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[pinkdove]

Hi Dennylou, I know what you mean, i am so scared of taking them as well, just research it everytime i have some spare time, what are your symptoms ?  i sweat so much, am tired all the time, aches and pains, and have never taken Hrt before, so it is all scary.x

[CLKD]

If your GP is checking with a Pharamacist, give her Credit.  At least she is asking ……… Dennylou - do you want to continue feeling ruff or do you want to ease the symptoms?  I was like that when starting ADs, scared in case the medication made me feel worse ……… but once they kicked in I realised that I had a Life again ;-).

What is the worst that could happen?

[pinkdove]

Clkd, I do give her credit, as i have said she is very nice, and usually takes time to listen, but after waiting so many weeks, with the blood pressure issues, and then she was on holiday, just feel disappointed not to have been given a script and a bit of info. 

Dennylou, OMG seems like a lot of patches, hope you pluck up the courage to start them. let me know how you get on

[Hurdity]

Hi Ladies, yes we have a pharmacy on site, and the reason she asked if i would wait till today is that she was not sure how to prescribe the progestogen, i dont think she is that clued up on Hrt, and that worries me.

I have not picked up the script yet, too busy today,but i will do tomorrow, seems like everything is going wrong for me getting on Hrt.

I need to have the prog as i still have my womb, and she did look up a book, i think i could have told her more to be honest, i was late at being called in for my appointment 20 minutes, so i think it was a case of her running late, and not having the time 

So i will pick it up tomorrow, and i will post on here exactly what it is, the dose etc, and how i am to take it in the hope that you ladies can give me some more advice 

I am shocked at your GP's  lack of knowledge - not only that - at the fact she doesn't know where to find the information which is all on this website (top light green tabs - treatments, HRT preparations). Also she could look for the SPC ( Summary of Product Characteristics) on the web: http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/15326/SPC

If you have been prescribed Evorel conti then that is a patch containing oestrogen ( estradiol) and norethisterone (which is the synthetic progestogen). That is it!!

Once you have been given it, if you haven't had extra oestrogen for several years I would start low and build up so personally I would cut the patch in half for the first few weeks and see how you go - before increasing.....

Ideally as you are over 60 it would be better to use separate oestrogen and progestogen because patches come in 25 mcg doses so you would not need to cut them - but the idea of prescribing this and separate progestogen would probably freak out your GP even more!!!

Do be prepared for some side effects as your body acclimatises to the hormones but try to ride these out and hopefully you will be feeling a lot better very soon.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

Hurdity x

[pinkdove]

Thanks Hurdity, you have gave me some great advice, but another setback, went to the pharmacy today, waited 20 mins to be told my Gp had'nt issued the script,   went to reception and was told another Gp would send it through to the pharmacy, by then i had had enough, and said i would collect it tomorrow.

Apart from the advice i have had on here, i have been told nothing really, but that is good advice about cutting the patch in half,i am scared of starting it, if im honest, but i am sick and tired of feeling like this.

She is a nice enough Gp, but seems to have no knowledge of Hrt, or indeed how to reduce my antidepressant safely, so had to ask the pharmacist about that today

Thanks again....but still waiting and suffering, especially in this heat x

[Hurdity]

For heavens sake - I despair on your behalf!!!!

Hang in there - it's cooler here in the SW today and hopefully will become so wherever you are?

Hurdity x

[Evelyn63]

Thanks Hurdity, you have gave me some great advice, but another setback, went to the pharmacy today, waited 20 mins to be told my Gp had'nt issued the script,   went to reception and was told another Gp would send it through to the pharmacy, by then i had had enough, and said i would collect it tomorrow.

Apart from the advice i have had on here, i have been told nothing really, but that is good advice about cutting the patch in half,i am scared of starting it, if im honest, but i am sick and tired of feeling like this.

She is a nice enough Gp, but seems to have no knowledge of Hrt, or indeed how to reduce my antidepressant safely, so had to ask the pharmacist about that today

Thanks again....but still waiting and suffering, especially in this heat x

Thats simply unacceptable Pinkdove, between waiting for appointment with GP in the first place, and now waiting to pick  up a seemingly non existent prescription?  You must be exhausted with all the towing and froing .  I hope its worth the wait and you get relief .

[pinkdove]

Thanks ladies, will see what tomorrow brings, i will keep you posted x

[pinkdove]

I cant believe this, just gone onto system online for my Gp surgery, to see what had been written on my patent notes.

History: came for script for HRT as per MK - not done....as post menopausal adn no hysterectomy adn wanting 'no bleed' for combined continuous   

FemSeven Conti patches (Teva UK Ltd) - 12 patch - apply weekly   

Can you believe it a totally different patch to what she told me, I am really losing the will to live. any advice please x

[CLKD]

I didn't know that UK GP notes can be accessed 

Hurdity - why should every GP have complete knowledge about everything?   They are GPs.  Some are newly qualified and still finding their way round the various routes to knowledge.  I would be interested if you can tell us how many GPs are actually aware of 'this forum'?

Reducing ADs should not be difficult.  What did the Pharmacist suggest?  I was given smaller amounts of drug that is not generally available, other than for weaning off purposes.  It took 9 weeks.

[pinkdove]

 CLKD Yes you can access your patient notes if you register online as i have. i copied and pasted the above from my notes

Reducing ad's is a very hard process especially effexor, it is extremely difficult to get off, i have stopped ad's in the past with a few side effects, but this one is really hard to get off, i did speak to the pharmacist who suggested i ask gp for normal release tabs, instead of extended release so i can cut them in half, the trouble with Gp's is that they are not that great at helping you to reduce ad's and don't seem to understand the terrible side effects you can get,  i have done a lot of research on reducing effexor, and would like to do it in a way that i will not have a relapse, or severe withdrawals.

Whether gp's are knowledgeable or not on Hrt, i feel i should have at least been prescribed the patches when she told me she would.

But i suppose mistakes happen x

Oh and it was my Gp that told me to use this forum

[Annie0710]

Considering about half the population is female I think menopause should be covered thoroughly in med school, it would save the Nhs millions, I've lost count of the different departments I've been referred to for various ailments where no obvious cause can be found, but is a menopause symptom

It would keep us working, happier and healthier

Annie x

[pinkdove]

Hi Annie, this is so true, in fact i think my symptoms initially could have been hormonal, but was put on ad's.....long story, but it is annoying. 

[Annie0710]

Hi Annie, this is so true, in fact i think my symptoms initially could have been hormonal, but was put on ad's.....long story, but it is annoying. 

It is annoying, and a shame because our hospital appointments are stretching the waiting list for other patients that aren't menopausal, I understand they have to rule potential illnesses out but if they were better educated they would spot the signs

[pinkdove]

Hi Ladies, well finally got the patches, they are femseven conti and i use 1 patch a week......question for hurdity    can i use just half a patch for the first couple of weeks, as this is my first time on Hrt, or should i just go for it ? thanks on advance