This Menostar sounds a possible alternative route - such a shame that it's not on offer in the UK. I suspect it's the same old story - there is no money to be made from this type of treatment so drug companies and researchers are simply not interested.
In a way there needs to be a lobby on the medical profession to give women more help with their hormones - probably too difficult to muster enough women prepared to fight for this . There are now so many different contraceptive pill options because women vary so much in what suits them - surely the same should apply for us at menopause. I know we've covered this before somewhere and the general consensus was that there is quite a variety of HRT types on offer, so why offer more choices?! I still think there is a need for tailoring.
Sadly GPs have so little knowledge of the different types of HRT so just glance at their little drug book and pick at random - we so often read how many women are simply given the cheapest option or given completely the wrong HRT altogether - sorry a bit of a rant.
I would love to go to my GP and ask for the regimes that one can get privately but they are restricted by the 'guidelines' or scared to prescribe because they don't know about it - you really shouldn't have to pay to get the quality of life you need.
Hurdity and JuJu are on regimes that are probably not approved on the NHS and would certainly not be routinely offered by a GP.
In my late thirties, when I was fed up with my lovely GP simply picking different HRT types out of her book and saying "let's try this one" I eventually went to a private menopause clinic in London. We certainly couldn't afford it but I felt I had no option. I had 2 young children, a very busy life and my son had been diagnosed with a primary language disorder and I needed to be 'on my game'. What a different story. I was properly assessed and given Oestrogel to use daily with progesterone pills(I forget which one) for 10 days per month - BTW this was 19 years ago. They started me on just one quirt of gel per day and then tested me a month later. This showed that my oestrogen level, at that stage in my peri meno, was just right on this dose. After about 3-4 years it then increased to 2 pumps per day - by then I had obviously gone post meno. I got some nasty period pains each month but because my oestrogen levels were right I generally felt great. To this day Oestrogel is not the first choice to be prescribed even though it is transdermal which is a better way to administer oestrogen and gives this perfect ability to adjust dosage - it tends to be the preferred choice given by private doctors!!!! It can't just be about cost surely because you can get Oestrogel on the NHS if you ask(or pressure them)! Sorry, I'm getting really heated now - it makes me so angry that it's about privilege. You see - the NHS is supposed to promote preventative health measures and I believe a more positive approach to managing hormones and the meno - using HRT in a tailored more holistic way, could possibly prevent a great many ailments and save the NHS a lot of money. I'll get off my soap box now - I feel sooo much better.
If I do decide I want to go back on HRT and possibly extend my warranty I will raid the piggy bank and see a gynae privately to get what I want.
DG xxxxxxx
