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[Mandee]

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.

[CLKD]

 

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. 

[Bobidy]

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

[Baby]

If I get the virus I think it will finish me off along with how poorly I am all the time with this menopause

[Mandee]

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.

[Bobidy]

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

[CLKD]

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!

[Mandee]

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.

[CLKD]

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?

[Hurdity]

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

[CLKD]

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 ;-)

[Emma]

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.

[Hurdity]

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

[Hurdity]

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

[CLKD]

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.