His and Her Health

Ever since I turned 30, I have had lots of spotting in between my periods. Even though I have tried numerous different versions of the pill, the patch and the ring, I can't get back to normal. I also have alot of vaginal dryness. Also, my sex drive is low and it's too dry up there to have sex anyway. Does this mean I am low on estrogen? And isn't this all too soon to be happening. Thanks for any suggestions.

Don't let the doctors fool you into believing you are too young for a hormone imbalance. I am perimenopausal at age 31--trust me, it happens. You may have to be realy insistent, but it's definitely worth getting a blood workup to check your hormone levels. Low estrogen could be the culprit, and would definitely be a reason for things like vaginal dryness and tearing (low estrogen can cause tissue atrophy, hence tearing). There may be other possible causes, as well, but hormones are probably the easiest to check on--it's a simply blood test, in the case of estrogen. You should also consider having your testosterone checked (there are really specific methods for this--email me for the link on what to have done, since I can't put it here). Do you have regular gyn appointments? You might want to discuss this with your doctor, as the things you mention can also be indicative of ovarian failure, etc. It's unlikely that these more serious things are the problem, but it doesn't hurt to know that for sure.<P>