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[Postmeno3]

Hi. I'm noticing that so many of you ladies seem to be having to use a lot of experimentation and guesswork with the dosages of HRT you apply and even kind of steering the medics towards what form you need. Is this how it works? Is it that the medics leave it to you, to your intuition almost? Do you feel this is ok, both from your own and their position? "Trial and error" is used a lot as you write and I worry about the sort of randomness of that and if it prolongs what is already difficult?

[CLKD]

Morning.  If you think that no medication is streamlined to 1 persons' requirements: it would be expensive for the Drugs Companies in the 1st instance: sometimes we need to take control.  Which is where the diary might be of use.

If I think about how I use 'nurofen' - background headache, 1 tablet usually does it.  If it continues another 1 swallowed within the hour, then 2 3 hours later.  Same with my VA treatment, regularly with top ups and 'nurofen' when necessary.

With my ADs I jog along with 10mg at night and 5mg at breakfast, if depression lurks I up the breakfast amount to 10mg and if that doesn't help [it always has done], I would be off for a chat with my supportive GP.

[Gilla999]

In my own experience this has been because the vast majority of doctors I have seen have been severely lacking in knowledge on all things to do with the menopause - including one so-called specialist. I finally managed to talk to someone (trained by Marion Gluck) whose knowledge and approach I was very impressed with and that was much more a case of me asking questions and her advising - and I felt totally comfortable going with her advice.

Having said that, I would say that in medicine in general these days (in my experience) there seems to be much more of an approach of "what would you like to do?". I have found this to particularly be the case with Psychiatrists I have seen over the last couple of years (for what I now know was perimenopause!).

[sheila99]

It's going to be trial and error anyway. What suits one person doesn't suit another and there's no way of knowing without trying it. Many GPs will have a 'go to' hrt to start, mine is evorel. Only changed to something else if there are problems. I'm not sure if dose could be worked out if levels were tested but I suspect not. In peri levels fluctuate so much it isn't helpful but also it seems that people are symptom free at different levels. It's appalling how many GPs are completely clueless but sometimes it helps. I got gel/utro from an ignoramus when the 'expert' was on holiday, I'm sure I wouldn't have got it from her.