To pay for a private menopause clinic as GP so useless?

Sorry! What you wrote is very useful!

I was also thinking this.

OP you say you’ve always had hormonal difficulties and your current difficulties are clearly related to your cycle so what makes you think it’s menopause related? What specific menopause symptoms are you experiencing?

Cross posted! So now my reply looks ridiculous LOL.

Depends what progesterone is used. Progesterone is a natural hormone, it’s not a progesterone “intolerance” but rather a reaction to the fluctuations that drives PMS/PMDD symptoms. Drospirenone can be really beneficial for PMDD and inhibiting ovulation with a combined pill can stabilise those fluctuations too.

Saying “the pill is a bad idea” isn’t helpful as all pills are not equal.

I wrote a response without checking exactly what youd advised, apologies...

I was thinking this too, sounds like PMT.

I urge you to do it - it literally saves my life.

Sound like PMDD or PMS rather than perimenopause.

Again, using a combined pill with drospirenone would be more beneficial than HRT.

It sounds like you need to start with basic HRT, in which case you don't need to pay for a specialist, you need better primary care, which should be cheaper and more accessible than specialists. I would try a different GP or something like super drug online pharmacy. I'd consider mirena coil for the progesterone component if you're sensitive to oral progesterone. Jen Gunter has a handy sub stack page on progestogen options for people who are sensitive to it - paywalled and I don't have access any more but worth subscribing if this is an issue for you.

I went private. You can shop around and you can also do remote. Once I had a few private consultations I was much clearer about my needs and could advocate with my GP.

Its not easy to change GP, I think you have to be in catchment or something?

If you have the money I would do the consultation, my GP is rubbish as well although for other reasons, she knew nothing really about HRT although didnt quibble with me.

I have the same issues, extreme symptoms coming and going, I never know how Im going to be.

You can ask for an NHS menopause clinic referral but you’d be considered very young for HRT (which is probably all they can realistically offer). What treatment are you hoping for? And has your GP offered antidepressants? They can be very effective for hormonal mood disorders.

I was referred to an NHS clinic and was actually offered an appointment very quickly and dealt with in one phone call and prescribed testosterone which is what I wanted. Everything else was dealt with by my GP.

I did this. I couldn't face some rushed appointment with a GP at my practice. I never see the same person twice and I wanted some kind of consistent care from someone as invested in my future as I am. I saw a private GP who is a member of the British Menopause Society. I had an hour long really thorough appointment and have a plan in place that will be reviewed in 3 months time with the same GP.

What have you been offered so far? Have you tried any hormonal medication? For younger women standard HRT isn’t always particularly helpful and without physical vasomotor symptoms there is a limit to what can be achieved for psychological symptoms (HRT is tricky to resolve these).

It may be worth trialing a combined pill such as Zoely, or Qlaira, to give you some hormonal “stability”.

I'm 42 and as far as my Go is concerned far too young to need any assistance. I'm really struggling with the effect on my mental health, for 2 weeks out of every month I feel like myself, I'm happy, chatty and energetic. The week of and before my period I'm an anxious mess, even driving is hard, i catastrophise everything, suffer with imposter syndrome at work and generally just very sad.

This has been going on for a year now.

I'm too thinking of going private x

Have you tried changing your gp? Or asking them to refer you to your local nhs menopause clinic ?