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[Dandelion]

I had a problem with Newsom as I found there was too rigid a protocol. No testosterone unless Estrogen reached a certain level, no transdermal progesterone, rigid dosing.

I found with the private clinics (Gluck et al) they were prepared to start me on very low dose as I am sensitive to everything. They would prescribe a low combination to get me started. As it happens I did not continue but I can relate to the mega dose 'one size fits all' approach from the Newsom clinic. They did not appreciate me doing my own research (there are papers to suggest very low dose is good for bones for example) and would not consider any flexibility even though the low dose is LESS of a risk...

Hello, I am confused.
In Louise Newsons video, she says that testosterone helps oestrogen production.
Do you mean the oestrogen has to a certain low or high level with Newson clinics?
I ask because I am looking for a private clinic but, while I am a fan of Newson, I hear some bad reports about the clinics online.
It's a shame they did not appreciate you doing your own research, I know some NHS medics can be like that not I did not know private ones could be.
I got a lot of my information on the importance of testosterone from Newson herself on her videos and podcasts, which I thought were very good. I am post meno 25mcg E and 200mg P as the gynae put me on that for bleeding, luckily I still have the letter.

[Dandelion]

I was quite surprised to see one of the BBC online headline news items this morning. It looks like her clinic is being investigated for prescribing high doses of HRT. And she has lost her accreditation with the British Menopause Society.
Although on reflection maybe I am not so surprised. People were starting to speak out on Instagram etc.
What does everyone think about this?
Pretty bad timing for her as she is in the middle of a UK tour.

Even as a lay person and patient, I don't have the expertise I would need to form an opinion about this or any other practitioner. I have strong opinions about my own experience, but they are just my opinions. In other words, I don't know anything about HRT, but I know what I like.

However, the word "Panorama" immediately elicits side-eye from me. I'm still offended by the unscientific and pejorative episode they spewed out about ADHD in the 90s - one of the most extensively studied disorders, with truckloads of published research. I won't go off on that topic, but I have never taken Panorama seriously since then.

I take note of what some here have said about individual practitioners' ideological commitment to one specific approach. I'm still feeling rubbed up the wrong way by my specialist's report, because the more I read it the more skewed it seems towards representing my lifestyle as more unhealthy than it is.

(E.g. "has recently started doing some $specific_exercise", as if I'd said I made a resolution to do one sit-up every other Thursday and I've managed three Thursdays in a row!!1!! Whereas in fact, I made a very specific point about suddenly reaching a performance milestone at $specific_exercise after EIGHT. YEARS.)

But because she specializes in mental health and mindfulness, it has to be that my mental health and mindfulness aren't as good as they could be. Or perhaps I'm not being fair. Anyway... I should have read her profile more carefully, it's really on me that I got mindfulness flung at me when I'm not really in the market for that. At the same time, a market is what it is.

I'm a lay patient who is looking for a private meno clinic and am disappointed to hear negative experiences from some women even with private doctors.
The way I am feeling, I can't be arsed exercising, it's beyond laziness, behind with chores, and it seems to be getting worse, I am post meno 58yrs on 25mcg E and 200mg daily P, approved by NHS gynae after investigative surgery for bleeding.
I was ok on 25, as I had gone through peri, so no flushes came back but like Dr Louise Newson says on her video, I can't pinpoint when things seemed to get worse, I would pin it at early 2022 with daily loose stools, more night sweats, more flushing, but nowhere near as bad as peri, and I kinda went into denial when I started reading about testosterone requests for women on here, dreading the hoops I would have to jump through.
I tried increasing my E, no difference, it's only recently I became interested in testosterone and found out so was lots of other women in the uk, the Davina thing etc.
I ended up relapsing on drugs in 2022, due to low moods, but luckily I have stayed sober since January of this year and ever since, I see a resurgence in meno symptoms.
Newson seemed to talk me individually on one video, but now I am confused as some online experiences of visits to her clinics suggest dissatisfaction, nothing to do with the program, more their protocol.
I think the program was bu11shit.
I want to pay hundreds of pounds to be given more E and not refused T, or a test for it.

[joziel]

I am with the Newson Clinic and I was started on testosterone from the beginning of my HRT journey and without testing my existing testosterone levels and without my estrogen levels being tested either.

So it's not true that E has to be at a specific place.

Be aware that there are dozens and dozens of doctors working for the Newson Clinic and they are not all in total agreement on absolutely everything. They are entitled to their own opinions and clinical judgement and anything one particular doctor has done shouldn't be understood as indicative of a clinic-wide practice.

[Dandelion]

I am with the Newson Clinic and I was started on testosterone from the beginning of my HRT journey and without testing my existing testosterone levels and without my estrogen levels being tested either.

So it's not true that E has to be at a specific place.

Be aware that there are dozens and dozens of doctors working for the Newson Clinic and they are not all in total agreement on absolutely everything. They are entitled to their own opinions and clinical judgement and anything one particular doctor has done shouldn't be understood as indicative of a clinic-wide practice.

Hello
I read in one of your other posts you were started on testosterone from the beginning without testing my existing testosterone levels and without your estrogen levels being tested either.
I understand Newson is a big organisation with lots of staff who will be different with each patient, but I have "What if I get unsatisfactory treatment" not just health but one lady on here said they took ages to reply to emails etc and was blocked access to blood results by a phlebotomist they hire.
I will see my GP tomorrow and lie that my "relationship" is suffering due to low sex drive, causing immense psychological distress, I am single. I aim for an NHS test, dunno if private people will want to test again, I might ask to be tested for E and P by my surgery as the private people might want those results as well.

[joziel]

It will just depend on whether testosterone is in the formulary for the NHS in the area where you live. It isn't for me, so it doesn't matter if I say I have low libido or give any other reason - I won't get prescribed T on the NHS.

[Dandelion]

It will just depend on whether testosterone is in the formulary for the NHS in the area where you live. It isn't for me, so it doesn't matter if I say I have low libido or give any other reason - I won't get prescribed T on the NHS.

Hi there.
I visited my GP today, who had no problem prescribing testosterone depending on my blood test results, which I will know after the 15th November.
This was a nice surprise to hear.
She also increased my E to 50, and wants to titrate up only to stop if I bleed like before.
Sorry this is a real postcode lottery.

[Seasidegirl]

It will just depend on whether testosterone is in the formulary for the NHS in the area where you live. It isn't for me, so it doesn't matter if I say I have low libido or give any other reason - I won't get prescribed T on the NHS.

Hi there.
I visited my GP today, who had no problem prescribing testosterone depending on my blood test results, which I will know after the 15th November.
This was a nice surprise to hear.
She also increased my E to 50, and wants to titrate up only to stop if I bleed like before.
Sorry this is a real postcode lottery.

My GP said the same re testosterone but then insisted on using the lab reference range which said 0.1 is "normal"  so she wouldn't prescibe it🙄.

I went back to Newson, they prescribed as 0.8 is low and I managed to get a different GP at the practice to take on the repeat.

I don't want to burst your bubble but you might want to formulate an argument if your GP says the same re ref range.   The NICE guidelines re testosterone don't give a level and day it can be prescribed for low libido (assuming it is on your formulary as Joziel says)

[Dandelion]

It will just depend on whether testosterone is in the formulary for the NHS in the area where you live. It isn't for me, so it doesn't matter if I say I have low libido or give any other reason - I won't get prescribed T on the NHS.

Hi there.
I visited my GP today, who had no problem prescribing testosterone depending on my blood test results, which I will know after the 15th November.
This was a nice surprise to hear.
She also increased my E to 50, and wants to titrate up only to stop if I bleed like before.
Sorry this is a real postcode lottery.

My GP said the same re testosterone but then insisted on using the lab reference range which said 0.1 is "normal"  so she wouldn't prescibe it🙄.

I went back to Newson, they prescribed as 0.8 is low and I managed to get a different GP at the practice to take on the repeat.

I don't want to burst your bubble but you might want to formulate an argument if your GP says the same re ref range.   The NICE guidelines re testosterone don't give a level and day it can be prescribed for low libido (assuming it is on your formulary as Joziel says)

Hello
Sorry to hear your GP would not prescribe testosterone.
Sorry I am on the autistic spectrum and struggle to interpret what you meant by formulating an argument. What would I say to my GP? Thanks.

[Seasidegirl]

Hi Dandelion

So I expected that the GP would recognise that 0.8 Testosterone was low and that as I am symptomatic (zero libido) that it would be worth trying T. 

What happened was that she said it was in range so, normal therefore nothing to treat.  The reference range on my test started at 0.1 so on that basis virtually nobody will be out of range! 

Partly, I wanted her to take on the rest of the HRT on the NHS at the same time which she did so there was an element of picking my battles.

Another time I would remind her that the NICE guidelines don't say there needs to be an initial blood test and there is no accepted range.   They say that T can be prescribed for lack of libido with no additional hurdle.

The difficulty is that it is off licence so it's difficult to demand it. 

I resolved it by getting T prescribed privately and I then got another GP at the practice to take it on under the NHS.

Good luck x

[joziel]

Even with Newson prescribing my T already, my GP wouldn't take it on.

I just get a 'computer says no' response blanket-wise with testosterone.

But I can't complain because she has approved me having only utrogestan (not gepretix) after I said I had some breakthrough bleeding on gepretix and she is also prescribing the 3x higher than the licensed dose of E which I need and which Newson prescribed. So she is cooperating. Just with testosterone, she won't/can't.

[CLKD]

Would a trans woman or man be refused 'T" 

[Seasidegirl]

Even with Newson prescribing my T already, my GP wouldn't take it on.

I just get a 'computer says no' response blanket-wise with testosterone.

But I can't complain because she has approved me having only utrogestan (not gepretix) after I said I had some breakthrough bleeding on gepretix and she is also prescribing the 3x higher than the licensed dose of E which I need and which Newson prescribed. So she is cooperating. Just with testosterone, she won't/can't.

I got lucky in that I then found a really good GP at our practice who listens and understands that I know quire a lot about my own conditions.   She's really refreshing.

I didn't fight the battle with the first GP as I wanted the Oestrogen and P taken on and she agreed that so T wasn't a battle to fight at that time.

It shouldn't  be like this  ithere ought to be clarity and consistency and it frustrates me that there isn't.   

I'm lucky,  I can pay up go private,  but good health and quality of life shouldn't have to be paid for .   Rather than the establishment attacking LN they should take a look at themselves and the poor and sometimes negligent care that many woman receive from GP's.

Rant over 

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

I just wanted to say that when I was with Newson Health they would only prescribe testosterone when my oestrogen had reached a certain level. I was very post meno so this may have been a factor. As soon as my oestrogen was acceptable they prescribed Androfeme testosterone cream.

I am now seeing a nurse practitioner at my GP surgery, I haven't asked for testosterone and it hasn't been suggested to me.

Wishing you all well ladies.

K.

[Seasidegirl]

Just to say that wasn't my experience at Newson this year.   I didn't need  Oestrogen levels to be taken.   I did have a T level because the GP had tested it but I don't believe that is required.   I do need a test at 3 months to continue T.

[Dandelion]

Just to say that wasn't my experience at Newson this year.   I didn't need  Oestrogen levels to be taken.   I did have a T level because the GP had tested it but I don't believe that is required.   I do need a test at 3 months to continue T.

Would the NHS not give you T?
Thank you.