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[Ladybt28]

Its a problem here in NI, Stellajane with our meno clinic.  I had one visit and 2 telephone consults and no physical follow up at all and no scan or testing.  I was discharged the same way despite my GP writing to say she thought I should be seen again.  Its the politics here, collapse of assembly for 3 years has screwed our NHS beyond ridiculous.  Our waiting list for ordinary "non-urgent" neurology ("non-urgent" = where they think there may be a problem but aren't sure, they are not really worried but should check just be safe) = 252 weeks!!!  Same for orthopaedics.
Yep...you did read that right!!!
I think the meno clinic are working on the assumption that if no one reports a problem in the 6 months after the visit - their GP can handle it!

I'd be with Stellajane, Kaz - ask your GP for Utrogestan to swallow instead of Provera and keep going xx

[Karen max]

Hi ladybt
I spoke to doctor on phone yesterday afternoon he said he wouldn't change me from provera as that's what the menopause clinic put he on and they know more than him ?? I'm sure they do as he knows very little in my opinion!!
I've got over this months lot of provera so nit taking it again until March so fingers crossed I will start to feel better as the bleed has now been and gone too
Plus I got my other pack if gel from chemist which I was pleased about ..

If I could only get this daft foggy feeling away from my head but it's relentless, I feel I can't remember or recall nothing 😡
I'm leaving little notes to myself all over house to remind me of things I need to do .

Holy moly I feel 92 instead of 52

Kaz x

[Ladybt28]

hey Kaz, don't  they just drive you mad!!  You can't go back to the clinic because they discharged you and the gp won't change what is wrong because the clinic  won't say so!!!!    Are they all dim or WHAT!!!  I would have ripped his head off and asked him if he was a man or a mouse and how about he phone the clinic up and ASK FOR ADVICE FOR HIS PATIENT!

Sorry for the rant on your behalf but this kind of behaviour really sends me off the deep end! 

Just wanted to say that my fogginess went with the introduction of testosterone and so did much of my lethargy, but you wont have much hope of getting that if the idiot GP cant even sort our the right progesterone.  Why don't you consider writing to Dr Currie explaining the discharge and the problems with the Provera and ask if she can write recommending the change to some Utrogestan and "could I have some testosterone while you are at it please"!  You have no idea how long you are still going to have to wait for the op whilst our idiot Assembly sort out the problems of the last 3 years.  Much love x

[Karen max]

Ladybt
It is really getting worse with GP,s
Why the bell isn't one GP trained up in menopause? We gave 6 different GP,s at our surgery yet nit one of them have a clue !! 😡

I could go private here to Ulster independent clinic which I already have done regarding prolapse , as NHS thought it was fine to leave me walking around with really bad bowel and bladder prolapse.

I hoping now we have Stormont up and running again maybe we will get back to normal in our NHS, as it's shattered at minute 😡

What way does it work to mail Pro Studd ? Plus would my own GP listen if I done so ? Regarding changing the provera, when I asked before they told me provera was the only one I could use ??

I could not argue against him as I'm clueless myself regarding hrt but if I'd a few names of different hrt that does the same job as provera does I'd make appointment with GP and go hit him with few of the names


Kaz x

[Ladybt28]

There is only a mirina coil which you cant have or Provera or Utrogestan as stand alone progesterone.  You have had Provera so the only one left to prescribe is Utrogestan and he is talking out of his back side if he says you cant have it.  He probably couldn't find it in his book.  Utrogestan is trade name, it is micronized progesterone and is listed under the NICE guidelines.

I didn't say Professor Studd, who is in London and you would have to see and pay him privately which is too far away and too expensive.  I suggested you write to Dr Heather Currie who is the meno consultant who operates this forum.  She has an email service which costs ?30.  You provide details of the problem you are facing and in your case what you need to happen eg "direct your GP to prescribe Utrogestan instead of Provera" and why and she emails back an answer or her opinion.  Your GP wants a consultant to give him the say so, what I am suggesting is... Dr Currie is Specialist Meno Consultant (she actually practices in Dumfries and Galloway) and she could give her say so!

Its much cheaper than ?150 to pay for a consult at the with Joanne McManus who is the meno specialist here in Belfast who runs private practice and the clinic at the Mater.

Oh and you are not clueless, far from it- he probably doesn't like that you know more than him!! x

[warwick01]

Hi Karen,

I have had lots of issues re my HRT especially the progesterone. For me I take 5mcg of Northisterone 6/7 days every other month . This gives me a really good bleed. I do have annual scans.

I was initially using 4 pumps of Oestrogel but as time went on I was suffering additional sweats, feeling wired and anxiety aprox 2 hours after application so I am currently using one pump morning and one pump evening. Seems better although I do get occasional blips.

Wx

 

[Karen max]

Ladybt
I am definitely thinking of stopping it as I was adding up today the plus signs for I started it abd really all it's doing is stopping the flushes as my breasts are sore 24/7 plus awful itch , some days I do have hot flushes others days I don't , my mood isn't great still cry at drop of a hat , ect ect so really looking at wider picture all it's helping is hot flushes plus I definitely didn't have this mushy head feeling before hrt
So was thinking of cutting down to one pump of gel in morning abd one at night see how I go on that , then drop to one pump per day then if it
 Hi Warwick I understand it takes a while for to get right hrt but I guven it well over 6 yrs on many different hrt so I'm thinking as I'm post neno just over 6 yrs could I push on with out hrt , holy moly bloody menopause is worse thing ever !!

I'm so so confused about hrt and the mire I read about it the more confused it makes me tho anything confuses me now 😂 This fatigue is worse abd it's really getting to me now as everything I do I've to force myself to do it !!!


Kaz xx

[Ladybt28]

hey Kaz  I would swear on my life its not the gel and cutting it won't help, in fact you may need to up it rather than cut it.  I am more likely to swear on my life that it is the Provera!  Not that me "swearing on my life" is any help to you.  I was prescribed 2  pumps to start and then was told to up it to 4.  When I started with the 2 some of my symptoms got worse for a while and then they started to vanish on the 4.  All my troubles are around progesterone.  As I said there are only 3 to use when you are doing each bit separately.  A mirina which is continuous because it is a coil and I couldn't do continuous...Provera to swallow either continuous or on a cycle and Utrogestan..to swallow or use vaginlly continuously or on a cycle.  I cant do continuous, have to cycle and Provera...well I managed 6 weeks!  Utrogestan, no problems really.  Once I got 7 months in all symptoms are foggy head and lethargy gone.  Those two fixed with testosterone. 

Thing is it's so weird how differently we react.  Like I say I swear blind your problems are due to the Provera. x

[Jari]

Karen max, just read your posts and had to reply.
I would say, go for it!! I did and didn't look back.
In my opinion, hrt just masks what your body is trying to do.. and I really feel it just drags out the menopause, whilst giving all sorts of terrible side effects. ( in my case anyway)

If you're also having trouble with it, I'd definitely say drop it. I'm sure you?ll be glad you did. Your body is clearly not happy with it. X

[Karen max]

Hi jari

I was thinking along the same lines as you as I say the only thing it's helping is the hit flushes but it's giving me loads of side effects , they get if you find right hrt then you know after a few months as your feeling more like your old self , I'm on this hrt 10 months abd I definitely don't feel like my old self !!

Can I ask you did you just stop yours or did you taper yourself of it ?
Were you on it longer than 10 months ?

I dread stopping it and getting hit with withdrawals honestly think that's why I'm putting of stopping it

I'm over 6 yrs post menopause so I'm thinking maybe would I feel better using nothing

Holy moly it's a hard decision but I think I'm going go for it

Kaz xx

[Karen max]

I'm using 4 pumps per day so do yous think it could be that I need it upped ?
When I started the gel I felt better for months but lately I'm just constantly feeling drained and definitely no motivation for anything
It's effort for me to hoover the floor , before this meno crap I'd be up housework done by 9 am now I'm trailing myself around the house to do anything
Surly if it was provera my breast would ease up after I stopped them ? The soreness does ease once I've stopped provera ?
The itch is relentless none stop so surly that's the gel ?

Kaz x

[Karen max]

Birdy
Yes I had a lot of blood tests done thyroid was one and they said it was fine , what ever FINE is in their books !!
My GP isn't good at all about menopause he's about 30 yrs old and looks at me as if I've lost my mind when I tell him how I'm feeling .
Il have a look into getting more tests done private but I'm honestly not sure where here in Northern Ireland does them
I'd need to go private clinic I'd say to have tests carried out ..
my mushy head is now staying even when I've stopped provera , abd it's driving me crazy as it almost as if I can't remember anything at all
No my weight is fine and I keep to healthy diet
I can't do much exercise as I've arthritis from I was 16 yrs old so a long time and it's getting worse older I get plus think meno is adding pain too joints ect

Kaz xx

[Jari]

Hi Kaz, I only took the gel hrt, 2 pumps a day for two months. It did stop the hot flushes but I became incredibly anxious and was gasping for breath. I had already reduced the pump to one a day when I saw doc who told me to stop immediately. I did and the anxiety and breathing problems went. Hot flushes came back, but since then they have got less and less. One or two a day now, but they?re not intense and I can cope with them.

If your gut feeling is to stop, I'd go for it!! Maybe reduce the pump by half over a couple of months and slowly taper off, but you could always ask your gp the best way forward?! X

[Karen max]

Hi
Yes am confused what to do to be honest but as said above I can always go back into it if I'm finding it too much with out hrt !
My GP can't advise me what to do as he hasn't a clue himself!!
I honestly don't think it's thyroid related as I didn't feel like this until I started hrt
My head is that mushy I can't even bloody think straight!!

Kaz xx

[Karen max]

Birdy
Did this just show up when you started hrt ? ( brain fog ) I mean
I suffer fibromyalgia so I'd have brain fog due to fibromyalgia but from taking hrt this has sent it to new whole level , it's that bad I can't remember what I done this morning , I honestly thought st one point I'd dementia!!
Plus this lifeless feeling is unreal and it's definitely not like the fibromyalgia weakness I get , I can tell the difference between the 2
Today I've used my 2 pumps this morning abd il use 2 more tonight and when my heads clears from this daft awful feeling I will then think of my next move ,

Honestly I'm 52 yrs old abd I feel 92 bloody hell this menopause is just awful for us

Kaz xx