Today I hit a wall thanks to my doctors

[Lima45]

I've just got off the phone to my doctors, and I'm really annoyed.
Bit of backstory, I've had tendinitis in my shoulder since October and since the pandemic all treatment has had to stop. That's fair enough, although I work in a physical job and cannot do it with my shoulder not working properly and I have quite a bit of pain which painkillers don't really touch.

However now I'm being told that I can't get my contraceptive jab. Again because of CV19. Ok, can I have a prescription for the combined pill please?

Nope. Can only have the mini pill. That's all they're allowed to offer me without a face to face. No they're not supporting Skype or zoom or other video calling.

The last time I was on the mini pill I got pregnant despite taking it religiously.

So I can't have a face to face, I can't have my jab, I can't continue shoulder treatment so I can't work, and now my only contraception option beyond condoms is the one that let me down.

While I understand that they can't do anything involving contact I don't understand why my only choice is the mini pill, which is the only form of contraception I don't trust.
Just feel like crying. Can't sleep due to shoulder pain. My mental health is going to pot. My counselling had been postponed and now I can't even have a choice in my contraception. Friends who live in other areas have either been given their jab at the local walk in centre or been given a choice of contraception alternatives. I got told it's this or nothing.

I've been relatively upbeat so far during lockdown. But this just broke me a little. I feel I have no choice over anything in my life anymore

Bloody hell, with all of your health issues I'm amazed you can manage sex!
Joking aside, my DH also has the same issue with his shoulder, he's doing his own physio at home and it's helping with the restricted movement. I can see why the gp won't give you anything other than the mini pill at the moment due to you ur other health needs. So it may well be a case of abstaining if you're certain another pregnancy would be disasterous. I do know that some private gynae clinics are open and offer different birth controll methods, that's something you could explore but of course you'd have to pay for it.

I have tendonitis in my shoulder and do my exercises 4 times per day with a theraband and pilates every week to avoid having the injection, as I have been warned by a physio the effect will wear off and it can cause scar tissue. Have you been given exercises to do with a theraband? I really sympathise as it is agony when it's bad. I find I can sleep on my back with my arm lightly resting on a spare pillow.

This is an absolute disgrace. There is no reason why one trust dictates contraception options and the other offers varieties.
I would contact gum clinics, ring the trusts seniors, contact nhs England, this is just ridiculous.

Not helpful I know but my husband is a gp
and they are offering depot injection, bp checks (or will accept home readings) so essentially a normal service, but many patients are not keen to attend.

Ah ok you cant get the other pill because of all your health issues I cant have my depo either and have had to go on the mini pill or just not have sex as I have health issues too and it can make my symptoms worse mini pill was my only option also and I ended up with my child last time I was on it too

You could ask your GP about Sayana press (self administered equivalent to depo provera). We didn't used to be allowed to prescribe it, had to be via sexual health clinic, but they've relaxed that rule in the current situation here and we are changing some of our depo patients on to it now. We're also still doing depo if needed and extending time between reviews for other options. Coils and implants are a bit trickier though- mainly due to the time they take, extending exposure of us to the patients and the patients to us.

Thanks again for all the responses. I will be having a chat with my named GP rather than just random one, they haven't given my health as reasons for not giving any other forms of contraception. Just told me that they're only allowed to give that one (apparently this is the rule for everyone on depo, not just me, the nurse did stress this to me)

I have taken the combined pill in the distant past, with all the same issues barring shoulder so I don't think it's due to my conditions.

We are using condoms as well for the time being. But I can see our sex lives going downhill until after lockdown.

Shoulder is improving very slightly however there's still a lot of pain at night which is why I got the injection in the first place. I'm getting 3 or 4 hours at a time but then the pain wakes me up. It's worse when I'm lying down for some reason.

I'm feeling a lot better mentally now for being able to talk about this so thank you all again.

The big problem with the combined pill is the risk of clots and high blood pressure and all that can come from that. You've mentioned a few conditions that can raise your risk, you're also older than you were when you last took combination contraception which further increases risk. All that notwithstanding forms of the mini pill have become the go to method for virtual prescribing as it's so safe and doesn't need any special training to use.
So that might be why your GP is giving you this, it's a sensible, pragmatic choice for the now but they should have explained this to you.
However, there might be an other option. There is a form of injection called Sayana Press. It's the same hormone as depo but is administered by subcutaneous injection rather than IM with the depo. You already self inject and will likely have a sharp safe at home so you're in a good position to try this.

Cross posts with Glasgow, it's a bit early in the morning for me

I feel for you. Our GP has stopped all sorts of things, I normally have a B12 injection every 8 wks but that has been cancelled. They recommended oral supplements, but of course the reason I have injections is that my pernicious anemia means I don't absorb it in the normal way. 🤦‍♀️

Currently feel like I'm walking through treacle, and struggle finishing a sentence. What's annoying as well is as and when they review (6 months they said) I'll probably end up having to have a loading dose again.

I think it's worth talking through your anxiety about the mini pill and discussing the different brands avaliable especially if you're over 35 - where the combined pill really isnt recommended due to DVT risk, increased risk of some cancers etc. I switched from cliest (combined pill) to cerezette (mini pill) after having a baby and cerezette is far better. No unwanted pregnancy and stopped my periods which historically where heavy, painful and problematic. If you combined the mini pill with condoms you would have an effective solution. It's not popular (so don't shoot me down for it) but a lot of women in my friendship group are currently abstaining as they already have a young child and dont want to risk a pregnancy given the issue with appointments, childcare and covid risk.

Just to add I totally get the frustration - I need an emergency dental appointment due to a tooth issue but cant be seen so they've advised pain management, a soft diet and chewing on one side only for at least 6 weeks! It's a shitty time where things that a really essential seem off the cards right now

How old are you op? My GP wouldn’t let me have the mini pill once I got to 35...apparently it’s mini pill only after that point.

GP surgeries shouldn't be stopping things like B12 injections or failing to provide contraceptive options.

Assuming your local area does something called delegated co-comissioning I would contact PALS at your local CCG (Google your area and CCG). Even if they don't they'll be able to tell you who to contact.

Definitely talk to your named GP first but I'm reasonably sure this shouldn't be happening. In my area, where I know the GPs, surgeries are still even seeing respiratory patients, and bloods etc are still being done as normal. Non-urgent routine check up bloods are being delayed or the gap extended but where its key to medicine management they are providing it.

I spent many years as a practice manager and they are being very unreasonable. Make a very big fuss. Stay calm, maybe put a complaint in writing but this is very shoddy treatment and not acceptable.

This is not advice for this situation, because you are coming off the injection. But you can always order contraception from Lloyds and superdrug through their online doctor consultation service. It's been a life saver for me on many occasions as I use the combined pill in part to control endometriosis.

And was that during a global pandemic causing unprecedented changes to the very functioning of society @emmetgirl?

The guidance on what can and can't be done at surgeries is changing daily OP, they will also be looking at how they can start to function and resume normal service if this continues long term. So if you don't get anywhere next week, try not to get too frustrated because you might find in a couple of weeks they have a different action plan in place in place and you can get the injection after all. It's horribly frustrating for you right now, especially having two issues that are getting pushed aside, but I promise you the doctors and nurses would much rather be able to just carry on as normal then do what they are the at the moment. Things are changing daily though, it's worth another discussion with them like you've asked for to go over your options again and definitely keep in touch every week or so to find out if you can book back in.

sh24.org.uk
Order any pill you need from here for free.