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[Kate50]

Can't bloody wait up and down on this oestrogen malarkey nothing seems to work properly. Going on Thursday DH coming with me and think we may visit Harry Selfridge for tea!

[Hurdity]

Good luck Kate50 - let us know how you get on and enjoy your trip too.

I'm sure there was a reply here yesterday but seems to have gone so didn't want you ro think you were Billy No Mates ( to coin someone else's phrase  !)

Hurdity  x

[Winterose]

Yes let us know what he says and get as much info out of him as possible ( and then you can share it with us too ) think wed all like to visit him!

Make up a list of questions before you go in 

[vickypk]

I saw Prof Studd 2 years ago.  Very expensive, over a £1000, for 2 visits plus blood tests and prescription charges.  I didn't mind paying as I thought as a one off and if it worked would be worth it.  I am post menopausal and the prescription I was given to try was Oestrogel 2 pumps per day, Utrogestan 7 days each month which would give a bleed for a few days and Testim.  I tried this regime for 3 months but it didn't work for me, just felt worse, but it does work for most people.  I left it for a couple of years as I thought that was it and I would just have to suffer all these horrible symptoms of the menopause.  I went to my GP and asked to try a patch and that has worked fine for me. 

[Kate50]

Hi
Went to see him yesterday and had bloods done bf I went to save on costs and said didn't need a bone scan cos gp said low risk but had to have one due to amount of oestrogel to be used which I think was not necessary! !  So that was £250 extra plus 3 months prescription @£75 suppose I could have just pushed for a month supply but didn't want to risk problems getting it at home.  I'm hoping it will work for me as all the other stuff wasn't and I found out what my instincts had been telling me all along that I wasn't getting enough.  Gotta do the 2 pumps 7 days utrogest and testosterone  regime which sounds pretty standard.  My thoughts were he didn't listen enough but at the same time I thought well he does it all the time maybe he's heard the same story a million times over but after gps being like that its a bit annoying.  He has obviously discovered a formula that works for a lot of women and I was pleased he didn't say well your on the border line and just said you need a lot more!  Wasnt impressed with the internal I would have preferred a thorough one. His bed side manner is eccentric but I just gave back! I questioned over getting testosterone which sounds it may be tricky but the chemist where got prescription said they can fetch script from him I pay over phone they take back to him and they post out. You can get it online but he didn't seem keen to let you have a script?  If it works for me I won't care about the cost!  I did leave feeling sad though that I have had to pay out to get this and still am uncertain about ongoing costs cos there is a 3 month check up and quite frankly without a full internal I could do it over the phone.  But I also felt sad that in this day and age women are still fighting for themselves and still not being taken seriously and cross with gps who treat you with contempt.  Hurdity you mentioned a scan?  I would like to say at this point us women should have more faith in our instincts and also realise you may never come off HRT! In an ageing population I can see that we may be finally listened to cos I do think if the NHS want to cut costs they need to get more women on good HRT it will save them a fortune.  I feel like setting up a fund to help women get quicker consultations with good  gynecologist a yearly/monthly small subscription maybe?
Anyway enough rambling you get on ok with yours don't you Hurdity? 

[vickypk]

Hello Kate50
Glad all went well with your consultation.  I know it is expensive seeing Prof Studd but if it works then it's worth it.  That HRT didn't work for me, but it does for most.  Think it is the best.  As I said in my other post I use the patch now and feel good on that.  I know different things work for different people.
Best wishes
Vickypk

[Hurdity]

Hi Kate thanks for the report on your visit and hope the HRT regime works for you.

Not sure what you meant by your question? Do you mean I get on with my HRT OK or consultant? Anyway whichever - I get on fine with my HRT and I only visited the consultant ( Dr Annie Evans - she is lovely and listens!) to get Testosterone (last May) and I still haven't run out yet - and hoping to get it from my GP. All my other HRT ie oestrogen patches, Utrogestan, vagifem and estriol cream are from NHS GP. I am confident I could have had estrogel if I asked for it too.

Let us know how you get on anyway. I presume Prof Studd writes to your GP as part of the consultation? If so, and the HRT works OK, you should be able to use this letter to get prescribed on the NHS - except for testosterone - but you could also try with this due to the NICE Guidelines? One box will last a long time if you just use a pea sized blob every day

Hurdity x

[Kate50]

Hi Vicky and Hurdity
I started on patches and then they just stopped working and the pills give me headaches.  Yes do you get on ok with your regime and sounds like you do.  You mentioned scans?

[Pollie]

Went to see him yesterday and had bloods done bf I went to save on costs and said didn't need a bone scan cos gp said low risk but had to have one due to amount of oestrogel to be used which I think was not necessary

Kate - this reads as though you are saying you had to have bone scan because of the amount of oestrogen to be used ...

Is this what you mean or am I misunderstanding it -  ?

Pollie

[vickypk]

Hi Kate50
When I went to see Prof Studd I didn't have a bone scan, he never mentioned it to me. 

I wonder whether I can get testosterone from my GP, I still have some from 2 years ago, but dated 2015.  Prof Studd did prescribe it for me.  I will ask my GP as I need a check-up soon re the patches.

Best wishes

[Kate50]

Yes pollie he did say that which made me annoyed cos thought it was a bit of a con and told him doc said I was low risk that's why they didn't do one.  Maybe and that's a big maybe he was seeing other symptoms cos my bloods showed been in menopause a few years andthe oestrogen hadn't been working. Could have been a cash thing sorry to say. My bones are amazing though!  I'm not hopeful of getting testosterone from my GP vickypk .

[lancashirelass]

I enquired about seeing studd a few years ago.  They didnt seem keen to let me have bloods done via gp and also hisnoffice didnt impress me.  Ive had very similar feedback that he doesnt like his regimes questioned.  If i had to travel to london i would rather see nick panay he seems more flexible

[orchid]

I saw prof Stud about five years ago, he gave me the bone scan free as I said I wasn't prepared for the cost and would do without it! Regime worked well but made my migraines worse. With recent depression I started it again last week, but headaches are back, of which I'd had none for ten month. Gona have to stop again...also BP up! I'm 57 and postmenopausal. My flushes and everything had settled, but they're back since this recent bout of depression....I can't win!

[Hurdity]

I wonder whether I can get testosterone from my GP, I still have some from 2 years ago, but dated 2015.  Prof Studd did prescribe it for me.  I will ask my GP as I need a check-up soon re the patches.

Best wishes

Why not restart the T you have left over? It's not going to go off in that time - it's like food in tins or jars. They put a date on and it's not going to be OK to use up to that date and then suddenly not! Even if it wasn't OK it would just mean it would be less effective - and certainly can't do you any harm - but it's sealed so will be fine.

All my Utrogestan is dated Jan 2015 and still works fine as I would expect it to. No-one should bin any of their HRT because it's out of date - what a waste! The only time I would be cautious (and probably unnecessarily) is if a medication was absolutely essential for my health eg insulin if I was diabetic etc.

I would be interested to hear if you can manage to get some from your GP eventually though - well we all would!

Hurdity x

[vickypk]

Hello Hurdity
Thank you for your reply.  It is very helpful.  I have been using the testosterone now and again, but because of the date I wasn't sure.  Glad I never threw it away.  Feel better about using it now.  I have still luckily have a few tubes.

I will let you know when I go to my GP if she prescribes the Testim. 

I have found this site so helpful.  I don't feel so alone with it all.  Even with the VA, which I suffered from badly for years, I used to think I was the only one going through all that burning pain every day. 

Vickypk x