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what excautly is premature menopause?
I was having some issues and I went to the gynie. I really thought it was either PCOS or thyroid issues as both run in my family. What I didnt expect to hear was it is premature menopause. I am 38!
My new gynie said my FSH is 47 and my estrogen is 15. And that those two levels together places me with premature menopause. She is going to retest me in 6 months to check levels again before we discuss treatments. Her other concern was my lipids are raised to high levels, which she also said goes along with premature menopause.
Part of me doesnt believe her. I cant say I get normal periods but I still get them from time to time! Well since I was 35 my periods turned weird. I could go months without then I would get it and all would be fine. Then they started to skip more months and when I would get them they turned really heavy and lasted a long time. Last year I ended up having a D&C after 3 months of very heavy bleeding, and that was after not having a period for almost 9 months before that. When my old gynie did the D&C they also did a hysterscope and found I had a uterus full of fibroids.
The new gynie not only ordered blood work but also a sonogram (internal and external) to check everything and she said the fibroids are gone! Which she also said helps her to say its premature menopause.
What I dont understand is what it is. There isnt alot of information out there on it. How can it be menopause and I still get periods. I have all the symptoms of menopause, the nightsweats, facial hair that grew, weight gain even with diet and exercise, unrine leakage, etc etc.....even the new gynie thought it was thyroid so thats why I was tested for it, but my thyroid numbers all came back normal! She said she didnt expect it would come back premature menopause either. She ran a whole bunch of bloodwork because I was feeling so terrible, I am glad she did....but I am dumbfounded over this I guess. She thinks its been atleast 2 years and the whole D&C and fibroid episode last year is connected with the diagnosis. She said the body still tries with premature menopause, it just keeps failing.
I am more not understanding how I could go from pretty healthy to this in such a short time and in my 30's! No one in my family has ever gone through this other than because of a hysterecomy, never natural...or unnatural however you look at it.
I was trying to find sites and there are so few out there, one I found that is made for this but you have to pay to read the forums. Everything I find is related to menopause itself.
I am just so confused, it was shocking to me! Any help would be very appericated!! TIA!
My new gynie said my FSH is 47 and my estrogen is 15. And that those two levels together places me with premature menopause. She is going to retest me in 6 months to check levels again before we discuss treatments. Her other concern was my lipids are raised to high levels, which she also said goes along with premature menopause.
Part of me doesnt believe her. I cant say I get normal periods but I still get them from time to time! Well since I was 35 my periods turned weird. I could go months without then I would get it and all would be fine. Then they started to skip more months and when I would get them they turned really heavy and lasted a long time. Last year I ended up having a D&C after 3 months of very heavy bleeding, and that was after not having a period for almost 9 months before that. When my old gynie did the D&C they also did a hysterscope and found I had a uterus full of fibroids.
The new gynie not only ordered blood work but also a sonogram (internal and external) to check everything and she said the fibroids are gone! Which she also said helps her to say its premature menopause.
What I dont understand is what it is. There isnt alot of information out there on it. How can it be menopause and I still get periods. I have all the symptoms of menopause, the nightsweats, facial hair that grew, weight gain even with diet and exercise, unrine leakage, etc etc.....even the new gynie thought it was thyroid so thats why I was tested for it, but my thyroid numbers all came back normal! She said she didnt expect it would come back premature menopause either. She ran a whole bunch of bloodwork because I was feeling so terrible, I am glad she did....but I am dumbfounded over this I guess. She thinks its been atleast 2 years and the whole D&C and fibroid episode last year is connected with the diagnosis. She said the body still tries with premature menopause, it just keeps failing.
I am more not understanding how I could go from pretty healthy to this in such a short time and in my 30's! No one in my family has ever gone through this other than because of a hysterecomy, never natural...or unnatural however you look at it.
I was trying to find sites and there are so few out there, one I found that is made for this but you have to pay to read the forums. Everything I find is related to menopause itself.
I am just so confused, it was shocking to me! Any help would be very appericated!! TIA!
ty for your reply.
I ordered a book about premature menopause. So hopefully that will explain this to me. I am going to look in to calcuim supplements, either way its a good idea. I never heard of a DEXA scan, but I will make sure to ask her! My Vit D came back in normal levels, she did check that.
I do have a family history of thyroid which is why she decided to run the blood test. The fact was I went to the gynie over a breast lump I found in first place so had a mammo and it turned out all fine. So as I have been reading, I am not sure I want to do estrogen replacement, but I will ask my gynie in 6 months just to be sure. Still quite confused at the moment!
I hated to make that appointment because I was scared over a lump, and just by talking to her, she ran all those tests and it was something totally unexpected!
I ordered a book about premature menopause. So hopefully that will explain this to me. I am going to look in to calcuim supplements, either way its a good idea. I never heard of a DEXA scan, but I will make sure to ask her! My Vit D came back in normal levels, she did check that.
I do have a family history of thyroid which is why she decided to run the blood test. The fact was I went to the gynie over a breast lump I found in first place so had a mammo and it turned out all fine. So as I have been reading, I am not sure I want to do estrogen replacement, but I will ask my gynie in 6 months just to be sure. Still quite confused at the moment!
I hated to make that appointment because I was scared over a lump, and just by talking to her, she ran all those tests and it was something totally unexpected!
Once the shock wears off, I think you should go back to your doctor to get more info as I'm sure you will have a list of them at some point. While estrogen does play a role in breast health/ill health, it also plays a role in bone health. You need to weigh out the risk you have and decide if estrogen replacement is right for you. Estrogen is bad for breast tissue, but good for bone density.
You might ask about a DEXA scan to measure a baseline bone density. You might also check vitamin D levels to make sure you are not deficient. Find out how much calcium/vitamin D3 you need to maintain bone density no matter what, but especially if you opt to not use hormones.
If you have family history of thyroid disease, you might ask about about antibodies testing to find out if you have hashimoto's markers. If you have that, you have thyroid disease even if you do not yet have symptoms. Even if you have no symptoms now, you probably will at some point. Hashi is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in developed countries.
You might ask about a DEXA scan to measure a baseline bone density. You might also check vitamin D levels to make sure you are not deficient. Find out how much calcium/vitamin D3 you need to maintain bone density no matter what, but especially if you opt to not use hormones.
If you have family history of thyroid disease, you might ask about about antibodies testing to find out if you have hashimoto's markers. If you have that, you have thyroid disease even if you do not yet have symptoms. Even if you have no symptoms now, you probably will at some point. Hashi is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in developed countries.
I was only 34 when I was diagnosed with premature menopause. Now also 38. The docs believe that it is related to autoimmune disease.
I have made the decision not to take hormones as there is a causal link between early menopause/hormone replacement/breast cancer.
The best research I have found is from the UK. I will PM you some sites when I get a chance.
Hope this helps.
I have made the decision not to take hormones as there is a causal link between early menopause/hormone replacement/breast cancer.
The best research I have found is from the UK. I will PM you some sites when I get a chance.
Hope this helps.
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