Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[katem]

Hello everyone
I changed my surgery and went for a consultation with my new GP on saturday morning and what a disaster.!! It was a young female doctor and I had gone with the hope of getting different treatment for my menopause problems. After reading,contributing and gaining advice from this brilliant site, I had thought I would ask for the combined conti HRT patch. It was not to be. I could barely get a word in edgeways, she had my records up on screen and was overly concerned with my blood pressure. After several minutes I had to say to her that that was not why I had come to see her and brought the consultation back to the horrendous time, mainly mental rather than physical, time I was having going thru the menopause. I asked for HRT and she said she could not possibly prescribe it because of my blood pressure. She also said that HRT was for pyhsical rather than mental problems!!. She went on to suggest herbal remedies!! I could not get over to her just how bad I was feeling, in the end she said that because I was depressed she would prescribe Prozac, and that ladies is what I have started on, plus I have bought some menopace and have started taking them also. This morning, I feel worse than ever but I shall just have to persevere for at least a couple of weeks with the Prozac and menopace but I really don't know what else I can do, things just get worse!!!!!!

[ellie66]

Is there another GP you can see? I would not wait a couple of weeks. Or you buy HRT online from Lloyds the chemist without a prescription. Their doctors write you a private one.

[rosebud57]

Hi katem,

Sorry to hear your feeling so bad.  Looking at your previous posts you have been on HRT before, that didn't help you much, so perhaps the Doc is right.  Have you had Prozac before?  I took it for 6 months some years age and it saved my life.  I went a whole year without a proper nights sleep due to night sweats and eventually went into total melt down.  My doc was lovely and described it a my 'little bit of a crisis'.  He put me on Prozac which leveled my moods and made me feel normal again.  Could it be your feelings have anything to do with your blood pressure problem?  Give the meds a try and go back if they don't work and perhaps give meditation a go as well.

Best of luck

[CLKD]

Prozac made me angry ……….. no help there then!

Herbal remedies don't work for many ladies otherwise HRT would not be required  and if they worked, they would be on the NHS!

Is there a Practice Nurse there or a menopause clinic you could travel to?

[Suzyq]

I was prescribed prozac for anxiety and it made everything much worse. I believe it is more useful for depression, but can take up to 12 weeks to start working so don't worry if you feel worse for a while. Your doctor is wrong though - hrt has massively helped my anxiety and panic so that I now rarely have any! I also have high blood pressure brought on by peri. I am taking medications but since starting hrt have had to reduce he amount as my blood pressure has lowered with hrt. Did your dr give you any medication for your blood pressure? One reading alone also does not equal hbp - I always have white coat syndrome where it rises when the doc tests it?

Is your doctor actually qualified??

[Limpy]

I was given Prozac to reduce MS associated fatigue.
That it did, I also got very ratty and aggressive.
Did wonders for the marriage......

If you do stick with prozac it might me worth checking that menopace isn't going to affect it adversely.

[Trey]

You might tell your doctor that your blood pressure rises when you are frustrated because your doctor does not listen.  Grrr!

[katem]

It is so reassuring to have this site and find you all. Thanks for all your kind words and advice. The reason I am taking Menopace is because this was the docs recommendation so I would hope it is okay to take with Prozac! but I'm not confident.
As far as the blood pressure goes, I have always been on the high side. I have had ECGs in the past and I have my own blood pressure monitor at home but I have never been prescribed any blood pressure medication from any of my previous surgeries so why she is so concerned when others weren't, I don't know.
I was not aware that you could get HRT without your own doctors prescription. I would not be confident enough to go ahead this way at the moment, what experiences has anyone else had of doing it this way?
I was prescribed Ellest Duo in the past when I was still having periods. I have not had a period now for almost six months which was why I was prepared to try HRT again but as the combined conti patch as I thought that would be more appropriate to me now.
I have just taken my 4th prozac but am quite worried cos most of you seem to have had a hard time with it, anybody else got anything positve to say about it?
What I really need to know is firstly, will this nightmare ever end and secondly, when? but just having you all in the background really does help. Thank you again.

[rosebud57]

Different drugs work for different people.  Prozac did the business for me but if they don't, or they make you feel worse, just go back to the Doc.  NHS choices web site says high blood pressure, that's is not controlled, is a no no for HRT so perhaps you should look for natural methods to help lower it.  Don't forget blood pressure med come with their own set of problems.  Sounds like your GB takes a more holistic natural approach, which would suit me, but maybe not you.  If this is the case perhaps you should see another doctor in the practice.  You are perfectly entitled to do this.

Best of luck

[CLKD]

DH has white coat syndrome.  A calmer person you won't meet! so he has a monitor.  Normal/below usually.

[Suzyq]

Don't worry about the prozac - lots of people get on very well with it so it may well work for you! You are doing the right thing giving it a chance. It will end but who knows when!! I try not to think of it like that and just get on with feeling the best that I can every day - try to look for the positives in each and every day! 4 years ago I could literally barely leave the house with vertigo, panic etc. but now I lead a full and active life.

[katem]

Morning Ladies
Mornings are usually my worst time but today I feel ever so slightly better. It could be just normal ebb and flow of how bad I normally feel and I don,t really think its to do with the Prozac and menopace, but if it is, that would be great. Last night I had a few palpitations and blocked throat/can,t swallow syndrome (i'm sure you will all know what I am talking about) but I was able to deal with it better and didn't get too worked up about it which is also an improvement. The surgery is supposed to let me know when a 24 hour blood pressure monitor becomes available for me to use at home but not heard anything yet.
Anyway, Heres hoping! Thanks for listening and helping. I will continue posting how I get on. 5th day on prozac and menopace today.

[Suzyq]

Great Katem

You are having a good day and learning some coping mechanisms - that's a really good step forward! Hope you're doing something nice today x

[katem]

Thanks suzyq, you are right. You do learn how to cope and its sites like this that helps because no matter how deperate you may feel, you will always find someone who has experienced it already and come thru it
As for doing something nice, I am at work 

[CLKD]

You *are* at work  ……. another plus 

Little steps.  It might take a while to realise that you are beginning to feel better, however we 'look' for improvement, often too soon