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[GeordieGirl]

After a lot of discussion with friends and time on FB meno pages, I'm surprised (shocked?) at the kind of responses we get from our GPs.  So many women seem to get totally dismissed by the first level medical profession, although I had some classic meno symptoms, I came away from my first GP with sleeping pills (not knowing myself I was menopausal). My second doctor, a Gynae doc was ready to prescribe the first box on her list, without a clue as to whether I was oestrogen / progesterone or other deficient. When I raised a lot of questions, she admitted she was out of her depth and referred me instead to a Meno clinic.  I'm sure if I hadn't been so bloody persistent I'd still be getting sleeping pills prescriptions - which incidentally I haven't taken.

I've lost count of the number of friends who come back with anti depressants or even nothing at all...

Is this really so common?  Would it be the same if menopause affected men ?

GG x

[dazned]

No I'm sure if it effected men directly things would be different ! I've had to go private root to get anywhere! Someone suggested telling your doctor that it is impacting severely on your marriage/ relationship husband/ partner and I think that might receive a different response!
Just to say many women on here take Hrt and anti depressant they do help some . After adamantly refusing ADS I have stared taking them and they have improved some symptoms I must say If it helps I don't care anymore WHAT I take . Xx

[peegeetip]

Hi GeordieGirl

you raise really good points.

I too know many friends and a couple in my immediate family who's doc's have handed out AD/Sleeping Pill's with little evidence to what they are trying to fix.

Its not something we seem to be able to do anything about other than either refuse the prescription or not take it when we have them.

I'd not want to have any mention of these drugs in my medical records either as there is still a stigma about them and it could affect insurance claims if you were "thought" to be on them at the time of an accident (even if your not taking them).

 

Hi Dazned

your point is good "Someone suggested telling your doctor that it is impacting severely on your marriage/ relationship husband/ partner and I think that might receive a different response!" however .....

That approach did not gain me any more empathy from my own doc.
Not sure if doc had their own marriage issues or sex life was not important to them but I received a very dismissive response on that aspect of my life.

I will not be discussing those sort of intimate details with a doc again based on my experience so far.

Imho, I think if all doc's took the approach you mention Dazned then the divorce rate amongst peri and meno affected couples would reduce drastically.

[honeybun]

I think I was one of the lucky ones as I was prescribed HRT with no difficulties at all. I first talked through my issues with a nurse who advised HRT and made me an appointment with my GP. I asked for patches because of stomach issues and after a discussion was given a months supply and another appointement. After that I go every six months for a check up and a new prescription.
I have changed types of HRT a couple of times and my GP practice was supportive and interested and also changed me back when my experiments did not work.

It's not just women who are dismissed by poor GPs. A neighbour of my mother has just died of stomach cancer. He was dismissed so many times by the doctor who never investigated his problems until it was far too late.

There are good engaged GPs and poor ones whether you are male or female. It shouldn't be this way for any of us.
I really don't beleive that if men suffered meno symptoms that the treatement they received would be any different at all.

Honeybun
X

[CLKD]

I have been lucky.  My GP spotted some of my medical conditions before I was aware of them i.e. vaginal atrophy, because of repeated urine-type symptoms.

Menopause isn't covered at Medical School.  Nor is bed-side manner apparently  …….. so if you have a good GP hang onto him/her.

When you say your GP is a Gyanae Dr it means that they have taken an extra exam……… doesn't mean that menopause was included in their education 

Pity we can't get a survey to all GP Practices as to who menopause impacts on costs and services! I think that's what drives many GPs ……. also if a lady arrives at the Appt. in tears, then the GP is going to prescribe the obvious medication: ADs. 

[DebsMK]

On my first GP visit I was prescribed AD's and sleeping pills by a locum who I felt was not listening or caring about what I was saying.  I threw the prescription away.  At my next appointment a few months later I asked to see a female GP and went in and asked for HRT.  Her response "I don't want to give it to you because I've had breast cancer"!  What this had to do with my problems and symptoms I don't really know.  At this point I insisted and she reluctantly gave me a prescription for Prempak c.  My third visit a few months ago was because the Prempak did not agree with me and this time I saw a different GP again and I asked for Femoston.  He told me he had no clue if Femoston was the same as Prempak and he would have to speak to the Pharmacist next door!!  I came home and banged my head on several walls as you can imagine.  A week later I phoned to see what his decision was and whether I could have the Femoston to be told by the receptionist that the prescription had been sitting there for days.

To say I have no faith in my GP surgery at all is an understatement!

[Dancinggirl]

I think the issue around GPs is the fact they simply can't keep up to date on things and they don't have the time in appointments to treat in a holistic way. They are expected to cover so many aspects of health and frankly problems with the menopause effects around 70 % of women yet I believe only 15-20% see their GPs for help and advice about this. It's not surprising that if a women visits her GP, is tearful and anxious but is too embarrassed to mention that they are hot and sweaty much of the time, they can't sleep because they sweat at night, the vaginal area is sore and they keep needing to pee - most GPs will just think they need some ADs.  Without 'Well Women Centres' around the country that specialise in women's health issues and some decent monitoring I doubt things will improve - GPs are under too much pressure as it is. DG x

[GeordieGirl]

When you say your GP is a Gyanae Dr it means that they have taken an extra exam……… doesn't mean that menopause was included in their education 

I understand this now - though must admit I did have higher expectations    With 13 million post menopausal women you'd really expect this whole area to be studied with much more gravitas.  When she admitted she didn't know much about it, I offered her a couple of key books (I'm working my way through Amazon) but instead she just asked for a summary that she could digest quickly and consider.  I guess at least she has had the grace to admit when she's in unknown territory, unfortunately though I suspect a large number of patients are probably just given that first box on the list...   It's so sad to see the state some women end up in because of a lack of care / interest from their GP.

I'm not sure entirely what to expect now from the Meno Clinic though am trying to keep an open mind.

GG x

[BrightLight]

Good luck at the clinic, it's got to be a better option and happy for you they offered this. I've 'dumped' my GP and lowered my expectations. I paid to see a private GP, not an expert on menopause but she did give me time and explanations that educated and empowered me about this phase of life. Forewarned is forearmed and when the regular GP doesn't even have the smallest 'intro speech' to begin discussing menopause it does leave us on our own somewhat.

I spoke to a friend of my late mothers yesterday and she isn't someone that uses private healthcare but told me she has been seeing a private gynaecologist every year for ten years as she got nowhere with her GP. She now budgets for this expense and her 'issues' don't intefer with her life anymore. The worry and unknowns take so much energy, communication could so easily remove this and maybe antidepressants wouldn't be needed so much!

Good luck x

[peegeetip]

Hi

I think you put it well GeordieGirl (13 million of us) so why can't they get it right.

Well if we do the maths we see why maybe.

13million ladies * £10 per month
£130000000

£130000000 * 12 months

so the grand total if we all went on an average cost HRT

£1560000000 or roughly £1.5 billion

Given that AD's are so much cheaper then you can quickly see how much they would save if we all went on those.
£1.5 billion would suddenly drop to 1/10 of the cost.

Thats a staggering amount of money if we were all treated by just an average HRT.
Thats not even including the amount of extra hours and monitoring required by GP's then follow ups by Doc's in specialist for the things that get picked up better.
If I recall what others have said on AD's there is precious little followup to be done.

Perhaps they are happier that we are subdued by AD's, in the dark, ignored and unaware.

[Hurdity]

I think the issue around GPs is the fact they simply can't keep up to date on things and they don't have the time in appointments to treat in a holistic way.

I agree but some of them seem to lack even the basic understanding of what the sex hormones do and what happens if you replace them - which I find shocking. As for reading books on it - they only need to spend a few hours reading this website which covers everything in summary - and they would have a clue. There is absolutely no excuse for them not to know the basics so that at least they can recognise the main symptoms of peri-menopause ( aside from missed periods and hot flushes) and menopause.

I know we talk about these well woman clinics a lot - and they are just so necessary and even more so as we live longer. Of course it is all a cost issue but there's nothing like putting pressure on the system to get something done which is why sites ( and forums) such as this play such an important role - only a drop in the ocean - but we will change it, bit by little bit!!!

I was lucky too - I didn't ask for HRT until I was late peri-menopause and was given what I wanted. However our GPs have changed since we moved to this area and most of the old ones are now retired - I don't know any of the new ones apart from my own (who is not v sympathetic generally) and just hoping the lovely gynae GP doesn't retire ( I've no idea if she's done another exam but she has just specalised in women's issues - when we first moved here she was the only female GP and works two afternoons per week. You can imgaine she's in great demand!).

Hurdity x

[dazned]

Hurdity I so agree with you ,I don't expect then to know everything but I do expect them to know the basic symptoms which relate to Peri/menopause even if they do not know how to treat/help it ! Then they could direct US to someone who could ,there's no shame in admitting it isn't in their knowledge ,in fact I would respect them more!
As stated all women will go through this stage of their lives some easily and some not but it's like they have never heard of it !

What I find strange is how many of us suffer this crippling anxiety,even I admit I  din't realize it was part of peri and menopause until experience told me otherwise ! All they seem to focus on is hot flushes ! 

So sad really.

[CLKD]

What questions would we put to a GP in a Survey about Menopause?

[dazned]

Do you know what are the typical symptoms of a woman suffering a "bad" or " hard " menopause ?

[CLKD]

Do you have a dedicated Menopause Nurse and GP at the Practice?