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[Dandelion]

Hi

I'm going to be on femoston sequi, but it's not really what I want.

I want utrogestan not dygesterone, but my doctor would not give me it.

When I asked her for HRT, she looked in this book she often looks in, when I request medications.
I'm not sure, because I was nervous in there, but I think the reason for her not giving me utrogestan, was because it was not listed in this book that she was looking in.

I have since found out, from Hurdity, that I can actually get utrogestan in the form of micronised progesterone, and that I should insist.

The problem is, I have real problems with assertiveness. Me and my doctor have got into opposition regarding medications, before, and it spoilt our relationship.

Why don't I get another doctor in the practice? Becuase in our surgery, they like you to see the same doctor for each different problem, for continuity of care reasons.
Also I don't want to alienate my doctor, as she is also prescribing me the 1mg diazepam a day, i need in order to safely finish my taper, so I feel in an awkward postition.

I am worried that when the HRT starts having effect, that it will make my anxiety and depression worse. I would not be so bothered about this, if my doctor gave me what I asked for.

Also, why is my Doctor falling for the hysteria that turned out to be wrong?
Why is she saying HRT is risky, when we now know it is not?
Why doesn't she know about bio-identical?
And Why is she still prescribing me old fashioned hormones?

Thanks for reading.

[Clovie]

hi Dandelion

My GP was just the same - when I asked for utrogestan (after having terrible time on other progesterones) she said she'd not heard of it and looked in her book. Snapped it shut and said "nope, not in there"
She then said perhaps HRT is not for you, its onto herbal preparations for you.
Well, I must have looked absolutely frantic    So she relented and she said she'd have to send me to a clinic.

Glad she did, although I had to travel about 20 mile each way.
got a BRILLIANT specialist who gave me utrogestan, and Im generally much better than I was on it.

Could you ask to be referred to a gynae clinic or meno clinic Dandelion.
My clinic is actually called 'sexual and reproductive health' clinic.

I know how frustrated you must feel. hugs.

edited to add - but first why don't you write 'micronized progesterone' on a piece of paper , or better still, take an excerpt from this forum and website to your GP as she may well find it in her book under micronized prog, just might help if you are likely to feel nervous asking for it verbally. xxx

[Dandelion]

hi Dandelion

My GP was just the same - when I asked for utrogestan (after having terrible time on other progesterones) she said she'd not heard of it and looked in her book. Snapped it shut and said "nope, not in there"
She then said perhaps HRT is not for you, its onto herbal preparations for you.
Well, I must have looked absolutely frantic    So she relented and she said she'd have to send me to a clinic.

Glad she did, although I had to travel about 20 mile each way.
got a BRILLIANT specialist who gave me utrogestan, and Im generally much better than I was on it.

Could you ask to be referred to a gynae clinic or meno clinic Dandelion.
My clinic is actually called 'sexual and reproductive health' clinic.

I know how frustrated you must feel. hugs.

edited to add - but first why don't you write 'micronized progesterone' on a piece of paper , or better still, take an excerpt from this forum and website to your GP as she may well find it in her book under micronized prog, just might help if you are likely to feel nervous asking for it verbally. xxx

Hi Clovie

Sorry you had to go through so much suffering to get what you wanted.

Sadly, we don't have such a clinic near us.

Thanks for the suggestion of taking something written with me, but I did this before, when I wanted her to prescribe me enough valium to taper off from it safely.
She had got me addicted to valium by telling me it was ok to take intermttently a few times a week, when if I had known that it wasnt I would never have got addicted.
I had given her some excerpts from Professor Heather Ashton, a neuropsychiatrist, who specialised in safe tranquiliser withdrawal, and she rejected it, until she had spoken to my drug worker, who didn't have a clue about tranquiliser withdrawal, and only specialised in heroin and alcohol withdrawal.
I am telling you this because this is an example of how difficult it is to get what I want off my doctor.

My doctor said that there is also another hormone I can try with norethisterone in it.
I have heard lots of bad stories about norethisterone, so i chose dygesterone instead.
I have a feeling my doc will refuse to refer me to a clinic, even though I told her bio identical hormones are better.
She won't even prescribe oestrogen on its own due to the risk and she said she is not allowed to.

I feel stuck.

Thanks

[honeybun]

On the other hand you could give your new HRT a fair try and then if it does not work then you could go back and discuss things.
There is every chance that you will be fine on it.

I hope you give it a try and see how you feel.


Honeyb
X

[andius]

Dandelion:

In your situation, I would try the new med your doctor gave you for 3 mo like Honeybun suggested.....it just might work for you!

Isn't that progestin better for side effects than the norethisterone?

If it doesn't work, maybe then she will be willing to refer you somewhere else or let you try the utro.

One other option:

Try to get an appt with her during the holidays.  If she is out on holiday, maybe another doctor will be covering and they would give you the utro or refer you out.? Does this happen in the UK? Can you try to figure out when she won't be there? You could complain about something and say you must be seen right away?

That's all I can come up with

A

[Clovie]

hi Dandelion

My GP was just the same - when I asked for utrogestan (after having terrible time on other progesterones) she said she'd not heard of it and looked in her book. Snapped it shut and said "nope, not in there"
She then said perhaps HRT is not for you, its onto herbal preparations for you.
Well, I must have looked absolutely frantic    So she relented and she said she'd have to send me to a clinic.

Glad she did, although I had to travel about 20 mile each way.
got a BRILLIANT specialist who gave me utrogestan, and Im generally much better than I was on it.

Could you ask to be referred to a gynae clinic or meno clinic Dandelion.
My clinic is actually called 'sexual and reproductive health' clinic.

I know how frustrated you must feel. hugs.

edited to add - but first why don't you write 'micronized progesterone' on a piece of paper , or better still, take an excerpt from this forum and website to your GP as she may well find it in her book under micronized prog, just might help if you are likely to feel nervous asking for it verbally. xxx

Hi Clovie

Sorry you had to go through so much suffering to get what you wanted.

Sadly, we don't have such a clinic near us.

Thanks for the suggestion of taking something written with me, but I did this before, when I wanted her to prescribe me enough valium to taper off from it safely.
She had got me addicted to valium by telling me it was ok to take intermttently a few times a week, when if I had known that it wasnt I would never have got addicted.
I had given her some excerpts from Professor Heather Ashton, a neuropsychiatrist, who specialised in safe tranquiliser withdrawal, and she rejected it, until she had spoken to my drug worker, who didn't have a clue about tranquiliser withdrawal, and only specialised in heroin and alcohol withdrawal.
I am telling you this because this is an example of how difficult it is to get what I want off my doctor.

My doctor said that there is also another hormone I can try with norethisterone in it.
I have heard lots of bad stories about norethisterone, so i chose dygesterone instead.
I have a feeling my doc will refuse to refer me to a clinic, even though I told her bio identical hormones are better.
She won't even prescribe oestrogen on its own due to the risk and she said she is not allowed to.

I feel stuck.

Thanks

Oh dandelion, that sounds just awful!

If I were you I would seriously look at changing doctors. I would not be able to have a relationship with such a doctor I'm afraid. I would see another doctor in the practice.
If that doctor was a sole practitioner I'm afraid I would change practices,even if I had to move to a practice in a different neighbourhood.
you need to be able to feel confident with and be able to talk to and discuss things properly with your doctor, Dandelion.

Another option is, could you perhaps see a specialist privately as a one off

good luck Dandelion, hugs xx

[jo61]

My GP and nurse practitioner are the same Dandelion,I came away with elleste duet which wasn't what I wanted to take as I had already tried it and didn't suit me.GP said if I was still bleeding I wasn't in menopause and wouldn't give me anything, nurse practitioner made me feel that no one else was taking HRT in our practise. No menopause clinic near me

[Dancinggirl]

Oh, I sometimes despair with doctors.  It's not just with the meno and HRT that one gets problems and frankly a total lack of knowledge and understanding. Try getting help for a relation with Dementia - a nightmare.  My poor mum-in-law (lovely lady) was going downhill with dementia and though her GP was good(he was older, kind and experienced) the specialist neurologists and the doctors at the Memory Clinic were awful. I would describe her treatment as cruel - I had to give up my job to support her.

I've started a thread about 'Handling Your GP' on All things Menopause - perhaps have a look.
DG x

[Hurdity]

I can't bear to read all these stories about the medical profession failing women so utterly and our having to be assertive at an emotional time of our lives, in order to be prescribed something that we have worked hard to find out about.

Yes to micronised progesterone - my GP did the same thing when I first asked for it (ie looked it up and couldn't see it) but she found it somehow in the end.

I wouldn't say Femoston was old fashioned as such - I would reserve this description for all the horse oestrogens - the premarin and premique types that were the first HRT to be used and which were the subject of the discredited study.

I think I said elsewhere that if I was going to take any tablet HRT, this would be the one I would choose because the oestrogen is bio-identical (as most of them are), dydrogesterone is most similar to our own progesterone and I understand is relatively well tolerated compared to the other synthetic progestogens.

I can't remember how old you are Dandelion and whether you have been on HRT before - but it may well be that this suits you. However if you asked for transdermal HRT rather than tablet then I really would go back because mode of delivery is very much a personal choice. Otherwise give it a try as honeybun says!

The doctor is right not to prescribe oestrogen on its own - no doctor should do this for any woman who has a womb as this would be irresponsible and incorrect, and could lead to womb cancer over a long period of time due to overstimulation of the womb lining.

Pity about the practice saying you have to see the same doctor - our practice doesn't mind who you see. Can you find a surgery time when he/she isn't there and you owuld have to go to another one?

Hurdity x

[Limpy]

Dandelion:

In your situation, I would try the new med your doctor gave you for 3 mo like Honeybun suggested.....it just might work for you!

Isn't that progestin better for side effects than the norethisterone?

If it doesn't work, maybe then she will be willing to refer you somewhere else or let you try the utro.

One other option:

Try to get an appt with her during the holidays.  If she is out on holiday, maybe another doctor will be covering and they would give you the utro or refer you out.? Does this happen in the UK? Can you try to figure out when she won't be there? You could complain about something and say you must be seen right away?

That's all I can come up with

A

Dandelion - I think Andius and Honeybun are right, try the new HRT.
It may help, if not then you can really complain.

I particularly like Andius's idea of arranging an appointment when the GP is on leave.
You may get another, sensible, point of view.
Good Luck

[Dandelion]

Thanks everyone for your repies.
I started the new HRT today, couldn't wait for my cycle to start as I want rid of the sweats etc.

[honeybun]

As we have said before. You must be patient. HRT pills are much slower to work than patches and it could be a good while before you see any difference.
Don't let it get you down if it takes a month or so.

Honeyb
X

[Dandelion]

As we have said before. You must be patient. HRT pills are much slower to work than patches and it could be a good while before you see any difference.
Don't let it get you down if it takes a month or so.

Honeyb
X

I'll try my best. Meanwhile I will just take the pills every day.