see if your doc will order one of those for you.

all your symptoms, to me, sound hormonal.. whether it's an imbalance of your hormones possibly due to stress/diet/life change... or whether it's the menopause looming, that's harder to say..

if it helps you, i was what they called pre-menopausal for umm about 7 years (i know, i'm weird), then i was in the menopause, and now i'm supposedly post-menopause, but am still having the dreaded hot flushes... it can take everyone completely differently, and when your doc refers to the one year without periods, that's just the way they differentiate between peri, menopausal, and post. i once went 8 months, then it came back.

i really wouldn't worry that it's anything else, really really sounds hormonal.. and given that your mum went into menopause early, it's quite possible you may too..

[TotallyBonkers]

thanks so much for your reply, the doctor was really vague in explaining the blood tests to me, as there is a couple that I am having purely to check the thyroid, so will ask them if they are doing the hormone one too when I go on Monday, and if not ask if I could perhaps have one of those depending on the results of the thyroid one. Thanks again for taking the time to reply to me :)