I am 42, have been seen yearly by my gyn. since 16. I have always trusted them, but lately am becoming unsure. I have been experiencing so many symptoms that I feel are signs of menopause, but they disagree. I feel as if I am on an emotional roller coaster, can't sleep at night, at one point at night I am a ball of sweat, then from sweating I then freeze about 20 min. later, my periods ar very erractic (have been since I was 39). I only have 6-7 a year, and they have dropped in legnth, and flow.
The doc. wanted to put me on Sarafem, but I am not one to take meds. easily. I have requested bllod test to see if my hormome levels have changed, and they refused saying it was TOTALLY unnecessary. Any advice? Is all this just perimenopause? Is this the beginning to all the fun, or what?
find a new dr. that is willing to listen and communicate with you. Your symptoms could go either way...perimenopause or the beginning of menopause. You need a new dr.
I just turned 49 and have been having problems like yours for years. My regular gyno is mostly a baby doctor so her solution for anything she can't do for such pre-menopause symptoms (which is only to prescribe birth control bills) is hysterectomy. We need doctors who are more specialized in this area; there are few. I believe I know more than my gyno about my problems. My saving grace is a naturopath, who suggested taking the saliva test and who can get you made-to-order-for-you-only natural hormones (not the synthetic kind in birth control pills). Naturopaths can also help you with vitamins and supplements to help with sleeping and anxiety problems.
In am 43 and have been having the same types of symptoms as you. The difference with me is that I am on birth control pills and only had the symptoms when I was taking the inactive pills. The solution was my doctor gave me Premarin to take with the inactive pills. He started me on a lower dosage, but now I take one .625 each day (when on the inactive pills) If I do not take them. I have terrible headaches, feel overheated, can’t sleep. Another symptom is getting vaginal infections. Which I have been battling since July 2002.
The only way to test if I’m in peri-menopause, is to get off the pill and then a blood test can be done. I do not want to get off the pill just to find out. But my doctor did seem to be willing to test me.
I did research a bit about peri-menopause and it appears to happen near the same age in families. My mother did not have a normal menopause. The doctor decided after I was born that she should not have other children. (Should I take that personally?) And she did not remember about her mother. I have two sisters. Both are showing signs as I am. One sister is three years older the other two years older.
So, I think it happens earlier in my family. I’m the youngest and the only one who does not have children. I think I felt the symptoms more then they do.
A lady that works with me is a good ten years older then I and she is having the same symptoms and her doctor tells her that she is not in the peri-menopause stage.
I agree that we need doctors to specialize in this. It’s obvious to me that they really can’t tell us that we do not feel as we do.
Good luck to you. I think you should find another doctor. I know it's a challege, but I learned the hard way that you should not continue to go to a doctor that doesn't care about your health.
confused and need advice 
