Is it really the menopause?

QAt 51, my periods have become very erratic, and I’m struggling with night sweats and hot flushes. I went to see my GP to ask for a blood test to check my hormones, but she said I didn’t need a blood test and offered me HRT straight away. Can I insist on a test to check if I am menopausal?

AThe average age for the menopause in the UK is 51. The blood test we use to check for menopause measures the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which is the hormone produced by the brain to stimulate the ovaries. It is notoriously unreliable in the perimenopause when hormones are all over the place, so given your age and symptoms, you can be confident that you are perimenopausal without the need for a test.