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[Daisydot]

Hi freckles can I be cheeky and ask when you went to see professor studds did it require an overnight stay as you needed blood tests done and also did he examine you internally.im very nervous of this aspect of seeing gynie.
Thank you for such great informative posts they were a huge help in my descision making bless you.x

[Salad]

*Pops in to read the question even though my name's not Freckles* 

[Daisydot]

You and 73 other popper-ins 

[Salad]

 

[Daisydot]

 :catscratch goodnight Salad and TY for being fun X

[Freckles]

Hi Daisydot
Sorry I don't always have much to time read post on MM so hence delay in replying.
No it doesn't require an overnight stay.  You get a 3 month private prescription that same day whether you have their blood tests done or not. Plenty of pharmacies within a few minutes walk that can dispense for you.  Think 3 months supply of HRT was about £70. 
Think I copied and pasted the costs and confirmation that you get a private prescription on the first visit from email from the clinic on some one else's post but can't remember whose!
I had my hormone levels done on the NHS, and took a print out of the results from my GP and they were fine with that.
It saved some money on the day, although of course you can opt for their private blood tests which are more comprehensive. They would do those that same day but I don't know when the results come back as I obviously didn't have them done.
No it didn't involve an internal examination. Studd did examine my breasts with a nurse present but only did that the very first time.
If you can't get an appointment to see Studd I would really recommend his colleague Mike Savvas, who I think works on Fridays at the clinic.   He's a really lovely man, happy to discuss treatment options with you and any concerns you may have.
Hope that helps!
Good luck! Freckles x

[Daisydot]

Hi Frekles thank you so much for taking the time to reply it's much appreciated.I have an appointment to see professor Stubbs in late December as I'm going on holiday and didn't want to disrupt things too much.my GP grudgingly chucked a Premarin script at me no advice no nothing said you know the risks come back in 6 months for update.shes vile.I was on HRT a few years ago but under my then new gps advice came off to see how I got on,huge mistake for me,it's just taken me a long time to join up all the dots as I like many others didn't relate all the nasty things that happened were due to hormone problems.
I have been on them ten days now so I'll continue on them till I see the professor I know he'll whip me back off them as he doesent like them.I will have the blood tests done and also the Dexa scan as well as I want the best possible treatment and releif I can get and yes it'll wipe out my savings but I've come to terms with that its not the first time I've had to pay for help when my gps are not doing what they should.I was actually 41 when I had my hysterectomy,ovaries intact ,we just worked it out a couple of days ago and was pretty much left to it afterwards.im quite excited about the prospect of getting back to my old self and already I feel quite positive thanks to all the great input from ladies like yourself on this forum so a million thank yous to everyone here.xx God bless.and good luck everyone.

[Freckles]

You are welcome Daisydot.
I really hope it goes well.
I too had a crap GP; 12 years old, patronising and wanted to take me off HRT and stick me on antidepressants, which I didn't want, so had little choice to see Studd. So pleased I did. Life changing for me, and I wish I'd gone to see him years before.
He will most likely put you on Oestrogel. I put my pot plants at home on my leftover Femostan 1/10 tablets and they really perked up! Unlike me!
Positively if you've had a hysterectomy you won't need the dreaded progesterone, so hopefully you will feel better on the Oestrogel.
Don't forget you'll need a follow up after three months, then it's yearly after that. You will need hormones tests for each routine visit.  Do think about getting them done on the NHS, as it will save you money especially if the NHS later prescribes your HRT, which justifies getting that done.
He'll write to your GP, detailing your prescription, so fingers crossed you get that on the NHS as I do. I can't see why not as Oestrogel is widely prescribed on the Ask for a copy of the letter for future reference.
The staff at the clinic are very nice and helpful, so any queries before or after your visit do call them
Enjoy your holiday and let us know how you get on?
Freckles x

[Daisydot]

Great advice Freckles thank you so much again I'll make sure I do as you advised.ty again xx

[Freckles]

Hi Daisydot
Unless you have relevant medical issues, do think about getting your hormones tests done on the NHS if not for the first appointment then for subsequent follow up appointments?  Saves £200-£250 each time!  Never a problem for the clinic having NHS test results.  I scan mine and save on my PC  (so I can keep track of any changes) and give them a printed copy.
Also the nearest tube is Bond Street and about ten minutes (maximum, if you are a slow plodder like me) walk away.  The clinic is on the left hand side of Wimpole Street as you walk up.  I mention that only as the building numbering on the street is bizarre  and I was (on my first visit) getting really confused with the numbering (although I did have menopausal brain fog at the time).
And well done for taking charge of your life and getting your symptoms addressed!
I say that as when I was so oestrogen deficient, I struggled so much with just basic daily living, let alone booking an appointment to see Studd and a 4 hour return train journey, so for me then it was a big deal just to do that. 
I was so low in oestrogen on the dreaded (in my experience, I hasten to add before I get flamed) Femostan1/10 that I noticed a difference in my mood within a week on Oestrogel.  I was prescribed 3 pumps day, which I am still on, due to osteopenia.  They do say you need to allow about eight weeks generally to get the full effect.
You should be proud of yourself for making the decision.  Have a fab holiday!
Freckles x

[Freckles]

Oh and if you have indoor plants at home, give then your left over Premarin tablets!
One a week per plant really perked mine up!

Freckles  x

[Daisydot]

Thank you Freckles it's a bit of a nightmare all this stuff isn't it.I would prefer to do it all one stop if you get me as I know my stress levels will go through the roof if I approach the GP as there absolutely no compassion there how the hell she's a GP I'll never know.she was in my previous practice and I made a complaint about her and left and God has she not now turned up in my new practice lol that's the way my lucks been going this last year or two,one disaster after another lol.Anyway I've every confidence this menopause clinic will sort me out I've read his website backwards and I think I'm a fairly straightforward case for him luckily for me as I know there's lots of ladies on here who are a bit more complex and don't have it so easy.Im pleased you gave me the update on the follow up stuffi didn't think of that but if I have to eat sausages in all combinations for a year to budget for this then I will lol.I can't put a price on peace of mind and quality of life.the bonus is it's coming up to xmas so family forget the pressies give me the dosh instead hahaha.thank you again and I will update after the appointment and I'm now so looking forward to my holiday when I previously dreaded it before I joined the forum and got so much info and was able to peice things together.xx

[Freckles]

Hi Daisydot

It is a nightmare!  Poor NHS services, ignorance by many GP's and NHS specialists as to effective treatments, up to date clinical evidence,  inappropriate prescriptions, denial of the horrible psychological consequences of menopausal symptoms- the list goes on.

It's so stressful and time consuming just trying to get reliable information on HRT at first as the whole subject is confusing. I really empathise with that.
Plus you get different and contradictory advice from people with their own personal history, which complicates things even further!
Mary G who posts regularly and is a patient of Studd's, was really helpful when I first began looking into seeing Studd, so huge thanks to her! I wouldn't have thought about getting my hormone tests on the NHS without her suggestion. She really is well informed about HRT for a lay person.
It's so appalling that so many women get crap advice from  their GP's and inflexibility re variation  from NHS "guidelines"- they are just that- "guidelines", not set in stone, and financially, not clinically determined, in my opinion.
Anyway, Studd is a world expert in his field, instigated the first menopause clinic in the UK, published numerous clinical articles, etc, etc.  and I think seeing him is a such positive step.
Like you, I would have survived on baked beans  for a year if it meant my quality of life was back in order to get the help I couldn't get on the NHS.  I just didn't want the last third of my life on anti-depressants when I knew it was severe  hormonal imbalances, which I subsequently discovered was the case .
Having said that, although it often been quoted on MM that seeing Studd is "very expensive"  (often by posters who have never seen his or Mike Savvas) I don't think it is, although budgets vary of course.
Last year it was £300 to see him for the first consultation, £200 for the 3 month follow up and then  £200 for the yearly follow up.  Not cheap but not hugely expensive, especially if you get your hormone tests done on the NHS. 
I'd rather forsake a holiday or stick £500 on an interest free credit card than suffer indeterminably without the right treatment.  But that's just me. 
Some folk prefer to adhere to an NHS practitioner, whether or not they also do private work or not.  Just not possible for me locally.
Daisydot sometimes it's the value of something rather than the cost that matters.
So hope you get positive results when you see Studd.
Good luck and PM me if I can help further.
More importantly enjoy your holiday and be proud you have taken positive actions  for your health, physically and mentally.
Takes a lot of effort sometimes to take care of yourself in the right way!
Freckles x

[Daisydot]

It's thanks to doctors like doctor Currie who enabled this forum via her website that we have the joy of being able to communicate and help each other with our own life experiences and wether we all agree or not is besides the point the world would be a very boring place indeed if we all thought the same and didn't have differing opinions.
In my younger days private medicine was regarded as queue jumping where I came from but times change and needs dictate and I'll save,scrounge or borrow for anyone I know in order to get the best medical care I can especially if the system is not supporting me or mines.I needed a scan urgently last year and it was a three week wait I had it done the next day with results in my hand for £89 locally.its a no brainer for me.the amount of stress and worry that saved for me was immesurable.bonus was I got the all clear.xx

[Freckles]

MM is a great resource!  I sometimes wonder how we would have managed (if we could have?!) without internet information. 
Like you say times have changed. The NHS is under strain, and not always fit for purpose, depending on the area you are in.
It is about prioritising your health needs when it's needed, and that may need getting private health care sometimes.
All about choices I guess and what works for a person.