I just wanted to write a few words about POI (premature ovarian insufficiency). This is the medical name for when women go through menopause below the age of 40. It is surprisingly common, and is thought to affect as many as 1 in 100 women. Women can experience it with no obvious cause, or as a result of medical treatments they have needed for other conditions (such as cancer treatments or surgery) which have resulted in the ovaries not working anymore. When the ovaries are surgically removed, this is caused surgical menopause.
POI requires specialist support and living with it can be challenging on multiple levels for women. Women who have gone through this will require HRT (hormone replacement therapy) until at least the age of average natural menopause (age 50/51). This is because the loss of circulating estrogen in this young age group can have a significant, negative, impact on bone strength and heart health.
I accept referrals for women who have gone through POI. If you are below 40 and have not had periods for 3 months or more and/or are experiencing symptoms such as hot flashes or mood disturbance, it would be important to have this diagnosis considered and excluded (there are labs which help us with the diagnostic work up). Prompt diagnosis and initiation of HRT at the right dose, plus psychological support and fertility management options (if desired) are all key components of management.
Hello! What a blessing it is to have someone with your passion and knowledge in Grande Prairie!
Your office confirmed that my referral has been sent and I am in the system, but I am not allowed to book until they call me . Either way, I am excited to take my life back and stop struggling with what seems to be perimenopause.
I am 36 and have been struggling with symptoms for 2-3 years. My mood is a rollercoaster depending on what day of my cycle I am on. My bleeding is out of control (stupid fibroid). My cramping sucks. My periods are irregular… but the worst of it… the night sweats! About a week before my period comes I am a mess. I struggle to sleep and when i do I wake up freezing and soaked. It’s awful. I’m either sweating or shivering while soaked in cold sweat. I have to put towels down in the night and change clothes because they are saturated.
My ADHD medication also seems to be less effective depending on the time of my cycle.
I am ready to take my life back and stop feeling like a different person every week of the month.
Welcome to the forum. Good to have you here. Sounds like you are going through a lot. Those cyclical night sweats in the run up to period coming do sound highly likely to be peri-menopause related. It sounds like you’re struggling with mood disturbance too, which is very common. Lots of options to help with this from a lifestyle point of view. We have good evidence that exercise is beneficial for mood management, and trying to avoid alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods can help with flashes and sweats. I am glad you are coming to see me in clinic, as I think you’d benefit from having a conversation with me about HRT. There are several hormone-based management options which may help you. I often find that the use of estrogen via the skin (patch or gel) with a progestogen called Slynd (drosperinone) alongside can help a lot with the symptoms you are describing, and the Slynd can provide a stabilizing effect for mood by suppressing ovulation. There are some non hormone management options too, which also have a good evidence base. Look forward to meeting you in clinic to discuss further.
. Either way, I am excited to take my life back and stop struggling with what seems to be perimenopause.