I'm 43 years old and, after several blood tests, I've been told that I am going through the menopause. I've recently been started on HRT as the symptoms had become too much to handle. I have not had a period in over a year, yet the last few weeks I have had period pain, pelvic pain, and back pain. It's very debilitating when I have to work every day. I just wondered if you could shed some light on my issues.

Although your periods may have stopped there is still a hormonal cycle for a while; not high enough for a bleed but still high enough to give PMT-like symptoms, this is very common at some stage and usually tails off after a few months.

However, if they keep getting worse or have worsened after starting the HRT it is important that you tell your doctor.

There are different types of HRT and not all suit everyone, if this is the case your doctor may be able to prescribe a more suitable one for you.

Eileen Durward