To be irked at being referred to as a 'larger lady' by my Docs Surgery?

[BadTasteFlump]

Or am I being touchy?

I take the mini-pill for medical reasons. I am 5ft 9, weigh 11 stone and wear size 12 clothes. My BMI is in the middle of the healthy range, and I don't worry at all about my weight.

But today I had a letter from my doctor stating that following a recent prescription for my pill, they think I may need to up my pill from one a day to two, because 'we find our larger ladies may not be fully protected with the standard dosage'.

So what quantifies a 'larger lady'? Me obviously! I am going to call the docs this afternoon when it opens again, but in the mean time needed to rant/vent.

And breathe....

"Dh caught a glimpse at some notes the school held on DS1 where I was referred to as a 'very supportive mum'. Which got me all tied up in knots.... is supportive good? or did it mean fusspot, overprotective?"

I think it probably was meant in a good way but you never know - it could be code!

Also lolling at "delightful young female physicist". Is it a sort of aide-memoire, do you think? Or is "physicist" code for "she's quite smart so don't try and pull the wool over her eyes"?

BadTasteFlump Anyone 70kgs or more on a progesteron-only pill (not including Cerazette) should be taking 2 pills daily not one.

That's been a standard recommendation for a long time.

I wonder who worded the letter they sent you? It's terrible!

its very unprofessional to refer to patients as "larger ladies", they do not have to assume that evryone is too stupid to understand "patients with a weight exceeding X".

agree with Kelly. "larger lady" is inaccurate - if you were 6ft 3 and 11stone you would probably be v slim but would still need to change your pill dosage.

and yes, the 11stone dosage issues do not apply to Cerazette.

btw I was put on Cerazette rather than any other mini pill because I am erm a "larger lady". Dr was fully aware. Suspect she is v interested in contraception tho, as surgery is recently promoting their services re:implants and coils etc.

Wording is terrible, it makes it sound like you're a fat biffa when you're not.

Something like;

Research has found that women over 70kg need to be taking a higher dose regardless of their BMI to ensure the correct absorption.

Not hard is it?

I think "pleasant lady" is code for reasonably intelligent, doesn't smell and didn't swear at me or argue with me over my proposed treatment.

I am the same height and weight as you OP and I would have been pissed off to receive that letter as well!

'Pleasant lady' is used by Consultants to denote that the patient is a nice person and follows instructions!

Is it just me that winces at 'lady'?

I find it a bit patronising whenever I hear it. Would they have said 'larger gentlemen'? or just men or males?

It's a ridiculous term, because clearly for dosage there is a calculation with weight. You are a healthy weight for your height, but you my need a higher dose of the pill.

Off topic, but this reminds me of something the doc said to me when she was fitting my mirena (never again, complete nightmare, another story). She was fumbling around, quite painfully I must add, and said "It can be hard to find the right position when a lady has a larger vagina stretched by childbirth". Umm, I had a section.

Ouch

Current evidence does not support the
unlicensed use of two traditional POPs per day for women
weighing >70 kg. The efficacy of the desogestrel-only pill
is not influenced by weight.12

I am a GP - YOU DO NOT NEED TO TAKE TWO PILLS FOR ANY WEIGHT.

The above extract is taken from the faculty of sexual health and family planning clinical guidance and was last updated in 2009.

OP - I have no idea why your doctors are sending these letters out. The are not up to date.

Pinkrain thanks for that - I will bring this up with the doc.

delphine your post just made me spit my coffee over my desk - sorry

thanks for the info Pink. I was told about the weight issue in 2007, so possibly that was correct practice at that time.

Isn't desogestrel the third gen pill though? What about older types?

Cerazette is the only pill with desogestrel as the active ingredient so does it mean the same is or is not true of the other older mini pills?!

he he, I am about same as you, (actually larger) and I would NOt like it

tall is a better word IMO

ah I misunderstood, so basically the advice for women over 11 stone is to take cerazette, rather than 2 of the other types of progestogen only pill?

I was told to start taking 2 pills this year on Micronor. It gave me nasty side effects and I decided to stop. However I was doing weightwatchers and was about to go back under 11 stone. BTW I am short so was definately 'large'

I misread the title as lager lady