Hello ladies. Will try to be as concise as poss. Been 6ft and size 10-12(uk) all my life. At 32yo ad never had children, within a few months I gained 2stone and am now more like a 14 (bmi jumped from 20 to 24). I started to feel 'different'. Went to the Drs, no help. Came off microgynon after 16yrs with a few gaps inbetween (to be hormone free) for the copper coil, which was fine for 12 months, 28 cycle reappeared immediately (I hadn't really bled on the pill for the last few yrs). Fast forward to 34yo, I start spotting inbetween, clots and pain - so I have the coil out. A couple of months later my cycle started coming every 20-22days, my bloating is so horrendous Dr sends me for ovary scans, which were clear. Now, my hair is thinning but dry and greasy, I go through phases where my body odour is stronger, bags under my eyes, bloating still, aches, can't sleep through without needing a wee (last night was twice and I still had one when I woke this morning), I am forgetting things like people's names and spelling things wrong, dizzy spells with tingling left arm, breakouts on my face ebery few months, and this weight will not budge (going to try keto in Jan), I have been fit all my life - my stamina is better than ever despite the weight gain, my boobs are regularly sore, the fatigue and lack of zest for life is getting me down, hot flushes I have had but they are rare - I don't recall having a proper one since spring where my back was on fire and I had to strip off - thank frig I was home!

Drs and sexual health nurses have been very dismissive of me, my change in cycle being the main thing that cemented my thinking in my journey towards peri, but all I get is 'too young', ignoring the fact that this does happen to a larger number of women they are willing to admit. I asked to try the minipill and at first the symptoms abated and I miraculously dropped 10lbs, then just as quick the weight and some of the symptoms came back (I am 6months on Desogestrel).

Can anybody relate to any of this? Sorry for the long post. Thinking of coming off the pill and seeing where my cycle is at.

Thanks for reading xx