Print

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

[CLKD]

However Tiger74 - you were undergoing a recognised treatment regime? so like I was able to do, could engage with the system.  My Consultant visited twice a day to see if I had any queries ………

When the system is against the patient it is more difficult to get informed choices; to be able to communicate with the GP - because once they have made up their minds that the various guide-lines are 'correct', not a lot will sway them - there is so much litigation out there too 

[Dandelion]

Everyone has the choice about whether to let her/himself be "bossed about" by any medical staff.

I don't let it happen to me, even in my absolutely grottiest moments when undergoing chemo I still engaged in the system, asked plenty of questions, considered options, acted on recommendations and challenged the doctors if I wanted more information or felt that there were other options. 

If patients opt to take another approach that's their choice.

Sometimes, though, doctors can get shirty with you and outright refuse what you asked for.

[Limpy]

Dandelion that is so true.
When I first requested HRT I was met with a downright refusal.
When that happens there was not a lot I could do. You can not force doctors to write prescriptions.

[Hurdity]

I'm 61 now and still on HRT - prescribed on the NHS from my local practice. There is no talk about my coming off HRT - at the moment. When I had some investigations last year the gynae consultant (youngish) was quite happy for me to continue (then aged 60). I think maybe I'm lucky as I live in the rural SW but I agree that every woman needs to inform themselves about the menopause and read everything they can (from this site and following the links) in order to ask for what they want from the doctor.

It is inequitable the differences in treatment in different parts of the country. Hopefully when the NICE guidelines on menopause are produced in 2015, there will be specific mention of duration of HRT. By the way as far as I know there are no current guidelines which state that women should stop at 60, so this is an artefact. I don't subscribe to the conspiracy views either.

I have never visted a private consultant nor a meno clinic and I don't agree with private treatment for all of this. Meno clinis should be freely available to all if the GPs do not have the specialism. The best advice should all be available on the NHS so that it is open to all whatever their financial circumstances. That's why I like this site because as far as I know Dr Currie practises mainly on NHS but has been spreading the word about the latest thinking.

Limpy - as far as I know, a doctor cannot refuse to prescribe a recommended treatment that is approved by NICE unless there is a strong medical reason why you personally should not take it. We have posted recently on here about the comments by the Chairman of NICE (?) that women do need to be more assertive in this regard. I think in your case seeing a different doctor would be in order or a referral to a menopause clinic.

The appalling thing is - why should you have to do this, but until there is a change in the system and the old GPs retire some of us get the short straw and you all have my sympathies - especially having to aruge your case when likely to burst into tears due to the very condition you are requesting treatment for!

Hurdity x

[Sarah2]

I agree that meno clinics should be more available but when competing with diseases like cancer, menopause is never going to get the funding.
In many people's eyes it a short term problem lasting 2-3 years that women just have to go through.
It isn't of course because as women work longer and live longer the problems around long term lack of oestrogen become apparent. Many women are treated with / fobbed off with ADs instead and probably still regarded by some as being 'neurotic' and given a 'quick fix'.
The NHS has never been good at preventative medicine.

Also- there are very few women now on HRT- not sure of the percentage but far fewer than before the WHI scares etc.
Many women ' put up and shut up' with meno symptoms either because they have already decided they don't want HRT ( often due to misinformation about risks) or they are embarrassed to seek help. And therefore because women aren't asking for help perhaps as much as they could, there is a perceived lack of demand, so drs don't see the need to learn more about it.

[coolatlast]

I agree that meno clinics should be more available but when competing with diseases like cancer, menopause is never going to get the funding.
In many people's eyes it a short term problem lasting 2-3 years that women just have to go through.
It isn't of course because as women work longer and live longer the problems around long term lack of oestrogen become apparent. Many women are treated with / fobbed off with ADs instead and probably still regarded by some as being 'neurotic' and given a 'quick fix'.
The NHS has never been good at preventative medicine.

Also- there are very few women now on HRT- not sure of the percentage but far fewer than before the WHI scares etc.
Many women ' put up and shut up' with meno symptoms either because they have already decided they don't want HRT ( often due to misinformation about risks) or they are embarrassed to seek help. And therefore because women aren't asking for help perhaps as much as they could, there is a perceived lack of demand, so drs don't see the need to learn more about it. GPs can never be fully informed on every condition and that's why consultants are there. Some GPs may have an interest in women's health but not all.

This is why we need to start being more assertive.  Otherwise nothing will change.

(glad to see we having somebody like Dr Currie on our side).
Am still finding things out about this site! 

[Limpy]

Limpy - as far as I know, a doctor cannot refuse to prescribe a recommended treatment that is approved by NICE unless there is a strong medical reason why you personally should not take it. We have posted recently on here about the comments by the Chairman of NICE (?) that women do need to be more assertive in this regard. I think in your case seeing a different doctor would be in order or a referral to a menopause clinic.

Hurdity that is what happened.

After 6 moths with no oestrogen I had a MS linked loss of balance fall.
Armed with a spectacular black eye, bruised wrists and medical papers describing  the relationship between MS and oestrogen I saw a different GP and got HRT. I felt well able to argue my case, though the MS angle shouldn't have been necessary.

Sadly, there are no menoopause clinics around here, I think the closest is 80 to 100 miles away.   

[honeybun]

I  probably going to get strung up here but meno is a natural thing and cannot be compared with an illness.
Yes it can really impact on quality of life and in some cases could in theory shorten it but it's not life-threatening.
I take HRT but I won't die without it.

As for the conspiracy theory.....Sorry but that's just ridiculous.

Yes our life span is much longer but not all women have died in the early years after meno. We have a huge aging population, much more women than men. The majority have come through meno without any intervention.

I guess the big picture would say our lives would be better in some cases with HRT but as its not a magic cure and some never get the right one, it's reasonable to assume it's not going to be up there with cancer treatments.

I think (again I am going to be shot down), we really need to get this into perspective.

It's a natural process ladies and sometimes we just have to get on with it.


Honeyb
x

[CLKD]

Any condition that the body suffers is natural whether it be cancer, 'flu, headaches, menopause, period pains …….. some conditions prey on the body, others are part of the natural birthing/aging processes.  However, if I have a headache I want something that will ease the pain, similarly if I have symptoms from any other illness/condition I want relief ….. which is why no condition should be thought less of than another.  However, some we know are low down on the Government's funding i.e. mental health care. 

[honeybun]

The body aging and its ability to not reproduce is a natural process. It's to make sure that women can only produce children and live long enough to raise them to independence.
Cancer is a disease/ illness. It's not and never has been a natural part of the aging process. There are no cures for meno.
We can take short term relief for a headache but the ovaries shutting down to make sure women can't conceive is a rest of life condition which is natural, there is no short term relief for that.

Honeyb
x

[coolatlast]

I  probably going to get strung up here but meno is a natural thing and cannot be compared with an illness.
Yes it can really impact on quality of life and in some cases could in theory shorten it but it's not life-threatening.
I take HRT but I won't die without it.

As for the conspiracy theory.....Sorry but that's just ridiculous.

Yes our life span is much longer but not all women have died in the early years after meno. We have a huge aging population, much more women than men. The majority have come through meno without any intervention.

I guess the big picture would say our lives would be better in some cases with HRT but as its not a magic cure and some never get the right one, it's reasonable to assume it's not going to be up there with cancer treatments.

I think (again I am going to be shot down), we really need to get this into perspective.

It's a natural process ladies and sometimes we just have to get on with it.


Honeyb
x

Only one person has said anything about conspiracy theories - and that was done tongue in cheek!  :

As for nobody ever dying of it - there are lots of women that are shoved on anti-depressants because they are depressed, (because of the menopause) - and some are suicidal and have suicidal thoughts.
Now, I don't know about you -  but I reckon that is pretty serious in anybody's books!

If somebody feels completely, wretched and ill and is suffering terrible mental (s well as physical) problems because of the menopause - then it becomes an illness.
And deserves as much right to be treated as any other 'illness'.

[coolatlast]

Any condition that the body suffers is natural whether it be cancer, 'flu, headaches, menopause, period pains …….. some conditions prey on the body, others are part of the natural birthing/aging processes.  However, if I have a headache I want something that will ease the pain, similarly if I have symptoms from any other illness/condition I want relief ….. which is why no condition should be thought less of than another.  However, some we know are low down on the Government's funding i.e. mental health care.

+1

[coolatlast]

As men get older, part of their natural ageing process is to have reduced levels of testosterone, which in turn can lead to bouts of impotence.

Now - do you see Doctors refusing to give them Viagra?

Does the Doctor say:

'''Sorry Mr ......,
Even though this drug will significantly improve your quality of life (not to mention your marriage)  in your latter years - I don't think you should take it, as it carries a slight risk of heart attack.  Also, not being able to get it up as much as you used to is part of the ageing process.

Now, Please go away, stop making a fuss of something that is completely 'natural' and is not an illness and just  Get On With It!''.

No - doesn't happen does it? 

[CLKD]

All conditions are natural.  Some conditions can be age related not necessarily meno related.  Even conditions which are self-inflicted can be natural ………… the body is a strange critter at times  and it hosts so many bugs etc. 

We don't have enough GPs in the UK.  We don't have enough time ……… so that GPs can make efforts to keep up with current theories ……….


As for men being told to go away ………. that's something we don't know for certain, the issue is to get the man into the Surgery initially 

[honeybun]

I still stand by what I say.

The menopause is a completely natural process that every woman goes through.
It has been happening to women since time immemorial.

The choice we have is whether to alleviate the symptoms of this natural process or not.
There have been generations of women before us who have just got on with things as there were no other choices. There are millions of women world wide that dont have access to basic medical care so again just get on with it.

It's not going to kill the vast majority of us...

It's not a competition between us and men and whether they would be refused treatment for impotence. I think that's completely irrelevant to be honest.

Honeyb
x