u/platypusaura

For about 18 months I've had a bunch of symptoms - constant UTIs, burning after sex, itchy skin and scalp, thinning hair, hair growing on my face, acne, lightheadedness and fatigue, weight gain. My periods have gotten shorter and lighter but I'm still having them every month. 

About 3 months ago a locum GP prescribed me estriol cream and since using it the UTIs and burning have completely gone. 

I've had blood tests to rule other things out. Everything came back normal. They tested FSH and testosterone at the same time, both also normal. 

All the GPs at my practice are men, and they always make me feel like I'm wasting their time. I've had a lot of negative experiences where they've been dismissive and unhelpful (I saw them so many times during the year I had constant UTIs and they told me there was nothing they could do except give me antibiotics each time, and that "some women just get lots of UTIs").

Unless I get lucky with a locum again, my GP is very unlikely to help until I'm over 40 (NICE guidelines say to use FSH tests for under 40s and mine was normal). I'm not sure whether to just wait it out for a year, or pay to go private. 

What would you do? Has anyone tried a private menopause specialist, would you recommend it? Or is it not worth it at this stage, and better to wait it out?

Maybe only allow them one day a week, or they have to go as comments into a weekly questions thread instead of standalone posts.

I don't mean genuine fit checks or people who've tried the size and it isn't working for them . I mean the people who just straight up don't believe the calculator - " the calculator says 28E but it can't be right because I've always worn 34A, why does my 34A bra not fit" etc

I get people are surprised, but these kinds of posts are frequent, repetitive, unnecessary, and make the genuine valid questions less visible

I'm almost 39.

I went to the GP a few months ago about constant UTIs and thrush after sex, and vaginal soreness. She prescribed estradiol cream, I've now got the pill insert on a repeat prescription.

I have a few other symptoms that started at a similar time, hair loss, bouts of dizziness that last for days.

I have a lot of anxiety about going to the GP due to past experiences. I like to know exactly what I'm asking for before I go in. Also I've heard several people say it's a fight to get them to do anything about perimenopause symptoms (NHS)

Do you think I should go see them again and ask for blood tests? Is there a specific test or treatment I should ask for?

Thank you

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MMC is the towns golden boy. She dresses very provocatively which has helped cement her reputation

I've searched my read history and can't find this anywhere. It wasn't any amazing book but it's in my head and I really want to read it again!