Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Meeka]

I see Prof Studd once a year just to check everything is ok.   He always wants blood tests and in the past I have written a short letter to my GP requesting them and he has always done these for me to take to Prof Studd.   My GP has now merged with another practice and this time I have asked for the blood tests and they have been refused.   The receptionist says that the GP has said they will not be accurate because I take HRT and so the reading will not be a true reading??

I explained to the receptionist that my Gyne needs to check I am on the correct dose of oestrogen but she says I must book to see the a GP and discuss it further with them.   Does anyone else have this problem with a GP?  I will have to pay extra for the blood tests if Prof Studd does them......I think its quite expensive. 

[Maryjane]

If the GP won't do it , there is a very good company on line where it can be arranged £89.00 for a HRT test , plus £20.00 to have blood taken from a local private hospital in your area , or via finger prick then it's the £89.00.

If GP refuses maybe cheaper than Prof Studd ?

[CLKD]

Ring Prof Studd and check that it is required  ? 

[Mary G]

Meeka, that sounds like pretty poor service, I would have thought it was blindingly obvious that you need blood tests from time to time to ensure that your HRT regime is working properly and that you are getting the right amount of hormones into your system.  Doesn't this surgery offer this service to their patients on HRT?

You could complain to the Practice Manager stating your case or perhaps try the place that Maryjane recommended because it is probably cheaper than Professor Studd's tests.  Alternatively, as CLKD said, you could ring Professor Studd's office and double check what is needed and tell his secretary that your GP has refused the blood tests.  I wonder if he/his secretary might phone your surgery?  It has to be worth a try.

[Charlotte ...]

I'm also with Prof Studd, my GP wouldn't do all of the tests, too expensive, but he has done most of the important ones, give them a call and find out what the most important ones are.

[Taz2]

Meeka, that sounds like pretty poor service, I would have thought it was blindingly obvious that you need blood tests from time to time to ensure that your HRT regime is working properly and that you are getting the right amount of hormones into your system.  Doesn't this surgery offer this service to their patients on HRT?

You could complain to the Practice Manager stating your case or perhaps try the place that Maryjane recommended because it is probably cheaper than Professor Studd's tests.  Alternatively, as CLKD said, you could ring Professor Studd's office and double check what is needed and tell his secretary that your GP has refused the blood tests.  I wonder if he/his secretary might phone your surgery?  It has to be worth a try.

I've never been given a blood test to check my hormone levels while on HRT. I didn't realise that this was supposed to happen 

Taz x

[Annie0710]

I've been on hrt since I was 32 and only had hormone bloods done since peri at 45, it helps to know where you're at and showed when I became post meno as I had no periods to go by


X

[Tinkerbell]

Me neither Taz.

[Hurdity]

Hi Taz - you're right - it's not supposed to happen! Me neither. They are not necessary! Docs should go on symptoms usually. I think according to Dr Currie (can't remember where I read this) they can be useful for women who have had hysterectomy with ovary removal and for women who have had implants but otherwise - not needed.  If you are not on ADs then the first indication that levels are low would be a return of flushes and sweats and perhaps anxiety. If symptoms return then the option is to increase oestrogen.  However a private gynae may well want to look into everything at greater depth and of course charge for all of this too 

I can see the point of doing them if you are on a very high dose of oestrogen to check whether your levels are too high - that would be the only reason to do them once.

Meeka if you are feeling OK then you are on the correct dose. If your dose and symptoms haven't changed since last review - then should be OK

Hurdity x

[Mary G]

The blood tests are a very good way of finding out how well your are absorbing your HRT and it is useful to know what level of oestrogen you need to reach in order to fire on all cylinders.  It is also good to know how oestrogen interacts with other things like thyroid function and cholesterol.  For example, when I was using oral HRT/patches, I didn't feel anything like as good as I should and looking back at my blood test results, I can see that my oestrogen levels were way too low and my thyroid function (all of them) and cholesterol levels were not as good as they are now on a higher level of oestrogen. 

If you are using testosterone, again, it is good to know that you are taking the right amount and seeing how well you absorb it. 

I guess this is why Professor Studd wants his patients to have them. 

[Tinkerbell]

I guess it is down to cost with the NHS.

[CLKD]

What did you decide to do? 

I don't think that GPs are required to do any tests if a Patient has decided to go privately.

[Dana]

I've only had one lot of hormone blood tests done and that was about 6 years ago. My doctor has no interest in testing them again, and just says "it's not going to show us anything we don't already know". Most doctors seem to adopt that approach and just go by symptoms to work out if the hrt dose is right. This is probably why your GP isn't interested in doing them. If you're feeling fine on your current routine, and nothing has drastically changed for you, or you don't have any other health issues he needs to check on, I don't really understand why Prof Studd would need them.

[Dawncam]

Hi Meeka - I'm the same as you, studd patient and not absorbing gel well so I asked for blood test at GP. Also wanted thyroid tested as some symptoms were similar to low E. GP refused as I didn't have enough symptoms. I've since had a phone consult with Studd and he's sent a letter requesting bloods so hopefully I'll get them done now.

Obviously cost implications but I think some GPs are also fed up with Meno women but quite happy to prescribe and do blood tests for other patients who have 'a cold'!

You could ask Studd's secretary to send an email requesting bloods. His are very expensive.

Good luck.

Dxx

[Meeka]

Thanks for all the replies......It helped me to decide what I was going to say to the GP and a plan if she wasn't willing to help.

It was a young woman GP and she listened while I explained why I was asking for the bloods.

I explained that my gynea likes to have blood tests as he likes to monitor how well I am absorbing the gels and that he likes the level of oestrogen to be around 800-1000 range.  I explained that on my last visit to him a year ago my oestrogen level was around 300 and when the Dexa scan was done it showed that my right hip had moved from osteopenic to osteoporosis range.   I explained that Mr Studd said I needed to get my oestrogen levels up higher to stop the osteoporosis from progressing.   

The GP agreed to do the bloods for oestrogen and testosterone .   I didn't need the other blood tests as I had them around 5 months ago for something else so she just did me a print off of those so I could take them to show prof studd.

When I saw Prof Studd 12 months ago my oestrogen level was 300.....I felt fine and was having no symptoms like flushing or sweats.   Prof Studd said that although the level of 300 was preventing these symptoms it was not enough to protect my bones so he wanted me to up the dose to 3-4 pumps daily.  He also said testosterone for the bones.

Thanks again for the help and suggestions.