Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Mandee on March 18, 2020, 10:40:50 PM
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Hi all.
After having problems with several doctors messing with my HRT prescriptions after moving house 3 years ago, I eventually found a lovely one recommended by the local chemist. He had no issues prescribing everything I was previously on and was very supportive.
I’d only been seeing him just over a year when he suddenly went off sick and has now had to retire.
I have now just had a review with a new doctor who said he’s never come across anyone on the regime I’m on and that he’s very concerned about the high dose of hormones. He asked me who put me on this regime and I explained it was a very experienced menopause doctor who I saw every 6 months.
I use Evorel patches at 150 dose, utrogestan 12 days monthly, Vagifem twice weekly and 10th sachet Testogel daily. I was on Evorel 100 up till last year but symptoms were coming back, low mood, bad dreams etc.
He said he’s been practicing 15 years and never come across any woman using testosterone and is far from happy about it and is going to consult a specialist before reauthorising any more HRT. I told him I’ve already had the Testogel approved by a specialist just after moving here as another doctor at this practice had the same concerns and wouldn’t prescribe it. I also had to have the Vagifem reauthorised about a year ago after another idiot stopped it without even speaking to me. He is still going to consult the specialist though and said I’ll get a letter from them.
He also questioned the Vagifem and asked what I’m using it for! I explained this along with the NICE/BMS guidelines but he said he had those up on the computer and it said they should only be used for 3 months maximum. I know that’s a load of crap as they say it must be used for life otherwise the symptoms come back.
He mentioned that recent new breast cancer study and asked me how long I’ve been on HRT and said that it should only be used for 2 years due to the risks. I told him I know all about it and it’s mostly based on that useless WHI thing from years ago. I’ve been on HRT 6 years.
This got me really worried as I thought he was going to stop it all completely so I asked him if that’s what he was going to do but he said he wouldn’t do that and reminded me I’ve still got 3 months of prescription issues left to go from my last review 9 months ago.
I’m hoping he’s only refusing to reauthorise the Testogel as I’ve got some in reserve. I got the impression he might lower the patch dose but he didn’t mention that. If he stops the Vagifem I believe you can get them (and the patches) from online pharmacies. My biggest problem would be the Utrogestan as I can’t find that online anywhere. :(
He just kept banging on about the virus and said “It’s far more important than HRT and is a world health emergency, haven’t you been watching the news?? I told him I most certainly have! >:(
This conversation was all going on over the phone due to this virus thing and he told me I need to weigh myself and get my blood pressure reading done as they’re not doing it at the surgery, and that I’ll have to find a blood pressure gadget to do it. I told him I've no idea about them and he suggested I ask family, friends or neighbours if they’ve got one I can use! I told him I’ll see if the local chemist has one.
I can’t believe the amount of garbage I’ve had from the doctors since I moved here, it’s just never ending.
If the specialist turns out to be no good I’ve got no idea what to do as I’m only on benefits and going private might be too costly. I’ve looked online and can’t see any menopause specialists anywhere near here.
I’ll post an update as soon as I get the letter from the specialist.
Thanks for any help you can give in the meantime. :)
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:bang: :bang: :bang:
Change your Surgery?
Logically if HRT was going to damage you it would by now, be showing negative signs.
Report this GP to Dr Currie and the British Menopause Society ......... a letter through the post copying and pasting what you have told us
Also: 15 years? like that's a long time. Tell him you have lived in your body approx XXX and you know exactly what you require and if he is going to be worried about the amount of hormones, well if this virus that he is whittering on about takes you off, it won't really matter ;-).
I am TAMPING on your behalf. I would have told him that he can go away and read up and when the virus crisis that he's so worried about goes over, he can then tell me that it is OK to remain on my currant regime
Also :Every day is a learning curve. He should be willing to learn along with his patients.
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What an utter load of sh**. I'm having the same rubbish with my gp for a 150 dose equivalent plus 3 x Vagifem plus testosterone! I'm young and had a hysterectomy, what do they expect! My battle continues, and like you say, unfortunately the corona virus will take priority now. I wish you the best of luck x
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If I get the virus I think it will finish me off along with how poorly I am all the time with this menopause :-\
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Hi CLKD, thanks for your reply. :)
I cannot change surgeries as I live in a rural area and all the surgeries in the surrounding villages have the same doctors as mine.
He’s worried about the dose of patch I'm on but I didn’t get chance to tell him that my previous doctor explained it’s most likely because I’m not absorbing enough of it so need a higher strength patch to get enough through my skin, therefore I’m not actually getting 150 at all if you see what I mean.
I will do as you suggest with Dr Currie and the BMS. Do you mean email them? I hope that’s what you mean as I don’t have any access to a printer but I could just write down what I posted in a letter instead if that’s OK. Should I wait until I get the letter from the specialist first?
Will Dr Currie write to my doctor?
I’m sorry about all the questions, I have Aspergers Syndrome and have no family or friends who can help me with this or help me with travelling to see a specialist if I have to go private. I also have no experience travelling to strange or distant places on my own and would have no idea what to do if I had to do this. I’m worried sick at the moment that this idiot is going to stop my HRT altogether, I hardly slept last night. :(
Bobidy,
Yes these morons should be struck off. >:( >:(
Good luck with your gp, I hope you can get what you need. :)
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Hi
Please don't feel alone and isolated with this. Would you find it easier to write a letter to your Doctor/ Practice Manager so that you can get everything you want to say down on paper? I did this and they have to acknowledge and consider it.
You could state your symptoms, the impact it had on your life, your current meno medication, how this has helped you, the medication you want going forward, perhaps request a referral to an NHS Menopause clinic. Try to keep it to the point and factual rather than ranty and emotional.
Great idea to email Dr Currie on this website. I think it costs about ?30. Asking for an email to support your request and include this with your letter and maybe the nice guidelines.
Also look for your local volunteer bureau, it maybe in a big town near you. Usually they have volunteer drivers for hospital appointments etc.
This situation makes me rage that so many women have to suffer because gps don't have enough training in meno care, nor have the gumption to go and get any!
I wish you all the best with this x
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When ever I do suggest writing to Dr Currie I often get told that she is so busy. However, if she isn't aware of which GPs aren't up to date, then writing snail mail might begin to get the message over.
You are welcome to join in Mandee. It's sadly a common response. Is there a Nursing Practitioner at your Practice you may not feel as rushed than when seeing a GP. We have a group practice with 4 GPs and 1 part timer.
You could also go back to that GP and tell him that you have thought about your current regime and that you need to discuss it with him to put his mind at rest ;-). Some GPs don't like patients to be more knowledgeable than they are!
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Hello CLKD,
Can you please tell me Dr Currie’s address so I can send her a letter as you suggested? I can’t find her address on here. I can only see the option to email her. :-\
Should I wait until I get the letter from the specialist before I write to her?
Will she write to my doctor and get him to see sense or something?
I doubt very much there’s any point in going back to discuss anything with this idiot as he didn’t listen to anything I had to say yesterday. He’s hell bent on the specialist’s response, my opinions are completely irrelevant. I hope to God the specialist is a good one.
There is a practice nurse and a health assistant at the surgery if that’s what you mean. The docs etc aren’t seeing patients face to face any more, only by phone calls due to this poxy virus. I was told thiis could go on for 18 months!
Hi Bobidy,
I doubt if it’s any use writing to this idiot, he’s not interested in anything I have to say as I found out yesterday. To be honest I don’t want anything to do with him at all. I’m utterly sick of all of the headless chickens round there, none of them know a thing about menopause or HRT.
The only other thing I could do is make a complaint but I’m not sure if that’s going too far, they might kick me off their books altogether.
I will ask to be referred to a meno clinic if the specialist turns out to be useless but I can’t see any clinics anywhere near me according to the map on this site. :(
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I believe that Dr Currie works in a Glasgow Hospital. Unless she begins to realise how many GPs are stuck in their ways regarding menopause this situation of them not listening to patients will be a long time B4 it resolves. Whether she will write to the Drs with advice we don't know. Do you have an appt. to see the specialist yet?
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Hi Mandee - so sorry to read of your terrible experience with an unsympathetic and ignorant doctor.
Dr Currie has not asked for women to write to her about this and there is nothing she can do anyway. However you can e-mail her through this website ( separate from the forum) which will cost you ?30 - to get her advice re prescrption which you can then take to your doctor. No she does not write to your GP.
However if you have already consulted a specialist who has written to your GP I can't see this GP taking notice of her advice either. Is the letter from the specialist on your file? Is there another doctor in the practice you can "see" ( by telephone). Unfortunately there is no obligation on doctors to prescribe testosterone because the products available are off-licence for women even though there was a patch available which was only withdrawn for commerical reasons.
The doctor has no right surely to change your prescrption on a whim. Fine for him to discuss with you whether to reduce it but if you don't agree and give your reasoning then this is not on. I would do the e-mail consulation with Dr C but also take it higher - go to another doc in practice or take it further - higher (not sure of procedure here...maybe someone else can advise).
I mean I can't see the point in writing to the BMS because there is nothing they can do about individual doctors. They are in the business of education from the top down.
To have the e-mail consultation with Dr C go to the contact page of the website here:
https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/contact.php
Good luck!
Hurdity x
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How will they or Dr Currie educate Drs if they are unaware who to target, i.e. those that are giving conflicting advice and not listening to patients? Is it about time that Dr Currie and others 'high up' began to listen to women who have similar stories to tell. Dr Currie probably doesn't have time to read every thread ....... so a letter to her place of work is the first place to begin, one after all should not have to pay for advice! Apparently.
I've sent you a PM Mandee ;-)
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For info, the Email Consultation Service has been suspended for the foreseeable future due to the current virus outbreak.
Dr Currie is extremely busy. Extremely busy.
Extremely busy.
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CLKD I'm sure Dr C does not want individual letters sent to her place of work but if she is OK with this then fine.
Unfortunately you do have to pay for extra individual advice even if the doctor is sorely lacking in up-to-date knowledge - although all the information needed is freely available on the web.
However Mandee - there is a patient arm of the British Menopause Society called Women's Health Concern. They have suspended their e-mail service at the moment due to CV-19 but there is still a contact form on the website where you can express concern about your GP https://www.womens-health-concern.org/contact-whc/
You can also ask for a referral from your doctor to an NHS Menopause clinic - although who knows how long these will run under current circumstances. If they are suspended due to redeployment of NHS staff then your doc should not change your approved prescription! Heavens!
All the best with the pursuit of your continuing treatment :)
Hurdity x
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For info, the Email Consultation Service has been suspended for the foreseeable future due to the current virus outbreak.
Dr Currie is extremely busy. Extremely busy.
Extremely busy.
Thanks Emma - so Mandee - I would suggest you don't try to write at all!! Go through your doc....
All the best
Hurdity x
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Why have these particular areas shut down to menopausal women - this virus is surely outside their expertise? Drs are being asked to return to work, only if they have prior experience in virus diagnosis, control and treatment. :-\
We should NOT have to pay for advice ......... how many times have women on here been slammed for going private :-\
Sorry Mandee - let us know how you get on. If you have had a specialist consul in the past, I would go back there as my 1st choice.
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Thanks for all your replies everyone. :)
Hurdity,
I don't have an appointment with the specialist, the doctor said he's contacting one himself for advice. I haven't received a letter yet as I only saw the doctor on wednesday.
There no other doctors here that know anything about HRT.
I had the same issue over the testosterone with first gp I saw here who was anti-HRT and tried to persuade me to come off. She made me see a specialist who luckily OK'd it and it was prescribed.
I?ll just have to wait then until Dr Currie restarts her email service, God knows how long that will be! I don't mind paying as that prescription advice thing you mentioned sounds helpful. 8)
I assumed that doctors can do exactly as they please regarding prescribing.
The doctor did ask me if I've ever smoked, are overweight, ever had a leg blood clot or heart attack and if there's anyone in my close family who's had breast cancer to which I answered no to all. He said 'that's fantastic? so I took that as a good sign, if he was adamant about cancelling it he wouldn't have asked me anything.
He asked me how long I've been on HRT as well which shows he hasn't even bothered to read my notes.
I asked him if he was going to stop everything and he said no, but he did say he's not going to reauthorise without advice from the specialist, the same thing as with that first gp I mentioned above so it all depends on that I guess.
it's really going to screw things up if he does decide to change or stop anything at this time. How on earth am I going to visit a meno clinic or specialist of any kind if they?re not open???
Can doctors actually stop a treatment and leave you without anything? That's the impression I got. Even though he did listen to me and asked questions he was still hellbent on consulting a specialist no matter what I said.
Can anyone give me advice about buying this stuff online?
I've read that you can get patches and Vagifem from online pharmacies without your gp being informed, but not Utrogestan, so how could I get the progesterone? I have seen Evorel Sequi for sale but how would I go about adjusting the progesterone part that's built into them? I would need to use 3 patches at a time as I'm on 150 and this would increase the progesterone dose also.
If I can sort this out I won't need to worry about all this doctor crap, just the cost of buying it. 8)
I have no possible way of going to Spain etc and nobody who goes there to get it over the counter.
I have started leaving my patches on all week instead of changing them twice weekly to make them last twice as long incase they get stopped altogether.
Thanks again for all your help :)
Mandee
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Hi! yep. GPs can stop treatment even when recommended by a specialist. However, many forget that they are there to listen, that they are GPs and not consultants. If each referral to a specialist comes out of the Surgery budget, many are now loathe to refer .....
Your GP should continue prescribing, you should not have to buy Vagifem etc. privately. It would be better if GPs concentrated on what is currently working for patients whilst this crisis is on, then review at the end of 2020 when health care has stabilised. Rather than trying to put a point over?
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Why have these particular areas shut down to menopausal women - this virus is surely outside their expertise? Drs are being asked to return to work, only if they have prior experience in virus diagnosis, control and treatment. :-\
We should NOT have to pay for advice ......... how many times have women on here been slammed for going private :-\
Sorry Mandee - let us know how you get on. If you have had a specialist consul in the past, I would go back there as my 1st choice.
Um CLKD - there is a pandemic ? It's been all over the news for ages - that as many NHS staff as possible are going to be redeployed and/or retrained at all levels in Intensive care and treatment of respiratory conditions. Have you seen the situation in Italy? Hopefully it won't be as bad but the peak is expected in mid May - don't want to sidetrack the thread but just to explain! Of course menopause services will be put on hold in many areas. This is about saving people's lives directly during an unprecedented emergency which is going to go on for months. Just google retraining NHS for coronavirus and you will see all the articles.
As for the private treatment chestnut - women have not been slammed for getting private treatment! I think we are both equally agree that no-one should have to pay for private treatment. I ( and you) jump up and down when women are not getting the treatment they deserve from NHS and advise women what to do. In the extreme situation where a GP is being uncooperative we advise that the ?30 consultation with Dr Currie provides a very very cheap way of getting expert opinion on menopause and HRT which women can take to their doctors - not much more than the cost of a prescription. They shouldn't have to, but it is the easiest and cheapest way to get such a view, without having to seek private treatment or be your own advocate.
Unfortunately due to the emergency the service has been suspended. Mandee - I wouldn't rely on it restarting any time soon. In fact it may well be that your doc does not get a response from the specialist although hopefully will...
No need to buy online even if you could (you need a prescription anyway) - but great advice from Rockhopper!! Please do as she suggests and hopefully you will get somewhere if your doc doesn't play ball.
Hang in there Mandee and let us know how you get on :)
Hurdity x
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Hi Rockhopper,
Thank you for this information. :)
I have been on Louise Newson's website but can't find the letter you mentioned. The only one I found was a short example one to request HRT from a gp. There is nothing in it mentioning any laws. Please can you help with this?
I will also write to the practice manager and the CQC if necessary.
I will have to wait for the specialist's letter before I do anything.
CLKD,
I was thinking the same thing that doctors should be putting off changing anything at the moment and wait until things are back to normal.
My gp did say that he didn't understand why the surgery booked my review as they should have stopped doing them due to the virus and said I must have somehow slipped through the net.
How do doctors reauthorise prescriptions when they've all been issued if reviews have been suspended, is it just done automatically?
Mandee
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I have just been to pick up my prescription from the chemist, no problems with that but there's something new on the repeat slip I don't understand.
My usual slip just has the list of items with the tick boxes titled ?repeat medication? at the top.
The new one I just got with my meds has an extra bit above this titled ?prescribed medication information?. This only has the Evorel 100 patches, Utrogestan and the testogel, but no Vagifem or Evorel 50 patches to make up the original 150 dose I was getting from the previous gp. I'm guessing this means that this new top part is what the new gp is going to give me once the issues from the old doc run out.
Can anyone tell me if I'm right about this please.
It doesn't make sense as he was most concerned about the testosterone, yet it's showing in this new part. ???
I can understand the Vagifem and 50 patches disappearing as he was being funny about the ?high dose of hormones? during my review.
I haven't had any letter from the specialist as yet.
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You need to ring your Surgery or ask the Pharmacist.
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You need to ring your Surgery or ask the Pharmacist.
Hi CLKD,
I phoned the chemist and she just said to ignore it but I really don't think she was sure about it either.
Birdy,
Yes it's pathetic isn't it. My chemist is so nice and really helpful, she knows about the problems I've had with the (now 4) other doctors. She was really surprised at what I told her as she actually said I'd be fine with this gp when I had told her I was worried about the upcoming review a few weeks ago.
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Not reassuring then!
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Hi everyone
I got a call from the doctor yesterday (I didn't get any letter from the specialist). I thought I was speaking to someone else, his whole attitude was completely different and couldn't have been nicer!
I told him I was dreading the call and he couldn't apologise enough for making me feel scared during the review and that it wasn't intended. He added that there's no way he wants me to suffer with ?horrible menopause symptoms? and only wishes to do his best to help me.
He said that the specialist was not a meno doctor, just a gynaecologist and therefore has no experience in menopause but is the one that the practice always consults about these issues and gave me his name when I asked for it.
He said the gynae also felt that my patch dose is way too high and should be reduced and that I don't need the Vagifem as I get enough from the patches. I explained that this is completely wrong and it's needed indefinitely otherwise symptoms come back, so he's allowing me to continue on them. 8)
He said he's reducing the patches down to 100 (I'm on 150) to see how I get on for 6 weeks, but he then gave me the option to stay as I am if I'm happier this way and have another review in 4 months time. :)
I did explain to him that I could be a poor absorber hence the high dose which he accepted but did say he only wants me to be safe and not come back to him with some horrible gynaecological cancer.
He was really understanding the whole time listening to everything I had to say and didn't mention that bloody virus once.
He did scare me though as he said he's going to stop it all when I'm 60, to which I replied thats also wrong as there's no cut off time according to the NICE guideline. He said we would discuss it then and I can be referred to a menopause clinic if necessary.
After all the research I've been doing, I must admit I am a bit worried about the risks now as I've been on it quite a while. :(