Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Nik2502 on November 23, 2018, 08:42:57 PM
-
I thought second time lucky and saw a private gynaecologist today locally. Lovely guy but absolutely hopeless. He's going to read up on HRT and suggest something to my GP! I've done that numerous times myself and it didn't cost £180.
I don't know how much more of this I can take. I can't afford to see anyone else as it's also the expense of travelling etc.
Why are we so let down by so called medical professionals?
If my hubby wasn't so lovely we'd be well on our way to divorce now - no sex now for two years. Feel dead from the waist down. But one mention of testosterone and I just get told no. So I'll just suffer indefinitely then - my life is so flat and joyless - I feel like half the woman I used to be.
-
I thought second time lucky and saw a private gynaecologist today locally. Lovely guy but absolutely hopeless. He's going to read up on HRT and suggest something to my GP! I've done that numerous times myself and it didn't cost £180.
I don't know how much more of this I can take. I can't afford to see anyone else as it's also the expense of travelling etc.
Why are we so let down by so called medical professionals?
If my hubby wasn't so lovely we'd be well on our way to divorce now - no sex now for two years. Feel dead from the waist down. But one mention of testosterone and I just get told no. So I'll just suffer indefinitely then - my life is so flat and joyless - I feel like half the woman I used to be.
Where in the UK are you Nik2502? I had a very positive experience with an NHS urogynaecologist today (North London)
-
Hi
I'm in Newcastle upon Tyne. We have a NHS menopause specialist but the wait is months. And she won't prescribe HRT to ladies like me with a high BMI (and I already feel like a second class citizen). I just don't know where to go from here x
-
Hello Nik2502..
I know what you mean. I started seeing a private consultant at the beginning of the year because I wanted to try a long cycle, partly because I've had years of crap symptoms and wondered if I was progesterone intolerant. Her response was that she did not agree with a long cycle as used by Prof Studd and anyway ' you can't keep scanning women you know ‘. I therefore agreed to using Oestrogel and Utrogestan orally and report back. The annoying thing is that I'd tried that regime before with my GP so I knew it wouldn't be right. Sure enough when I saw her again we agreed to change to Utrogestan vaginally and go up to two and a half pumps.
At the last visit I said I was keen to use the minimum of Utrogestan and increase my days of oestrogen ( in effect a long cycle) and she agreed! That whole business has cost me a pretty penny and I'm only just starting on the regime I wanted in the first place! In addition I sent her an email that she never responded to and when I asked if she'd received it she checked her laptop and said ‘ oh yes, I definitely received it‘, no explanation for the lack of reply. I have very little confidence in her but I'm sticking with it because although my GP is lovely and helpful, his knowledge is even more limited.
Sorry for the rant but as you can see you are not the only one with this frustration unfortunately.
Take care.
K.
-
I thought second time lucky and saw a private gynaecologist today locally. Lovely guy but absolutely hopeless. He's going to read up on HRT and suggest something to my GP! I've done that numerous times myself and it didn't cost £180.
I don't know how much more of this I can take. I can't afford to see anyone else as it's also the expense of travelling etc.
Why are we so let down by so called medical professionals?
If my hubby wasn't so lovely we'd be well on our way to divorce now - no sex now for two years. Feel dead from the waist down. But one mention of testosterone and I just get told no. So I'll just suffer indefinitely then - my life is so flat and joyless - I feel like half the woman I used to be.
I've learned that paying to see private is just as much of a lottery than it is to see nhs.
I was laughed at by a private gynaecologist when I explained my symptoms. He made no offers to prescribe me ANYTHING
And I had to ask for an examination which took him no more than 4 minutes including the time it took him to take swabs
I also saw an nhs women's Physio Therapist who spent much much longer with me, came up with possibly causes and solutions to my issues and provided a detailed examination.
-
£180.00 ain't a lot. However, why do people think that going private or seeing a Gyanaecologist will make much difference? If they are ill-informed as many GPs and other medical professionals seem to be :-\ then it's like banging the head against a brick wall, at a time when we need to be listened to and supported!
Menopause ain't on many medics radar, who often think that unless a woman is having hot flushes or over a 'certain' age, that she can't possibility be menopausal >:(. Again, this issue should be brought to the attention of those who are trying to spread the message. Time for naming and shaming!
It's the fact that over and over, we are told here that professionals simply aren't listening :bang: :bang: :bang: I hate to think how many ladies with no knowledge of support like there is here are suffering :'(
Off my soap box .......... :-X
-
£180 may not be a lot to you but it's a weeks pay to me!
-
What I mean is that isn't expensive for a private appt. unless it's a walk in the door, hand-shake and walk out again. In the 1990s I was paying £75.00 for an hour's consult. Fortunately covered by work Insurance but I don't grudge paying if my health needs warrant it.
Not good though if the professional visited hasn't a clue >:(
-
Hi. I paid £175 for my initial appointment with a private gynae and £55 for any follow up appointments. My reason for eventually paying to go private was that, at the time, I just didn't want to wait 3 or 4 weeks for an appointment with my gp as I was feeling so poorly at the time. Both the private gynae and my gp are very sympathetic but both told me it was a trial and error process to find an hrt that worked for me. In the end my pharmacist suggested I was wasting my money going private so I decided to wait and see gp.
To be perfectly honest, I really think the support and advice I've received from the ladies on this forum has been of more value than that of the doctors, for which I thank you with all my heart ❤️
Wishing you all well.
Rosie63 xxx
-
You are welcome. Talking and sharing are important.
-
I'm sorry you feel so down.
You need a meno specialist not a gynaecologist. But before you think of seeing anyone else it might be wise to do some research. Because there isn't a testosterone product that's licensed for women in the UK whoever prescribes it is responsible for your safety. It might be that there's a good reason she won't prescribe it to someone with a high BMI, it might be more dangerous for you than for others. If it is you may have to accept you either don't have it or reduce your BMI. If it isn't you can argue your case and she can explain WHY she won't prescribe it, and at least you'd have a chance of someone else prescribing it.
You say your life is flat and joyless. I'm not sure if testosterone will fix that. For me it has helped libido (from zero to very low, nothing like what it used to be), stamina and muscle strength (used to pull them frequently). Mood was helped by oestrogen.
Not all meno specialists will prescribe testosterone (to anybody) so do ask questions before you spend any more money.
-
😡 I'm not a man basher by any way shape or form but my god,if all this crap was inflicted upon males,there would be instant investigation into improving their life,for instance,poor man can't perform in bed?oh look,we've come up with this little blue pill,us women can hardly “perform “ in day to day life & still not much in the way of answers,every gp seems to give you different information or just not have a clue,it's outrageous that you have to go private & fork out all that money & still not have a end in sight,we have hrt,which may or may not give you a chance of cancer & blood clots,take it or leave it.......... shameful,sorry,rant over,I wish you all the best nik xx
-
Outrageous about covers it which is why a Member felt the need to write a book ........
May it is time that the NHS stepped up and took note of those in the know?
-
Testosterone has definitely helped my low mood. I think as it's given me better wellbeing that in turn lifts the mood x
-
That's great!
When I asked for it in the 1990s the GP wouldn't prescribe, my sex drive was non existent :'(
-
Some examples of terrible help on this thread.
My GP admitted to knowing nothing about menopause and HRT so I started with the Marion Gluck clinic. It's very expensive. I tried all the preparations. Lozenges, creams, patches etc. I felt pretty awful most of the time, I sort of just didn't realise it. And chopping and changing the medications and all the blood tests mounted up and up in price. Then the doctor I saw left and set up on her own. I followed her and still never felt right and every visit seemed to result in a change and a belittling lecture about weight and diet and exercise. Finally, in summer, I told her I wanted to try Estrogel and Utrogestan. She agreed and prescribed just 1 pump a day of the gel even though for years she had been telling me my body just ate up the oestrogen or didn't absorb it because my levels were so low. After a week on one pump I felt just as horrible so I upped it to 2 pumps and started to feel better. I was using Utrogestan vaginally every other day.
But I was lucky and managed to get a cancellation appointment with menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson. Boy was that a different experience. She is understanding and sympathetic. And I believe she and her 2 fellow doctors know what they are doing. No compounded products from her, just NHS products dosed properly and Australian testosterone cream because it's the only testosterone made for and licensed for use in women!.
She understands the terrible state of menopause care in the UK and is working hard to make a difference running training courses for GP's, nurses and other medical professionals and having a pretty well stocked information section on her web site. She ran an open day recently that was a resounding success.
When I saw her she listened and asked questions and then said I wasn't on enough gel and that I could adjust up to 4 pumps a day. I am now on 3.5. I think I need 4 but I'm spotting a lot at the moment even though I have gone up to using the Utrogestan every night vaginally. I get no side effects from it that way other than the spotting, but when I tried using 2 capsules one night I was incredibly tired the next day. Given that I have thyroid issues leaving me exhausted almost permanently, I can't take something that makes me even more tired. I'm due a review appointment in early December and will talk to her about options for that problem then.
I'm battling a thyroid problem that isn't responsive to normal NHS Levothyroxine so that's making things harder. But I can honestly say I feel so much better hormonally since seeing Dr Newson. She and her new clinic is definitely one to watch.
-
I have no sex drive whatsoever. Might as well be dead from the waist down! Poor hubby. It's been two years now :-( x
-
:thankyou: SueLW
Nik - lay back and think of England. Guilt ate me up and eventually, my sexual drive kicked back in ;) = no guilt.
-
I'm sorry you feel so down.
You need a meno specialist not a gynaecologist. But before you think of seeing anyone else it might be wise to do some research. Because there isn't a testosterone product that's licensed for women in the UK whoever prescribes it is responsible for your safety. It might be that there's a good reason she won't prescribe it to someone with a high BMI, it might be more dangerous for you than for others. If it is you may have to accept you either don't have it or reduce your BMI. If it isn't you can argue your case and she can explain WHY she won't prescribe it, and at least you'd have a chance of someone else prescribing it.
You say your life is flat and joyless. I'm not sure if testosterone will fix that. For me it has helped libido (from zero to very low, nothing like what it used to be), stamina and muscle strength (used to pull them frequently). Mood was helped by oestrogen.
Not all meno specialists will prescribe testosterone (to anybody) so do ask questions before you spend any more money.
Great post sheila99
Nik2502 - High BMI of itself is not a contra-indication to HRT but depending on your age and where in menopause you may be at greater risk from stroke etc - depending on your general health and other risk factors eg BP and cholesterol, whether you smoke, exercise well, diet etc. However transdermal HRT is not associated with greater stroke risk so you should be able to be prescribed this - if no other contra-indication and depending where in menopause you are, and what your natural periods are doing?
You would not want to have tesosterone without oestrogen anyway as you could tip the balance to become T dominant and then may get androgenic sdie effects.
If you are on other medication - this can also depress libido eg some ADs and others. Oral HRT also can depress libido so transdermal ( patches or gel) would also be the way to go.
You could argue that once you have improved your menopausal symptoms ( flushes and sweats? Mood?), you will be in a better position to take positive steps to reduce your BMI which of course is desirable for your long term health.
Not sure if this has been mentioned but have you also had your thyroid function checked? Many women put on weight at this point in their life due to slowing of the metabolism but also some women like SueLW as she has said - develop underactive thyroid which increases weight gain and is very poorly recognised and treated.
Hope you find a solution!
Hurdity x