Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Emzib0b on January 11, 2023, 08:37:55 PM
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Hello Ladies!
I recently ordered a female hormone test kit from Medichecks as my GP won’t test my Testosterone and Oestrogen levels. I had my bloods taken at a Superdrug nurse clinic today and the nurse was telling me I can buy Testosterone from their online doctor service if my testosterone levels turn out to be low.
It involves filling in an online questionnaire and if eligible it’s £18 plus shipping for 3 sachets of Testogel which would last 24 days. Is that a similar price to what you would pay via a private meno specialist? Part of me is tempted by the speed and accessibility of it but another part of me is concerned that I wouldn’t be under the care of a medical professional while receiving treatment. What do you think?
A little background: I’ve been on HRT for nearly 9 months (Evorel/Utrogestan - 3 months of 25mcg patches, 4 months at 37.5mcg and about nearly 2 months at 50mcg). I’m nearly 41/peri since 38. My GP practice will not prescribe testosterone so I have been referred to Dr Paula Briggs at Liverpool Women’s, but there is about a 12 month wait. I am leaning towards going privately instead. A different GP checked my testosterone in 2020. It was 0.4nmol/L with a FAI of 0.5.
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That price sounds expensive to me! I would wait until you see Dr Paula Briggs. She is ( in my view) one of the best menopause practitioners out there ( I am under her also). When I saw her in June last year, she prescribe Tostron, which lasts a year. I saw on the NHS after a private appointment about a year previously. She is great at email correspondence and she arranged my NHS appointment within a few weeks, after I mentioned i was experiencing issues.
I wouldn’t buy testosterone online personally. Can you afford to see Dr Paula privately at the Sefton suite, aintree?
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Perhaps you could ask them about Tostran, it might work out cheaper. Might also be worth looking online pretending you're male (you won't actually get it this way but you might find the price). As long as you have a blood test now and again to check levels (my nhs one is annual) and stop or reduce if you have side effects personally I would go for it.
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Hi
I've used superdrug to tide me over when I can't get hold of the gyane for a refill, perfectly safe service. I use Tostran, it's about £100 but a bottle lasts yonks but not sure if they sell it. Your form is checked by a doctor, it's an online consultation service, so I always just tell them who my doc is, and what I already take.
Reb
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However! Why can Pharmacies sell drugs to the public which NICE won't allow GPs to prescribe?
R U able to take a cancellation appt. if someone cancels ? Perhaps ring Dr Briggs' Clinic and ask if they provide that kind of filling in? It may get you there sooner.
Hormone blood tests are reliably un-reliable. Your levels mayB low one month, but within normal limits or higher the next. Why specifically do U think that you require testosterone? Any particular symptoms bothering you?
What qualifications has the "doctor" at Superdrug got, my husband is a Dr ;-). PhD. What happens if you begin buying the drug then the Pharmacy runs out of stock? Those costs do show how 'cheap' going via an NHS GP might be. I'm a bit wary about any Company 'that can sell' products that should be available on the NHS.
Let us know how you get on.
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That price sounds expensive to me! I would wait until you see Dr Paula Briggs. She is ( in my view) one of the best menopause practitioners out there ( I am under her also). When I saw her in June last year, she prescribe Tostron, which lasts a year. I saw on the NHS after a private appointment about a year previously. She is great at email correspondence and she arranged my NHS appointment within a few weeks, after I mentioned i was experiencing issues.
I wouldn’t buy testosterone online personally. Can you afford to see Dr Paula privately at the Sefton suite, aintree?
Hi Nas,
I think it was you who recommended Dr Briggs to me a while back! I’ve got some savings I can use so I’m considering making an appointment to see her privately. I’m not sure how it all works - do I have to cancel my NHS referral if I opt to see her privately? I’m going to give her clinic a call next week once I get my blood results back.
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Perhaps you could ask them about Tostran, it might work out cheaper. Might also be worth looking online pretending you're male (you won't actually get it this way but you might find the price). As long as you have a blood test now and again to check levels (my nhs one is annual) and stop or reduce if you have side effects personally I would go for it.
I had a quick look into it - they charge £55 for 60g Tostran but will only prescribe it for men! I’m amazed at the price difference between the two - that works out at less than £7 per month vs £18 per month for 3 sachets of Testogel.
It gets better, though! I’ve just discovered they also sell Testogel in boxes of 30 sachets for £55 but it’s only available for men! £1.83 per sachet for men and £6 per sachet for women! I’m tempted to contact them and ask how they justify this! Sorry if I sound ranty - I’m just shocked!
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MayB because it isn't prescribed for women under NICE NHS guidelines? Go on, ring and find out - I'm all ears. Surely that is discrimination?
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Hi Emz,
Oh right, I hadn’t realised it was me who suggested Dr Paula to you! Well, I would give her private clinic a call to see what appointment availability she has. I’m guessing she is in even greater demand, given that she is now that Chair of the BMS.
If you want to buy the testosterone from Superdrug, that’s your call. I’m with CLKD : re the whole ‘buying ‘ prescribed treatments online, but obviously it’s your choice.
Best of luck 🤞
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However! Why can Pharmacies sell drugs to the public which NICE won't allow GPs to prescribe?
R U able to take a cancellation appt. if someone cancels ? Perhaps ring Dr Briggs' Clinic and ask if they provide that kind of filling in? It may get you there sooner.
Hormone blood tests are reliably un-reliable. Your levels mayB low one month, but within normal limits or higher the next. Why specifically do U think that you require testosterone? Any particular symptoms bothering you?
What qualifications has the "doctor" at Superdrug got, my husband is a Dr ;-). PhD. What happens if you begin buying the drug then the Pharmacy runs out of stock? Those costs do show how 'cheap' going via an NHS GP might be. I'm a bit wary about any Company 'that can sell' products that should be available on the NHS.
Let us know how you get on.
You raise some very good points CLKD!
My big concern is not technically being under the care of the doctor prescribing the meds online. No actual consultation/conversation/providing a history, no port of call to check in if there are any problems or questions, no follow up consultation like you’d get with a GP or specialist. They do insist on monitoring levels via regular blood tests and I do trust that the doctors are genuine GMC registered doctors (all the credentials/GMC numbers of the staff are provided). The speed and easiness is very appealing - no waiting lists, no private consultation fees, but it makes me a little uneasy - and having had some time to think I’m going to listen to that uneasiness. Maybe it could be a useful service as a back up in the future but for now I’ve decided I want to be assessed and treated by a meno specialist.
I feel that low testosterone could potentially explain a lot of the issues I’ve got going on and I’d like to trial it to see if it could make a difference. I have zero libido, really forgetful/blank moments (What am I doing? Why am I in this room? Where did I put this item 5 seconds ago? What did I do yesterday? Why is there a carton of half used sour milk in the cupboard? :bang:), lapses, can’t think clearly, a general ‘flat’ feeling like I’ve lost my spark/mojo/drive, and lots of fatigue. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which can cause a lot of this but these issues have definitely got a lot worse since perimenopause! I have a history of depression but this feels quite different. All the things I do that usually help when I’ve been depressed in the past don’t really make a lot of difference to this so I’m wondering if it could be hormonal? The Oestrogen part of my HRT has helped with a lot - no more hot flushes and the awful rollercoaster of mood swings/surges, despair and crying have stopped.
Re the prices - I suppose they’ve got the make up for the fact that we only need about 1/10th of the dose that men do! I suspect part of those monthly costs are prescribing/dispensing fees which I didn’t consider when I last posted. I will let you know if I manage to find out!
I really appreciate the different perspectives that have been offered - thank you! :thankyou:
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Have U read our thread "Doing Stupid Things" - you'll fit right in ;)
It's about gaining information, experiences then using what is appropriate at the time. All ideas can be shelved until required. Let us know how you get on. Medical history is important with many medications, however, if 1 were adopted ?
If the GMC Numbers are there, you should be able to trace the working history of the medics.
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Grrrr So the price is 'how much can we get out of them' rather than 'what it cost us plus some profit'. I suspect they will have work under the same rules as gps so perhaps their insurance is more if the prescribe to women. Still think the difference is so huge they're taking the p*ss.
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My only query is if you should try to maximise oestrogen further first?
I’m exceptionally lucky in that my Gp is offering to test testosterone and oestrogen to help decide next steps. I also think sometimes it’s worth waiting over 3 months for things to kick in properly.
Have to say that 100 patches haven’t brought libido back much and like you cfs issues plus a v low private test are making me seek it. But my Gp will prescribe.
Continuous utro is helping my brain though it seems.
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Got my blood test results today:
Oestradiol 260 pmol/L
FSH 10.9 IU/L
LH 3.8 IU/L
Testosterone 0.58 nmol/L
SHBG 97 nmol/L
Free Androgen Index 0.6%
I’ve managed to get a private appointment with Dr Briggs on 5th April - I’m pleasantly surprised as I thought I’d be waiting for at least 4-6 months!
My only query is if you should try to maximise oestrogen further first?
I’m exceptionally lucky in that my Gp is offering to test testosterone and oestrogen to help decide next steps. I also think sometimes it’s worth waiting over 3 months for things to kick in properly.
Have to say that 100 patches haven’t brought libido back much and like you cfs issues plus a v low private test are making me seek it. But my Gp will prescribe.
Continuous utro is helping my brain though it seems.
It’s been on the back of my mind - I’ve been on a such a low dose for the first 7 months (my choice - I was worried how I’d react to starting at 50mcg!). Hopefully things will be a bit clearer in the next month or two. How do I know when I’m adequately Oestrogenised? Is it based on symptoms alone or do blood tests help?
I’m wondering if I should wait a little longer to see Dr Briggs? I don’t want to be wasting anyone’s time if there’s more tweaking to be done with my Oestrogen first!
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If U have an appt. keep it. Keeping notes on how you are, it will give you something to discuss.
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That price sounds expensive to me! I would wait until you see Dr Paula Briggs. She is ( in my view) one of the best menopause practitioners out there ( I am under her also). When I saw her in June last year, she prescribe Tostron, which lasts a year. I saw on the NHS after a private appointment about a year previously. She is great at email correspondence and she arranged my NHS appointment within a few weeks, after I mentioned i was experiencing issues.
I wouldn’t buy testosterone online personally. Can you afford to see Dr Paula privately at the Sefton suite, aintree?
Hi Nas,
I have a private appointment booked with Dr Briggs at the beginning of April. I was wondering if I could ask you a couple of questions if it’s not too much trouble?
Hope you feel better soon x
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Hi Emz,
Yes go ahead, you can ask any questions ( I hope to be able to answer them!) x
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Hi Emz,
Yes go ahead, you can ask any questions ( I hope to be able to answer them!) x
Thanks Nas :thankyou:
I haven’t seen a specialist privately before so I don’t know what to expect. I phoned the Sefton Suite to book my appointment about five weeks ago. I haven’t had a letter or email to confirm the details of my appointment. Is that normal and will I receive anything closer to the time?
I realise Dr Briggs won’t have any access to my NHS medical records so I don’t know what to bring to the appointment. I was wondering about printing out the NHS referral letter my GP wrote in November, my Medichecks blood results and any NHS hormone blood test results I’ve had in the last year or two. I was also going to make some notes about my symptoms and frequency of cycles. Do you think that will be enough?
I’ve reached the three month mark on my new dose of Evorel (50mcg). I don’t know whether to go back to my GP for another review or hang on until this appointment. I don’t know if I’ve replaced sufficient Oestrogen yet to be considered for Testosterone!
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Hi Emz 😀
Don’t worry about not having a letter, but maybe give the Sefton suite a call and request a confirmation email, for piece of mind?
I think bloods test results are key, as is a summary of your existing symptoms and any HRT you have gave been taking previously ( which is evorel 50?)
What I would consider doing, is to try and request an oestrogen blood test ASAP. Then, you can explain that you have been on the 50 for 3 months but still remain symptomatic? This will either be because you aren’t absorbing or you need the next dose up ( 75). If you feel the symptoms are largely under control, then just request testosterone ( Dr Briggs is all for testosterone for low libido!).
She isn’t a fan of large oestrogen doses ( but that could be just because I’ve had breast cancer in the past and she’s erring on the side of caution).
I guess if you feel that your only remaining symptoms are lack of libido and/ or cognitive function, then you could just ask for testosterone and continue with the 50 patch? If you feel that there’s still room for improvement oestrogen wise, then perhaps ask your GP to trial you on the 75 patch?
It’s all about how you feel at the end of the day. Dr Briggs would prescribe testosterone no issue if that’s all you wanted.
Good luck 🤞😀
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Hi Emz 😀
Don’t worry about not having a letter, but maybe give the Sefton suite a call and request a confirmation email, for piece of mind?
I think bloods test results are key, as is a summary of your existing symptoms and any HRT you have gave been taking previously ( which is evorel 50?)
What I would consider doing, is to try and request an oestrogen blood test ASAP. Then, you can explain that you have been on the 50 for 3 months but still remain symptomatic? This will either be because you aren’t absorbing or you need the next dose up ( 75). If you feel the symptoms are largely under control, then just request testosterone ( Dr Briggs is all for testosterone for low libido!).
She isn’t a fan of large oestrogen doses ( but that could be just because I’ve had breast cancer in the past and she’s erring on the side of caution).
I guess if you feel that your only remaining symptoms are lack of libido and/ or cognitive function, then you could just ask for testosterone and continue with the 50 patch? If you feel that there’s still room for improvement oestrogen wise, then perhaps ask your GP to trial you on the 75 patch?
It’s all about how you feel at the end of the day. Dr Briggs would prescribe testosterone no issue if that’s all you wanted.
Good luck 🤞😀
Thanks so much for the info and suggestions. I had a Medichecks blood test about six weeks ago, so I was about eight weeks in on the 50mcg dose of Evorel. My Oestrogen was 260, Free Androgen Index 0.6%. I wondering whether Dr Briggs would ask for more bloods when I had my appointment?
I’m at the point where I really can’t tell if how I’m feeling is down to needing a bit more Oestrogen, having low testosterone, or just a continuation/exacerbation of problems that were already present before perimenopause? Increasing to 50mcg in Nov definitely helped as the horrible mood rollercoaster has more or less levelled out again.
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Hello,
I have just read this post with interest and I wondered what the results were with Superdrug?
I am currently trying to decide whether to go back to my private menopause specialist for testosterone or get it via Superdrug.
The specialist (who is amazing but v pricey!) has said she is happy to prescribe me testosterone for low libido. Unfortunately it will cost me a lot of money for that consultation. She said I need to speak to her so she can explain everything to me and monitor me.
I'm 48 and currently on HRT - one pump of Eostrogel daily and 100mg of utrogestan vaginally very day (I am super sensitive to and intolerant of progesterone, I wish I didn't have to take it), even though I still have periods as I am very sensitive to hormonal fluctuations and suffer from terrible migraines (so she put me on this continuous regime to try and prevent any large fluctuations).
Anyway, I have just sent a request for Testogel to Superdrug and I'm wondering if they will A. Just prescribe it to me without the blood test and B. If they do prescribe it to me, do they monitor you? Do you have to have blood tests to check your levels?
I am beyond confused and I just want my mojo back without spending several hundreds of pounds if possible!!
If anyone can let me know how they got on with Superdrug that would be very helpful!!!
Thank you.
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Hello,
I have just read this post with interest and I wondered what the results were with Superdrug?
I am currently trying to decide whether to go back to my private menopause specialist for testosterone or get it via Superdrug.
The specialist (who is amazing but v pricey!) has said she is happy to prescribe me testosterone for low libido. Unfortunately it will cost me a lot of money for that consultation. She said I need to speak to her so she can explain everything to me and monitor me.
I'm 48 and currently on HRT - one pump of Eostrogel daily and 100mg of utrogestan vaginally very day (I am super sensitive to and intolerant of progesterone, I wish I didn't have to take it), even though I still have periods as I am very sensitive to hormonal fluctuations and suffer from terrible migraines (so she put me on this continuous regime to try and prevent any large fluctuations).
Anyway, I have just sent a request for Testogel to Superdrug and I'm wondering if they will A. Just prescribe it to me without the blood test and B. If they do prescribe it to me, do they monitor you? Do you have to have blood tests to check your levels?
I am beyond confused and I just want my mojo back without spending several hundreds of pounds if possible!!
If anyone can let me know how they got on with Superdrug that would be very helpful!!!
Thank you.
Hello SWJ,
I didn’t end up going down the Superdrug route and opted to have an appointment with a private menopause specialist. After chatting with the ladies on this forum and giving it a lot of thought I decided I didn’t feel comfortable trying a medication without being assessed and monitored by a GP or consultant. I have a prescription for Androfeme but we are trying to get my symptoms under control with a higher dose of Oestrogen before adding in Testosterone.
Superdrug won’t prescribe testosterone without a recent blood test to show what your baseline level is. You can order a test kit from Superdrug (I think it’s £50) or perhaps if your GP is willing they could test your levels? If you went down the Superdrug route I imagine they would insist on seeing blood results at certain intervals in order to continue prescribing it.
Best of luck whichever route you pick!
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Hi Emzib0B
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. The Superdrug route does seem all very easy and very cheap, wishful thinking perhaps that a 50 quid test and an 18 pound prescription could potentially be the answer to the baffling, sudden and thoroughly depressing disappearance of my libido. And I can't drink wine anymore, this all seems like a shit joke that nature is playing on me and it's really getting me down >:(
I'll wait and see if any other lovely MM members have any light to shed on the Superdrug conundrum but I'm veering towards the private meno Dr at the moment $$$$$$$$$ ::).
Thanks again.
SWJ
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Re cost of testosterone my GP pal told me a full box of testim is very cheap, costs only £30 (from memory). A full box lasts me over a year. Charging more is just money making.
Apparently a new testosterone patch designed specifically for women is on its way on the nhs. Can’t wait x
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Can you share any info about this patch Perinowpost? I hadn't heard that. Sounds just what is needed!
Taz x
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Hi Taz2
It was on the news just over a month ago. Here's the link: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/03/first-testosterone-patch-for-menopausal-women-to-begin-clinical-trials-this-year. I hope I've done it right x
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Yes you have. Thank you. Fingers crossed that the first trial is successful. Wonder how many years it will take. I notice it's for post meno women only which is a shame as libido can disappear before becoming post meno but it is a step in the right direction. British company too!
Taz x :thankyou:
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