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[hotstff]

I  have been taking Elleste Duet 1mg for 3 months (which give me a monthly bleed) and have just been for my 3 month check up.

I mentioned some problems to the GP and enquired as to whether I could try patches instead.

Anyway, she looked in a book and I came away with a prescription for something called Evorel 50 patches, which I have been and got from the chemist.

Now, maybe I'm reading it wrong, but after looking at the instructions, I can't see anywhere that it says that these patches contain progesterone as well as oestregne

I'm supposed to have progesterone as well, as I still have a womb.

Has she made a mistake and accidentally prescribed me something that only contains oestrogen?
(should I have been given something else besides?)

[sweatybet]

Hi hotstff

You are right she has just given you estrogen. You could start the patches and arrange to go back and get some UTROGESTAN which is micronised progesterone 200mg daily at bedtime for 12 days per 28 days (days 15-26 inclusive). This regime is used by quite a few women on this site. The utrogestan is more natural as I understand it. I would print out of the information in the green menu on different preparations.

Good luck.

SB

[hotstff]

Thankyou SweatyBet!

It's a bit disconcerting that the women on here seem to  ???know more.   

I'm going to print out your answer to take with me.  Why does everything have to be a battle.

[honeybun]

You can also get evorel sequi patches which will give you a monthly bleed.

Some doctors have not got a clue what utrogestan is and given the fact your GP seems a bit clueless you might have better luck asking for the sequi version of what you have been given.


Honeyb
x

[hotstff]

Yes, I might ask for the Sequi Patches.

I could kick myself for not double checking that she'd given me the right prescription before leaving the surgery.  But, because I've never taken patches before, I wasn't sure what I was asking for.

Trouble is, I've already collected the Evorel 50 Estrogen only ones from the chemist.  So I hope she prescribes the Sequi as well.

If she says I can't have the Sequi until the Evorel 50 are finished, I don't suppose not having a bleed for 3 months would do that much harm - would it?   

[honeybun]

Can you not just phone your surgery and asked for the new patches. You are ok using the ones she gave you for two weeks and then you really need to use the combined ones.


Honeyb
x

[hotstff]

honeybun, have sent an email.
If no luck there, will phone or call in and speak to the Receptionist.

(I thought it would be clearer in 'writing')

[hotstff]

Honeybun,
if it were only that simple as phoning up and getting the prescription corrected!

I called in to try and sort it out.
There's a different Doctor there today and I overheard her say in hushed whispers to the receptionist ''I'm not prepared to prescribe this without discussing it with her Doctor first!''

I felt as if I was requesting Class A Drugs - not blimming HRT fgs.   

I am slowly getting the impression that some Doctors are terrified of getting involved with anything HRT related and won't touch it with a bargepole!
All because of some (now outdated) guidelines that came out over a decade ago.

I do wish these Doctors would keep themselves updated with Current Guidelines, instead of going along with all the scaremongering.

I just hope the Doctor who was sensible enough to prescribe me the HRT in the first place- (after sensibly weighing up all the odds) - doesn't get it in the neck from the other two Doctors at the practice (who seem to be very anti-HRT)

I have to wait now, for them to discuss it with the orginal Doc, then phone me tomorrow.

[oldsheep]

Do you have a meno clinic near you? If you do, I'd ask for a referral.

A lot of GPs haven't even heard of Utrogestan. I take 100mcgs (or is it mgs?!) every night, which is unusual but they thought the extra dose was safe and that it would help my insomnia. I had problems with bleeding on the 200mg dose, but find the 100 far more tolerable (if less effective on insomnia).
On 50 Evorel I'm pretty sure you could get away with the 100 mg Utrogestan; trouble is opinion varies on how many days a month you have to take it for.
If you're taking the Utrogestan for 2 weeks + a month, they really should calm down about the oestrogen. Why don't they fuss about the health problems a lack of oestrogen causes?! 

[hotstff]

oldsheep,
there's no menopause clinic near where I live (it was one of the first things I asked when I first started finding out about HRT).
I was lucky enough, as it was, to find a Doctor that was willing to listen and take HRT seriously!
I just hope she doesn't ever leave 

I almost wish I lived in a country where you have your own 'gynae' and having your own gynaecologist is seen as the norm, and is somebody you visit as regularly as say, the dentist -  and not just somebody you're 'referred' to by your GP when you have a problem.

That way, I think women would get the best up-to-date advice and best treatment, when it comes to HRT and the menopause.

[Js]

When I was talking to by doctor about  Starting Hrt she wouldn't dream of giving hrt patches that didn't contain the progesterone as well because I still have a womb and and this could cause thickening of the womb and could leave her open to being sued I have been on evorel sequi 50 for about 3 years which gives you a bleed then I changed onto evorel conti this doesn't give you a bleed but it has the progesterone to counteract the oestrogen  in it . In my opinion your doctor or nurse was not giving you best advice and I would speak to someone else in the surgery about what he or she has issued . As this  is all new to us and most of us seem to find out our own information because the doctors or nurses either don't have the time of know enough about the good old menopause . Ok I know things change all the time over the years some for the good some not but  with the menopause a lot of it is what best suits you but something as important as prescribing something that could potentially cause you more harm than good I think is not right

Js

[Hurdity]

hotstff

This has happened to someone else as well on another thread. The doc should pay for the correct prescription since it is their error - I am just appalled by all this ignorance. Fair enough to look it up in a book but not to understand the basic principle of the menstrual cycle and the roles of oestrogen and progesterone. Even a glance at the relevant sections of this website should provide GPs with the basic information!

Hurdity x