I am 46, soon to be 47, and I am not sure if I am going through perimenopause or if I am just having symptoms due to excess build up of blood lining my uterus. I started my menstrual cycle a week earlier than expected in the middle of December, and it continued non-stop for 5 weeks. Having met with an OB/GYN twice over the past two weeks, and I'm still not sure. I even ended up at ER for excessive blood flow a week and a half ago. An ultrasound showed the excess lining of blood. The OB/GYN put me on Aygestin, to stop the blood flow (though it took a higher dose and more doses than she expected it would), and then she did an endometrial biopsy - which was EXCRUCIATINGLY painful and came back with negative results (results for which I am truly grateful!).
So how do I tell if this is due to perimenopause or something else? And either way, I've been told that I will need another procedure, from a D&C to a hysterectomy and that I can talk with another doctor about all the options. What are the side effects of each? Why would I want one over the other? Are there any reasons to avoid a hysterectomy? What other options are there? Someone mentioned a hysteroscopy, but I am not sure how that differs from the other procedures.
And how do I go through this without stressing?
Maria