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[Ladybt28]

Thanks Hurdity I will do exactly as you say ref the provera.

Mary G - I don't really have money to go private and it is very difficult because I live in Northern Ireland so I would have to fly to England to see Professor Studd.  I know its tacky to talk money but how much is a consultation with him?  We have one meno clinic here at the Mater Hospital in Belfast.  I got sent there in July but the Dr did not fill me with confidence it was just like seeing my GP.  She was the one that prescribed the continuous regime.

I was thinking about borrowing money to go an see a private gynae here because maybe they would give me more than 20 minutes at a time to explain myself but although I can look up a list of about 5 here I have no idea whether any of them are any good and whether any of them specialise in the depression aspect.  I love living here but unfortunately Northern Ireland is a bit in the dark ages medically - well we are about 7 years behind the UK with anything to do with living generally!!

Does anyone know how I can find out about the gynea's or will I just have to phone around and ask?  - will the receptionists even know - its quite a specialist field of HRT isnt it?  Is there anyone on the forum who lives here in Northern Ireland - maybe I could start a thread asking and they might be able to tell me who they see?  As I have'nt got much money I would need to get the right person the first time.

I was thinking of emailing Dr Currie tomorrow but it says that she answer's questions - not that she can do a "diagnosis by email" bless her.  As I am new to all this could one of you tell me how the process works for Dr Currie and what info I need to put down and in what format,  if it is possible to get her to help me or is it just simple practical dosing questions that she can help with?

Sorry to bombard everyone with so much stuff all at once but I am desperate and this cannot continue.  I have wasted 40 years of my life just putting up with this and the older I am getting the more I am thinking this is no life at all  - I have felt like this for years but it has been right at the edge for over 2 years now - its dangerous - but mental health people are not going to fix it - and now I am on this forum I see its unnecessary to continue this way - I just have to find the right person to help me.  I suppose that will be easier to do now I have actually worked out what has been going on all these years.

Info about Dr Currie - and anyone in Northern Ireland seeing a meno specialist anyone?

[Mary G]

Ladybt, you could try ringing some menopause specialists in NI and asking them if they specifically deal with hormonal anxiety and depression.  As you rightly point out, it is a highly specialised field and the average GP is not qualified to deal with it.  The fact that you have been left untreated for so many years doesn't fill me with confidence to be honest.

Professor Studd does telephone consultations if that helps.  The fact that you are based in NI would make it easier to justify a telephone consultation and he works with two other doctors, namely Dr Mike Savvas and Mr Neale Watson both of whom have a good bedside manner.  Why not ring their secretary tomorrow to discuss a possible consultation?  It costs about £300.  They will write to your GP with their recommended prescription meaning you can get your medication on the NHS after the first consultation.

Dr Louise Newson is also very good but very booked up.  I don't know if she offers telephone consultations but you could ask.

You may find someone nearer to home which would be easier but do run your case past them first and make sure they can help you before parting with any money.

Re the NHS, what is their protocol for hormonal anxiety and depression and severe progesterone intolerance, does anyone know?  For example, what do they do for women like me who can only take a very tiny amount of progesterone and have to have regular scans, is this a service they offer and do they sanction very low doses of progesterone in unusual circumstances? 

You could try emailing Dr Currie.

In the meantime, hopefully you will start to feel better now you have stopped taking the Provera but you need to find a regime that works for you.

[Hurdity]

Thanks Hurdity I will do exactly as you say ref the provera.

Mary G - I don't really have money to go private and it is very difficult because I live in Northern Ireland so I would have to fly to England to see Professor Studd.  I know its tacky to talk money but how much is a consultation with him?  We have one meno clinic here at the Mater Hospital in Belfast.  I got sent there in July but the Dr did not fill me with confidence it was just like seeing my GP.  She was the one that prescribed the continuous regime.

I was thinking about borrowing money to go an see a private gynae here because maybe they would give me more than 20 minutes at a time to explain myself but although I can look up a list of about 5 here I have no idea whether any of them are any good and whether any of them specialise in the depression aspect.  I love living here but unfortunately Northern Ireland is a bit in the dark ages medically - well we are about 7 years behind the UK with anything to do with living generally!!

Does anyone know how I can find out about the gynea's or will I just have to phone around and ask?  - will the receptionists even know - its quite a specialist field of HRT isnt it?  Is there anyone on the forum who lives here in Northern Ireland - maybe I could start a thread asking and they might be able to tell me who they see?  As I have'nt got much money I would need to get the right person the first time.

I was thinking of emailing Dr Currie tomorrow but it says that she answer's questions - not that she can do a "diagnosis by email" bless her.  As I am new to all this could one of you tell me how the process works for Dr Currie and what info I need to put down and in what format,  if it is possible to get her to help me or is it just simple practical dosing questions that she can help with?

Sorry to bombard everyone with so much stuff all at once but I am desperate and this cannot continue.  I have wasted 40 years of my life just putting up with this and the older I am getting the more I am thinking this is no life at all  - I have felt like this for years but it has been right at the edge for over 2 years now - its dangerous - but mental health people are not going to fix it - and now I am on this forum I see its unnecessary to continue this way - I just have to find the right person to help me.  I suppose that will be easier to do now I have actually worked out what has been going on all these years.

Info about Dr Currie - and anyone in Northern Ireland seeing a meno specialist anyone?

Ladybt - you really really do not have to even think about entertaining the cost of a visit to Prof Studd. Despite what Mary G says it is really not necessary and please don't borrow money to do so. It is really frustrating I know. There is a difference between having to have a consultation with the Prof and reading his theories on reproductive depression about which he is very eminent and a pioneer in that field - so do read about this on his website - there are main tabs to left and sub tabs in each section right. You will soon get the picture: http://www.studd.co.uk/reproductivedepression.php

You are on quite a high dose of oestrogen at the moment but for reasons given ( libido) I would gradually look to changing to transdermal body-identical oestrogen gel or patches (not tablets as these can reduce libido). In your position I would get your GP or specialist to help you to gradually switch over ie try half and half to start with and you may need a bit of juggling - and then gradually phase out the Premarin.

OK re N Ireland - I would start a post - maybe even one in this section and one in This and That worded differently - with Northern Ireland in the thread title to attract the attention of other members. I know there are members from there. If you look at this link a couple of specialists are listed https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/clinicsearchresults.php?region=northernireland but some of this info is out of date so you would be better off googling, looking at the websites of specialists and then phoning them up. If you get 20 mins from an NHS menopause clinic then that's great! Oh I see you went to one of them listed... the Mater hospital.

Re Dr Currie - she is wonderful. What you need to do is work out what you want her to help with and what you are going to do with her response - take it to your GP for example and use it as a basis for changing your treatment? Will your GP take Dr Currie's advice over the specialist who has already prescribed that regime or will you go back to the Mater hosp with Dr C's advice? You are permitted one question - but give her as much background as you can about yourself. She generally favours no-bleed regimes but you will see from my quote of her post that she also says treatment should be individualised. No she doesn't do a diagnosis but on the basis of what you say about your hormonal depression and how you feel on the continuous combined regime as well as lack of libido I imagine she may suggest oestrogen patches or gel with Utrogestan - hopefully on a cyclical regime. Be sure to ask her what dose you should take and maybe mention high doses as per Prof Studd ref reproductive depression? It only costs £25!

I hope this helps and if you need any more advice do please ask - we are all trying to help in the best way we can

Hurdity x

[Ladybt28]

You are all being wonderful - I have got more information and been listened to for longer in the last couple of days than I have done in years!
What I need is to have a proper specialist person lend weight to the fact that I am suffering and have suffered for years from hormonal depression since I started my periods at 13.  I have told numerous mental health experts about that and the postnatal depression and PMT and asked a million times why anti-depressants didn't work but no one seems to have put 2+2 together.  Now with the menopause thing and everything I have read and what's happening to me know it's like putting a jigsaw puzzle together and it all makes perfect sense.  I have been back in with the mental health team again in the last 2 years whilst all the upheaval with my hrt was going on, but still no link made.  I do know we a bit backward medically here in NI in loads of areas and our doctors seem to take the attitude that they are the all knowing and powerful ones and what they say must be right!  They hardly spend any time, don't ask many questions and are prone to dismissive pronouncements. Unfortunately we have had a lot of illess in our family - hearts, kidneys, cancer and a genetic condition so I have encountered a lot of doctors here over the last 20 years and it seems to be their way here generally - not just that I've encountered a couple of bad doctors - they like to tell their patients what's wrong with them not the patient saying I know what the problem is!  Plus how does the patient know out of 40 years worth of stuff what is the important bit to fit into 20 minutes?

From being on here I know what the important bits are now so I might do better.

If a proper specialist in that particular field of meno could make a proper diagnosis and write down about the hormonal depression and put together a treatment plan of sorts to start working to,  I would go straight back to the meno Clinic at the Mater without waiting for them to call me back in 3 months and get them to look after me.  I would feel on stronger ground if I could get some authority to come from a specialist in that field somewhere or a specialist who knows about Studds work.  Bear in mind I am coming across as completely loopy at the moment, can't string a sentance together without crying and am like a jibbering idiot about my situation when challenged.

I think I might make some phone calls tomorrow with the consultants here and ask some questions see if they are familier with Dr Studds work.


I will keep you all posted but first things first tomorrow - no provera!

[Dotty]

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=37505.0 

Have a look at this thread....Dr Deidre Lundy. Don't know if she's near to you x

[Hurdity]

Re the NHS, what is their protocol for hormonal anxiety and depression and severe progesterone intolerance, does anyone know?  For example, what do they do for women like me who can only take a very tiny amount of progesterone and have to have regular scans, is this a service they offer and do they sanction very low doses of progesterone in unusual circumstances? 

Mary G - Night_Owl (who has been a member of this forum for some years) is severely progesterone intolerant and is treated on NHS with the minimum dose/longest duration cycle she can get away with to keep her endometrium thin and has regular scans through her menopause clinic - possibly 6 monthly if i remember? I am sure she won't mind my saying. Have a look at her posts and then maybe send her a pm?

Hurdity x

[Ladybt28]

Well ladies - what a day! Bouyed by your kind words and advice over the weekend I made some phone calls this morning and am pleased to report RESULT!
Firstly I found a lady consultant Joanne McManus who is a member of the British Menopause Society has a private practice but it turns out and is also the head honcho at the meno clinic at the Mater Belfast.  I tried for a private appointment with her but first one was 2nd October.  Her sec said to phone the Mater and see if there were any other consultants doing private appointments.  Phoned the Mater and turns out the meno clinic for the whole of NI is staffed by Dr McManus another junior specialist Dr and a specialist nurse practitioner called Philomena! Wow - impressive huh - actually no I think not given the number of women in this province.

Receptionist says "have you seen someone here before" I said yes (it was the junior) - she says "they do telephone reviews - I will get someone to call you!"  - Philomena phones and we are on for 40 minutes and I went over all the bits that I have learned and explained the jigsaw puzzle that is my previous history to her and told her my problems now and said I wanted someone to prescribe and supervise the Studd regime.  She seemed to want to go with Everol conti patches but I sort of ignored her and carried on talking about the stud regime and hormonal depression blah blah  I really went for what I thought because well - after all the faffing about it seemed sensible to start with the thing most likely to work.  She said she would call me back.

Yeh hey  - She just called - I pick up my prescription for oestrogel and utrogesten on Wednesday! morning.
Testosterone could follow but once I have balanced the other 2!   

I can't thank you all enough  - now I'm going to be after you all to help me master the right dosage for me as we go along.  Thank God I found you all - defo not out of the woods yet but maybe I'm actually on the right road to start with.

[Hurdity]

This is great news Ladybt! There you are!!! It all happens in Northern ireland - better than in some parts of England eg SW England where there are no menopause clinics!

I'm going away for a few days soon, but the others will be able to advise on dosage - however I would be tempted to phase in the gel and phase out the Premarin - not sure if you are able to halve the dosage or something -just because the equine oestrogens are somewhat different? Be sure to take the Utrogestan on a cycle - 200 mg for 12 days per 28 to start with and see what sort of bleed you get - I presume this is what you have been prescribed?  Also it is more effective if used vaginally but if you prefer to take it orally - as licensed then give it a whirl. It might make you sleepy the following morning and perhaps a bit foggy headed but hopefully you will be OK with it? The gel users will help you with that!

Good luck and I am so pleased that you have been given the regime you asked for - at least these hormones are the same as the ones our own body makes!

Let us know how you get on - stay positive and here's to feeling much better very soon

Hurdity    x

[Hurdity]

PS I also meant to say that you might find your libido improves once you've been on transdermal bio-identical estradiol gel for a while so do wait a few weeks (months?) before thinking about adding testosterone.

Hurdity x