To be so pissed off with this doctor

[Nomorenails1]

have had really heavy periods for years now.they have tried the pill and loads of different tablets on me. non worked and I don't want the coil. They gave me a scan just before Christmas got told I had a polip. I then went for another test today it's been re arranged 3 times. The doctor told me they would remove the polip although it wasn't making my periods heavy. He then said he would try me on the pill.told him I had tried that then listed everything else I had tried and tried to tell him the reason I was referred to him was because nothing else had worked. We settled on trying the injection and he then inspected me. On leaving he gave me a leaflet for the surgery and about the coil which I don't want ahhh

you can't just march into the GP and ask for a hysterectomy when you haven't been prepared to explore less invasive options first

I don't get this. What happened to my body, my choice? I have just had to fight very hard on this and had ludicrous arguments with gynae staff as they think that a succession of "minor" operations and the hormonal cosh is better than fixing things once and for all. Some people really don't get on with synthetic hormones and the insistence of medical staff that we take them is patronising and undermining.

OP - if you don't want to have a coil that is perfectly OK as it's your body and you can control what goes into it. See if you can find a more sympathetic doctor who can discuss your options with you better and find a solution you're happy with. FWIW I hated the mirena coil - constant bleeding and it made me suicidal. Then the buggers wouldn't remove it and even now I'm being told that it's "something you should really consider". I suppose it would save the NHS money as I'd likely be dead if I ended up on it again. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.

I wonder if in 100 years time we'll look back at the way all women are supposed to be controlled with synthetic hormones and be horrified.

Well part of the reason is financial - hysterectomy as a first resort rather than a last resort is taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut and is thousands of times more expensive than a Mirena or contraceptive pill. Mirena is fabulous for some women and doesn't work for others - but OP isn't even prepared to give it a try. The NHS is under huge financial pressure and it's obvious that GPs will be pushing for a cheaper solution which may indeed cure the OP's symptoms than going straight for the expensive option.

Of course if the OP has the £10k free to pay for a private hysterectomy, or has private medical insurance, the conversation might be different.

What happened to my body, my choice?

Doctors have to act in the best interests of the patient and if they think major surgery without trying less invasive options first isn't in their best interest then they are legally bound to say so.

Can you imagine the lawsuit if they gave someone a hysterectomy without pushing the other options and that person suffered major life changing complications or - god forbid - died under anaesthetic?

Can you imagine the lawsuit if they gave someone a hysterectomy without pushing the other options

Surely if these options were explained and rejected and full consent was given there wouldn't be one?

I understand that hysterectomy is the last option in lots of cases but when it is flatly refused in spite of evidence to say that hormonal management of symptoms isn't appropriate my head explodes.

Sorry for the hijack, OP.

But Sweary, the OP hasn't even tried the coil and has only just had an injection so has no idea if that works or not. In my experience having gone through all this, GPs and gynaecologists are more than happy to allow women to have input into the treatment plan and will consider all of the options. And we don't know the ins and outs of everyone's medical history, hysterectomy may not be suitable for lots of reasons. If you're 55 and almost at the menopause, GPs might reckon that another year or two of heavy bleeding is less of a risk than a major op.

There is no one thing which is right for everyone, there are lots of options for treating heaving periods and most women are open to tying a few of them to find what works for them.

Well Janey it did happen, the fact you haven't heard of it is irrelevant. It's not that uncommon. I've seen posters on MN (and other fora) say it had happened to them, and if you do a basic internet search you'll find it brings up quite a few hits.

Surely if these options were explained and rejected and full consent was given there wouldn't be one?

There shouldn't be one... but that doesn't mean there wouldn't. People will try anything these days and quite often people will 'lash out' and look for blame even where there isn't one. And sometimes where people look for blame they look for legal action, answers, "proper apologies" (I've seen it several times - "we don't want compensation, we want the hospital to say sorry properly, the letter we got wasn't good enough..."). That legal action costs time and money that the NHS doesn't have.

But she's allowed to reject the coil without trying it - and it doesn't look like she's agitating for a hysterectomy. If she's uncomfortable with the idea she's allowed to say no, not have the doctor tell her that he'll fit it after the polyp is removed after she's said she'll consider other options! The insistence she has it when she doesn't want it is insane - and she's allowed to reject it for whatever reason she wants!

Your experience doesn't mirror mine with gynae issues, as I had insane suggestions from doctors to avoid hysterectomy because I'm "too young" (they have finally conceded that it's right for me) including all manner of costly drugs that I'm not willing to try because every synthetic hormone treatment I've tried has caused me massive mental health issues. The insistence I've had from them that there aren't MH side effects when the national formulary website says there are has been incredible.

Surely if these options were explained and rejected and full consent was given there wouldn't be one?

Yes I think you're right (although yes it probably is a case of shouldn't rather than wouldn't). It would probably be quite a lengthy legal document to read through though!

I am guilty of projecting a little tbh. My aunt was in hospital for a month after complications from her hysterectomy, bed bound at home for about 12 months, followed by a very slow recovery. Probably took about 10 years to get back to "normal". The amount of people who told her to sue was phenomenal!

Yep, exactly as Tinfoil says, they will take you down a process to ensure that you have tried everything before you arrive at hysterectomy. I had such heavy periods for 8 years that I had to have b12 injections as I couldn't replace it naturally in sufficient quantity. The pain was so unbearable, I fainted at work.
Tried tranexamic acid, had three ops to remove polyps, helped with the pain but not the bleeding. Then tried Mirena Coil which helped a little with the bleeding to start with then it came back about 6 months in! Ablation which failed, and finally offered hysterectomy, which cleared everything nicely, but left me with other issues, like eczema!
The coil is cheap for the NHS, but if it is effective for you then it is wonderful. You have seen plenty of posters here tell you that. I absolutely wish that it had worked for me. Fitting it was a doddle, just like having a smear test. Getting it out was not quite so simple, but was absolutely hilarious, that's another story!
You would be unreasonable not to give it a go, there are a limited number of solutions to this problem and you are turning your back on what many women have found to be the best one by far.

Years ago I had this problem, probably more options now but my doctor gave me some tablets and unfortunately I can't remember what they were called. He said they had originally been licensed for joint pain if I remember correctly but they had observed a side effect of women's periods becoming much lighter. They worked for me but probably oldfashioned now. I hope you get it sorted OP, it is horrible, I well remember sitting on a carrier bag at work as I was so worried about ruining chairs.

yes YABU. The doctor is trying you with various options - the pill he offered probably different to ones ouve tried already. He has to inform you of the options so he gave you leaflets so you can reconsider those options.

As you have heard here many women find the coil life changing so he would hope the leafets would change your mind and you'd agree to at least try it. Then he wouldnt have to go for a poorer option because you were being unreasonable.

The coil changed my life as well. I went from extremely heavy periods and agonising pain for 7 days every 3 weeks, to 3 days of light bleeding once a month. Having it put in was agony, and I was in pain for 3 months, but then it settled. Even after I had it out (and was pregnant 3 weeks later), my periods never returned to being heavy.

The depo injection was bloody awful! I bled constantly and my boobs ached so much every sodding day for 6 months. Ugh.

I too am uncertain as to what the doctor has done wrong.
OP what would you like to have happened? Did you have some option in mind that wasn't offered?
As said by many, the Mirena is a very effective treatment of heavy periods for most women and insertion sumply arranged. It has very few serious side effects ( unlike surgery) and is completely reversible. There is no problem removing it if you are one of those women whom it doesn't suit or help.
If you are fearful of insertion you may be able to have it done under local anaesthetic or even general anaesthetic/ sedation under certain circumstances.it sounds as if you are under a gynaecologist and that communication didn't go well... have you got a GP at your practice with whom you have a good relationship that you can talk openly with and explain your concerns about all of this?

I've been to the doctor tried
The pill
The combined pill
Transonamic acid
The hormones of the pill made me so ill so they don't want to give me the implant or injection really unless I'm prepared to be sick most days I really don't want the coil

Did anything help?
The combined pill contains oestrogen which can cause nausea but it would be unusual to feel sick with purely progesterone contraceptives.
It terms of quantity of hormone.
Injection >> progesterone only pill and implant which are equal and >> mirena.
If you had an implant and it didn't suit it can be removed after which the hormone levels return to normal very quickly( same as pop and more a) but unlike the injection which cannot be removed and so you just have to wait for it to wear off. Having NHS said that the injection simetimes stops your periods as does the implant and if you were in that lucky group of women I am sure you would think it was worth the chance , particularly as there is minimal hassle involved in organising it.

Sorry.. couple of autocorrects sneaked through but hopefully you get the gist

I could be you op!
Tried every pill, each with differing side affects (one made me self harm, and walk out on my DH - that was fun!) but all made me bleed.
I had the injection after marching in asking for a hysterectomy and it really worked, me and the doctor both thought it wouldn't work but it did. Unfortunately I have had to stop having it after 2 years as it strips your bones so isn't offered as a long term.

I also don't want the coil, for all of you it works for - brilliant. But for some its just not an option (i can't use tampons, smears are excruciating so something is clearly a miss down there)

I haven't got any advise, just sympathy and . My favourite doctor said head tilt that must be annoying and offered nothing as i had tried every pill (i swapped doctor after that).
I wanted to punch her, annoying. Annoying! Its more then a little annoying you cretin when your bleeding every 2 weeks. Not just a little blood but so much you just sit on the toilet as theres no point getting off. getting up in the night changing as you've bled through your pad and pjs. the cramps, the migraines, the mood swings. The fact its taken over your life..
Yeah annoying!

I know theres actually not much the doctor can offer, but a little understanding goes along way.

The doctor has given you options. They've got to try everything first starting with the least invasive. A hysterectomy isn't a miracle solution. It is major surgery. The coil is a viable treatment option. Saying you don't want it is fine but you can't then complain to your doctor that they're not doing anything. They are the ones with the medical degree. They know what works, the statistics and the risks vs benefits.
I can understand why you are frustrated but if it's that bad and you only have one treatment option left, that's the treatment you need. It's hardly your doctors fault he can't magic up a new solution just for you.

I've been down this path too and have given up even trying to talk to a HCP about it.

GP was useless. Completely uninterested and trying to push a Mirena at me. I don't want a Mirena as the hormones it uses don't agree with me, found that out with the pill. What I want is to know why I flood every month and to stop it once and for all. GP won't refer me as my ultrasound was "clear". I have private healthcare so its not like I'd be using up precious NHS resources for the investigation, nope still won't refer me.

So every month for 2 days I flood and cramp badly enough that I have been known to scream.

OP I get your frustration with not being listened to.

Thanks for all the ones that sympathise I know you must all think if it was that bad she would just try the coil I spend 3 days crying in a ball being sick and passing out with pain

I sympathise but am not sure what you want to happen.it must be horrific ... most of us have an inkling about how painful and unpleasant bad periods are.
What do you think about what people have suggested ?

I've been offered the coil twice, once by GP and then by consultant. I refused both times - you're allowed to! I had very good reasons for not wanting it. Consequently I'm having an ablation on Tuesday, which I hope will sort me out, but obviously if you're still wanting children then this isn't an option for you.

Does your practice have a GP who deals with gynae and family planning specifically? When I realised ours does it was a huge relief as I finally felt someone understood what my problems were and my reasons for refusing the coil.

I wish you luck