AnnieW
I understand your frustration! A few years ago, I also bled for months on end. The bleeding was never "excessively heavy," which the doc defined as totally soaking two or more pads in a couple of hours (if it were, she would have been more concerned because it signifies a serious condition). But, I did have lots of endometrial tissue with the bleeding, and I was very worried as well as frustrated that it just would not stop! I was also moody and perpetually irritable in a neverending PMS! Some days the bleeding would be very light, other days pretty heavy. I had the exact same tests you did, which are done to confirm you don't have an ovarian cyst or fibroids, you are not anemic from all the blood loss, and your cervix is healthy. My results came back normal, too, and I was prescribed a progestin to take for a week or so. It didn't work very well, much as in your experience. My doctor explained that the bleeding was probably being caused by not enough progesterone production to balance out the estrogen in my system. She suggested birth control pills, but I cannot take them without getting migraines, and I try to avoid synthetic hormones whenever possible. She said stress can often cause such a thing and that I may just have to "wait it out." This was frustrating, but she assured me that I was healthy and didn't need to worry. She suggested I look at stressors in my life that could be reduced to help. At the time, I was working full time, taking night classes and dealing with family conflicts. Yes, there was stress. After some time, I was able to reduce some of the stress, and not long afterward, my periods became regular again.
Of course, perimenopause is defined as an experience of hormonal imabalances and changes in women age 35 or older, so I don't know why your dr would rule that out. I'm only 38 now and have had a few hot flashes. However, it sounds like your dr did perform the routine, reliable tests to rule out serious problems, so that part of your treatment seems ok imo. Of course, you can always seek a second opinion if you choose. Hope this helps and that you get better soon.