To be so annoyed with bloody paternalistic NHS

Ah, so Op can't be trusted not to have sex with someone other than her husband then.

I BEGGED for a hysterectomy for 17 years. And medically speaking, I was eligible. However I wasn't allowed one in case "I wanted to have more children".

They do not give out hysterectomies just because someone doesn't want to get pregnant. Not when they are of child baring age.

Believe me, i tried and so have thousands of women before/after me.

Agree, sorry you have been treated like this

Absolutely not and I'm not about to but my original point still stands. Of course there are wider implications but if a doctor lets a pt know about the risks and they have suitable contraception in place (vasectomy) then I don't see the issue.

No it doesn’t - he’s not the only man who can get her pregnant.

I 100% get this perhaps if op had
proof she would definitely need to terminate pregnancy due to health anyway this could help? Because I agree there are no for women who are absolutely convinced and suddenly they’re pregnant. it seems to be particularly common when people get close to meno.

That’s mad, why should she do that? You make it sound like she could just pop into Boots and ask them to tie tubes for her.

Because people say all that but later when a proble. Happe s say it was t explained properly to them and then sure the doctors.

Or something happens to the patient and the family sues the doctors. Regardless of what was discussed.

It's not worth it for the doctor to put them self at risk.

Lots of news articles. Where doctors get sued for spurious reasons.

Where things have been explained to the patient then 2 years later they get sued for something that wasn't their fault.

I'm not surprised they won't prescribe it.

There's a lot to go through here.

You need to see a neurologist and a gynaecologist. Insist on it.

At least half of all days I wake up with some form of aura, go through packs of nurofen and sumatriptan

That's a serious issue. You are at risk of addiction, and you may already be there. You should not be taking this much ibuprofen or sumatriptan. Addiction doesn't mean that you get some sort of high on something - it's means your body develops a dependency on certain medicines and that could take a while to sort out.

It looks like the root cause is your hormones. Your GP or gynaecologist could prescribe you HRT to see if it works, but it may not be a magic cure, and it will probably be tough for you to convince them. HRT is sometimes used as a migraine therapy, btw. Less so in the U.K, I imagine. You won't be able to use HRT as contraception btw - this would purely be for your migraines or other symptoms.

A neurologist might be a little unfamiliar with that, but they will be very familiar with prescribing prophylactics, to prevent migraines. Be careful though - amitriptyline and others like it are old fashioned anti-depressants and doesn't exactly sound like a picnic to wean off. There's also increasing studies that link anticholinergic medicines with increased risk of dementia, so it's not ideal to be on something like that for a long time.

Also, in your case, I'd be concerned that this is simply masking a hormonal issue. This may not show on your blood tests though, so be prepared to be dismissed if they come back within 'normal' range.

This isn’t correct. I’m 43, suffering with peri symptoms so just started HRT but also on the mini pill as have to take statins for familial hypercholesterolaemia and am currently still technically having periods and am sexually active with my DH. I’d go back and insist on contraception.

Will do 🌻

Not my experience - GP just wouldn’t prescribe it. I’ve no health conditions, healthy weight. GP is actually the practices women’s health go-to person.

Oh yes - I’m not saying they shouldn’t have it. But if the OP can’t carry a child and her husband has had the snip - surely she should be able to have it too.

So Op's husband having had a vasectomy doesn't count as being on a "pregnancy prevention programme"?

Is that because a vasectomy isn't a reliable form of contraception then..?

@rainbowsandraspberrygin and they will all have received a risk assessment for prescribing under the pregnancy prevention programme which ensure they are using highly effective contraception.

@80smonster a private GP would also have to follow the pregnancy prevention programme.

Plenty of people are prescribed this for epilepsy- I know a few who are female and of childbearing age. If it is this drug then that seems unfair that OP can’t have it.

it’s ridiculous OP. I’m so sorry 😔

Your GP sounds heavy-handed. I would get a private GP to prescribe for me. Once you have it on your scripts, you shouldn’t need another appointment.

@Crunchymum it depends on the medication - for topiramate and sodium valproate the prescriber must follow the pregnancy prevention programme. And the OPs husband isn’t the only man who can get her pregnant - it is about her fertility not his.

I am so sorry you are going through this. Please contact The National Migraine Centre (see link) they will help you, even if you can make a donation.

www.nationalmigrainecentre.org.uk/migraine-clinic/funding-your-appointment/

I take a medication (for an autoimmune condition) that you aren't allowed to get pregnant on. Beyond being asked if I'm using contraception it's never been a deal breaker in having my medication prescribed? (Medication causes birth defects and there is a 3 month wash out period between taking this medication and being able to ttc)

I am agog that even with your DH having had a vasectomy, you are being denied this medication @MyKindHiker

More likely they're jumpy after it being prescribed to women as a cheap treatment for bipolar/medication resistant depression (ie, it being related to their environment/abuse and not their brains) for years without bothering to tell them that it's teratogenic even whilst they were pregnant.

Used to work in gynaecology. The consultant wanted to go to the local psych department and batter the boss senseless because of the numbers of women he'd seen that a) hadn't been told and b) were told to keep taking it.

I had exactly the same thing said to me a few years ago - I was getting migraines that waxed and waned in intensity but essentially went on for weeks and months at a time. GP wouldn't refer me to neurology until I had tried one antidepressant as a prophylactic, a beta blocker, and then Topiramate - without trying all three unsuccessfully I couldn't be referred. But the GP also refused to prescribe Topiramate to me as it can cause birth defects and I am of child bearing age. Which seems a bit of a daft double whammy as migraines mostly (but not always) affect women of childbearing age. Anyway during Covid I saw a different (female) GP who agreed to trial it .... it didn't work and I ended up being referred to neurology anyway but now I'm able to get Botox which helps enormously.Can you see a different GP?

@gemma9239 it’s not about nanny state guidelines, it’s about safety. Have you read the pregnancy prevention programme?

Precisely this. I have had to go on meds at various points during my “childbearing years”, inc my 20s, that can have an affect on a fetus - deformity etc, quite drastic effects that would absolutely lead to major deformities, even if they somehow did make it to term, so likely wouldn’t live anyway - in particular one, that the effects were so serious they had to make sure you were on/using some kind of contraception (at the time I wasn’t using any, for various reasons, but mostly because I wasn’t currently having in sex/in a relationship, but if I was then I understood I needed to use/take contraception), that you had to sign a form saying you were told about the risks and that if you did get pregnant that you would have to agree to an abortion as the effects would be so devastating they basically wouldn’t be “compatible with life”. So in this particular case (plus an entirely different sort of med I’m on now, which they have only just started advising against pregnancy, but again they just warn you against this but you are still allowed to take it, you’re just more aware now. I’m technically/theoretically able to get pregnant still as I’m not yet menopausal [we don’t think, and I’m still advised to use contraception even at this age 50+ because there is still a small possibility] but I’m still allowed the agency to make my own mind up), the one I was on in my 20s, it really was dangerous for a fetus, and I wasn’t in any kind of relationship at that point anyway (as far as I can remember!) so wasn’t using any kind of contraception but was aware that I would have to have an abortion if I did get pregnant, but I was still allowed the meds because I signed the form and was in control of my own body and the consequences of becoming pregnant. I wasn’t denied the drug because I wasn’t on effective/any kind of contraception, I knew I’d have to use contraception if I was to have sex and the consequences of getting pregnant and what that would mean - an abortion. I don’t understand why this can’t be the case for the drug the op needs too.

And yes, like others have said not being a man is relevant, because it should make jo difference which sex you are, and whether you’re biologically able to become pregnant or not, because you can be responsible enough to manage the contraception side of things and not become pregnant. Sex should not come into it. There are disclaimers you can sign - including that legally you’d have to have an abortion on drugs that would lead to extreme and severe effects on a fetus, because the drugs were so damaging. Including, also for a period of x number of months after coming off the drug. But we were allowed to use our own agency and decide for ourselves if we wanted to go ahead with the drug, knowing all the consequences and signing these forms.