To think it's useless going to the GP about women's problems

Not my experience at all. My GP was very sympathetic when I went to discuss horrendous PMT symptoms despite being on the implant. I thought she'd fob me off and send me away with antidepressants but she was really nice and discussed all my options with me.

Go to a sexual health clinic instead. You're luckily that your periods settled on the copper coil- mine were horrible!

@Tumblingjungleofchaos yeah, he was crap. That anecdote from your GP friend sounds about right! 😂

@BobbyBiscuits that GP is a disgrace and shouldn't be in medicine if he's not prepared to deal with people's bits!

I remember years ago a GP acquaintance of mine saying that about a quarter of their appts were for mental health, a quarter for "downstairs issues" (male and female) and all the rest combined was the other half! Fingers up bums before 10am was the norm!

I'd ask for a different doctor next time. If the one you saw wasn't the lead doctor then ask for them. My mum had a bad experience with a young male GP who was so embarrassed and awkward that he didn't examine her properly when she had severe rectal and vaginal pain. He basically sent her away saying he couldn't see anything? He didn't even feel or look to any meaningful degree. And looked like he was about to cry with embarrassment.
Luckily the next one she got was much more thorough and professional.
If you are really not confident with any of them then switch practices. Look at reviews and ask around locally for feedback.

I just wanted to respond to a pp - I’m not arguing with your experience at all of course, but a lovely locum literally saved my life about ten years ago when the GPs all ignored and insulted me. Just like with any of the staff the locums can really vary in attitude too.

I tracked my cycle for 12 months and researched myself to discover I have pmdd. I went to the gp and was referred for scans to show adenomyosis. I was given sertraline for the pmdd and eventually the mirena coil.

I have never been able to take contraception before as always had a bad reaction but I feel like I must need it now to thin my womb lining so it's working well.

The sertraline helps to stop me being so anxious and short tempered - I'm on the lowest dose so it's not really therapeutic but I feel like it really does help.

I feel these days we need to figure out what's wrong with us and take it to the gp as otherwise you just get fobbed off.

Even though I had a massive family history of autoimmune disease, my gp refused to listen and told me I had PND. Even though my hair fell out, I had palpitations and eventually ended up in hospital. At which point I was diagnosed immediately with Hashimotos and was in a massive thyroid storm.

17 years later I eventually got signed off from hospital endocrinology. With a medication that took that long to fine tune, with experts and a LOT of fighting.

Then, I hit menopause. My medication needs adjustment. The crap local endocrinologist tella me its because my levels are out of whack. They are not. I'm menopausal. You need to listen. He doesn't listen.

Luckily, my new GP listens to the complaint I made and I am now allowed to co tinue with my medication PLUS hrt.

If I had not been a stubborn asshole my whole life I would literally have died from thyroid collapse.

Now i'm dealing with my senile mum and honestly, it's horrifying how she gets treated.

Gps need to LISTEN to women.

My experience is that nurse practitioners are way better at this sort of thing.

I've been having quite heavy and long break through bleeding (for me - 1 week+, much longer then usual) on the minipill all of a sudden. Been feeling increasingly exhausted as the week has gone on and hardly able to do anythinge coupled with some other symptoms (heart palpitations, feeling weak/tired a lot, breathless at times). I'm concerned I might be anemic but when I rang up at 8am on the dot this morning for an appointment I was told that my symptoms weren't of great concern and the soonest I could be seen was next week due to "capacity issues".

I didn't know quite what to say to that really and just begrudgingly accepted that appointment...didn't really feel like I could argue with the receptionist.

My GP was dreadful. She gave me a potent antipsychotic off label for severe anxiety and insomnia and told me not to look up the side effects. I was subsequently injured by it and now have a permanent neurological involuntary movement disorder. It's shitty. I always do my own research now and don't trust doctors much at all. Most have gaslit me.

You can ask your gp to refer you to haematologist.

I'm too tired to discuss all the horrendous ways I've been dismissed over the decades and the resulting consequences to my health but it's shit. OP. Monumentally SHIT.

I wish someone had told me in my late teens to start putting a savings pot aside for my future health needs. The misogyny within the healthcare system is institutionalised. It's across all fields. Women needs are dismissed, too many times a woman has to go playing GP Blind Date to find one who will take her issues seriously.

Older women are feeling forced into taking their husbands or children with them to appointments, like they have no agency in order to be taken seriously.

Young women are giving each other advice on Social Media about removing their make-up and dressing down before entering the GP office or risk being told 'they look well'

I've found the ANP at our practice is MUCH more informed and up to date on latest info on anything to do with women's health than any of the GPs. I now ask to see her instead and she has been excellent.

I 100% agree with this. When I rang to ask to speak to a female doctor about perimenopause they actually recommended seeing the ANP instead and she was fantastic. Really listened to me, noted all my symptoms and referred me for the relevant testing.

I've found the ANP at our practice is MUCH more informed and up to date on latest info on anything to do with women's health than any of the GPs. I now ask to see her instead and she has been excellent.

Possibly because she is a woman in her 50's herself but she definitely "gets" it. The young locum doctors who are rotated so fast like spinning tops round the various practices don't give a hoot. They couldn't be less interested in finding a solution and just want to write a script and shoo you out the door as fast as possible.

As others have said it's pot luck unfortunately.

I've been back and forth to the doctors for 2 years with heavy periods and it was dismissed until I saw a new doctor 2 months ago who sent me for a scan and turns out I have a couple of large fibroids. I've now been referred to a gynae for an action plan. All I can say is keep persisting.

You’re not unreasonable but I don’t think it’s just about female-specific problems. A lot of them are useless for pretty much anything now :(

All GP practices should have a women's health (menopause) specialist. Ask your practice manager who that is.

Does breast pain count for this thread?

After failing to book a mammogram some time ago I've been aware I should make an appointment.
A couple of twinges of breast pain last night prompted me to call this morning to book in.
After mentioning the twinges, I'd been seen by a GP by midday and booked in for the mammogram which takes place soon.
The kindness and knowledge of the GP and the efficiency the practice staff was so impressive.
I am sorry you haven't all experienced such good treatment. It is still out there, I suppose I am lucky, I really hope you get better treatment soon.

Potentially a side effect of heavy periods from copper coil

I've got pregnant twice while exclusively bf, both times within 6 months. Not true for some women and who wants to take a chance, if pregnancies so close together not desired (were in our case)

A GP and NHS gynaecologist told me the reason I wasn't conceiving was because I needed to relax more... Luckily we have savings and could pay to see a HCP who knew more about women's health and we eventually conceived through IVF.