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[Annie0710]

I have to pay for my inhalers and the spacer to use them, and for my epipen

Is the bcp still free ?

Annie xx

[Hurdity]

Hurdity - It seems a bit patronising to criticise a GP or (anybody else really) for not understanding natural selection or genetics.

Oh - I've just caught up with this thread. I must say I am offended by that personal remark - which is totally unfair  . Not sure why you have picked on me as you will see from this thread that many of us do criticise our GPs, and precisely for the reason that they are the medical professionals who we go to see to help us, diagnose us and prescribe medication for us as appropriate, and who have studied biology and medicine to a high level and should know what they are talking about.  Therefore it is their responsibility to inform and not to mislead. OK in this case it wasn't serious - and I know some GPs for example prescribe the wrong HRT - which is a more serious error, but they are not beyond criticism!  I do not see that as patronising in mine nor anyone else's post. As for " or (anybody else really) - well that was unnecessary as I was clearly criticising the GP for stating something as fact to a patient that is wrong. I would not dream of saying that for example to anyone on here and I hope that is apparent from my posts as I try to be as helpful as possible without criticim, as most of us do. Negative personal remarks like this can be quite upsetting.

There were two aspects being discussed - the evolution (or genetics) of menopause and whether it is "natural" and the consequences and undesirability of being oestrogen deficient. Fortunately no-one posting on the thread disagrees that being oestrogen deficient in menopause has detrimental health consequences in many cases, and that the length of time we are in it is far longer now than it ever has been. Also that there needs to be more understanding by GPs, in this and other overlapping hormonal issues that become apparent in women at middle age and beyond - ie thyroid hormone, testosterone, and to a lesser extent insulin - as well as the various chronic fatigue conditions and syndromes that I'm sure in many cases are due to our hormone deficiencies and inefficiencies of some of our endocrine organs as we age.

Taz - interesting link there - which I skimmed through quickly! I might have mentioned the nurturing bit (or at least intended to!) which is what I am inclined to go with but I see that is also just another theory (it never can really be tested in humans).

GypsyRoseLee - we've gone off on a tangent here! Have we? However it's great to be able to discuss it and hope you are in a better place in your cycle moodwise at the moment?

Hurdity x

[Limpy]

Hurdity - It seems a bit patronising to criticise a GP or (anybody else really) for not understanding natural selection or genetics.

Oh - I've just caught up with this thread. I must say I am offended by that personal remark - which is totally unfair 

Hurdity - I am sorry to have offended you, it really wasn't meant to be personal.
I just felt your comment "not understanding natural selection or genetics" seemed quite sweeping.

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hi Hurdity

Yes my mood is still excellent thank you. I am, very tentatively, hoping HRT is finally managing to wrestle my own hormones into submission.

I have really enjoyed everyone's opinions. I think the GP I spoke to was just frustrated at the general consensus about menopause being something you just have to accept meekly. I think she was railing at the ignorance of people who don't realise what a devastating condition it can be both physically and mentally.

I do know that my hormones put me in such a dark place that I could finally understand why people take their own life because everyday life is just too frightening and wretched.

[Sarai]

Sorry to mention religion but the bible expects us to live for 3 score years and ten, so 70 years. If we weren't meant to have menopause our bodies would do something different as bodies are very clever.

[GypsyRoseLee]

Well the Bible says a lot of stuff that doesn't bear close scrutiny.

History has shown that the vast majority of women didn't live longer than their 40s. Our bodies aren't clever as such. They have just evolved this way, and it's a pretty successful machine we have ended up with. But it's a machine that really needs oestrogen to function at its optimum level.

[Sarai]

Old grave yards will show that people have always lived to all ages. Poor sanitation and lack of evolution in medicine made for many peoples demise.
My grandma born in the 1890's lived to 90 and had 8 children. 3 of her daughters lived into late 90's.

[GypsyRoseLee]

If 40s is just the average age then obviously there were women older than that and also women who were younger. That's why 40s was the average age.

My great grandmother lived to 93. But she was very much the exception for her generation. She had 4 siblings who died in infancy.

[CLKD]

As a complete aside: does anyone like visiting Graveyards whilst on holiday?  Mum and I often pop in to see what the local history is likely to have been, her Dad was a Grave-digger and general tidy-upperer of the local Church.  Sadly lots of headstones are worn so details are not legible but I expect that there is a grid/plan kept which would explain what was happening at that time in history.

So pleased that you are 'up' GRL  :for you: long may it continue!  When you next see that GP tell her we would like a menopause conference - held maybe in a Thornton's cafe 

[Briony]

I have to pay for my inhalers and the spacer to use them, and for my epipen

Is the bcp still free ?

Annie xx

Yep, I certainly get Qlaira free - even though I am taking it as hrt rather than for contraceptive reasons. Was pleasantly surprised. I always felt aggrieved that I had to pay double for separate oestrogen and progesterone.  (And don't get me started on the vat on sanitary products issue ....) . If men had ovaries, you can bet we wouldn't suffer half as much as we presently do!

[Annie0710]

I have to pay for my inhalers and the spacer to use them, and for my epipen

Is the bcp still free ?

Annie xx

Yep, I certainly get Qlaira free - even though I am taking it as hrt rather than for contraceptive reasons. Was pleasantly surprised. I always felt aggrieved that I had to pay double for separate oestrogen and progesterone.  (And don't get me started on the vat on sanitary products issue ....) . If men had ovaries, you can bet we wouldn't suffer half as much as we presently do!

I went on my hysterectomy forum for the first time in 3 years the other day, sadly it's like a ghost town but reading old threads many are on the bcp which really surprised me as it contains progesterone which I'm constantly told womb less women shouldn't have

What symptoms did you have that the pill has helped with ? I'm worried about more hair loss if I switch

Annie xx

[Nemesis]

Very interesting posts with lots of interesting comments and opinions.

 I've got a current worry about all the modern medical science and the quest for longevity. It's probably a reflection of how I am feeling at the moment and is a bit negative.

I'm worried that science is creating longevity in people but without much help for chronic medical conditions, so rather than say the last 10 years from 70 to 80 having poor quality of life it could now be 20 years from 70 to 90. I know this won't be the case for all of course.

I've have two elderly relatives suffering and I'm getting to the stage where I'm finding all the Alzheimer's awareness adverts -and LIving with Cancer, on TV draining.

Re HRT I'm still wearing my patch for good or ill at the ripe old age of 59, as still thinking it's doing more good than harm. Have thought about halving it though recently

[Winterose]

What i would like to know is why some women suffer more than others? Do the non sufferers have more oestrogen or are  their oestrogen receptors  not so sensitive ?  Some of my friends have no symptoms at all and others very mild ones , some had a few months of monstrous sweats that just suddenly stopped so why are they different?  Even if I  cut a tiny bit off my patch i notice the difference after a week , luckily my GP is of opinion its essential as we age .

[babyjane]

I was talking about this with my husband only last night. 

I had 2 grandmothers, one died at 93 and the other at 94.  Both had lovely hair and skin and HRt had not been thought of or heard of in their generation.  they probably didn't even know menopause existed.  My mother died aged 81 and had a hysterectomy at 38 with no HRT afterwards.  She also had beautiful skin.  My mother in law was not so lucky and lived until 88 but had bad osteoporosis.  However it has since been discovered that there is a genetic factor as my husband, both his brothers and our eldest son all have osteoporosis without a hormonal link.

My point?  It is my opinion that HRT can be very helpful but is not the be all and end all nor is it always a cure all.  Each of us must decide based on our own needs.

And yes, CLKD, both my husband and I like visiting graveyards 

[Nemesis]

Don't feel that you should take HRT it's a personal decision. I have a friend whose Mum was on it at the time of the big scare in 2001 and got breast cancer at the same time. As you can imagine she is anti HRT, and can't imagine why anyone would take it. However bad their meno is.What happens in our lives shapes our thoughts.

I've read this forum for some time and it seems to be unique in that it's a place women who take HRT feel safe and they can talk about it. It's one of the reasons I've used it.

Many forums are anti, this is one were you read positives on HRT so it's natural users bond together, it's somewhere they can discuss HRT things without being pressured, but that might give a skewed view to someone who doesn't take it.

I think there are lots of genetics involved in longevity, and how people's bodies and bones hold up over time, as you have demonstrated in your post.