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[Tulip]

Hi! It's been some time since I posted, and I would like your opinions/advice please.
I've been on HRT for about 3 years or so (patches & pessaries), my GPs are totally clueless about meno so once or twice a year I get to see a consultant - who doesn't listen to me, and clearly feels she'd like to get me out the door as fast as possible - I can't win, I have nowhere else to turn.
The HRT has improved my lubrication and stopped most of the many daily flushes, but that's it. At first I got my boobs back, but had to change patches 2 years ago and they deflated, never to return.
I've asked for testosterone as I'd really like to have a libido again - any sign of that would be nice! But I'm so scared that I might have even thinner hair and/or acne. The doc said I should go from 75mcg to 100mcg patches before starting testosterone. I'd love to hear people's experiences (58, all bits intact).
I also asked for a new pill called Veola for the night sweats and excessive permanent sweating, which only started when I was changed to gel oestradiol last year, and she just said she hadn't heard of it. Has anyone tried that yet?
I'm so fed up of being fobbed off with comments like, 'try ADs again, it might not be menopause that's making you feel depressed/unmotivated/anxious/generally mental.' I wish I could go private but I can't work atm, nor claim any benefits, so it's out of the question.
This forum, and you ladies, have been the best education to me, and it's just so wrong how we get treated, usually by women who haven't gone through any of the meno journey themselves, so can't possibly fully empathise.

[orrla]

The problem is that they do not know! There were not enough studies, and even women themselves are undecided. It helps but not quite sure in what.
Also, as usually in capitalism, production needs to be planned, hence, from my observation, women are sort of standardised. There are Nhs guidances and most drs will stick to them rather than spend time listening to you. My gp has 10 min for me now!

I, myself, started hrt at 45, so pretty early, but now face a problem of no one really sure how to deal with me at 69. My hrt was cut in half 6 years,ago and I have issue by issue showing up now. Only today I was at A&E just to have my blood pressure checked and be told that because I could say whole sentence it meant I am all right.. The fact that I wait over 5 months with possibly a tumour in my face and difficulties caused by it swelling did not count. Go back to your gp, I was told.

It's frightening, but this is how it works now.

[chopsuey]

Hi Tulip

Sorry to hear you are having such a rough time. I was prescribed testosterone by my (private) specialist a couple of years ago, after still having brain fog and low energy despite having Oestrogel, which did help with the other symptoms. The testosterone certainly does help with that and libido too and I've not had any side effects from it. I had to wait until my oestradiol levels were at a high enough level to control my other symptoms, which for me meant 4 pumps of Oestrogel but it really depends on how well you absorb oestrogen transdermally.

It sounds like Veoza hasn't got approval from NICE for use on the  NHS yet - they are supposed to be looking at it this year. Do you think you are getting enough oestrogen if you are still having night sweats though? If it only happened after using Oestrogel and you were fine on the patches, it could be due to the change in the formulation and pump design of Oestrogel, which a lot of us are struggling with at the moment ( see massive thread on this).

I wish you luck - it's very difficult when you can't access the right support

[sheila99]

If you still have meno symptoms increasing oestrogen would be a sensible move. They like your oestrogen to be optimal before prescribing testosterone, I think if they aren't it gets converted to an androgen derivative. I'd go with the advice from your gp. Some people find libido returns with sufficient oestrogen, others need testosterone too.

[Tulip]

Thanks. I'm now on 100mcg patches as from yesterday, I had previously increased to 100mcg,  and I forget now why I reduced it back to 75. I've been refused oestrogen level blood testing.
I know I'm absorbing something, but I've got no idea how much.