To be annoyed at the Doctors

[Sleepyslops]

I am going on holiday next month and my period is now due whilst I am away. I was quite regular, but last month it was late which means I am likely now due to be taking AF with me.

Just rang the Doctors to get an appt to see if there's anything they can give me... 31st July is the first available appt. No nurse appts at all. No phone appts either.

I don't know what to do. I feel mad that they are so booked up they don't even have appts for weeks.

Carrie, I have had mirena, but it didn't help, so had it removed. Gynaecologist said I could have this burning done of my womb lining (sorry I forgot it's name, ablation I think) but as I have issues in my hips they didn't want to risk making it worse by doing the procedure. I'm falling apart here.

@Dragonniamh

I pay for private healthcare (from GP to treament) because I can afford too, so I feel that I should not use NHS resources when I have another affordable option. Most of my family and friend group do the same because they can afford it. But then you hear other people wasting time - its very annoying when some people sre responsible and others are wasteful.

Would the OP still take this appointment if she had to pay? If yes, then go to a private GP. If no, then it's a waste.

@Rocinante1 she already pays for the service the NHS provides through tax and national insurance. Prescribing the drug that delays your period is part of that service. Stop being a massive dickhead.

Rocinante
You clearly have no concept of what a heavy period is. It sounds as if op needs help getting these under control. Wind your neck in.

If you have no luck or have questions you can pay to talk to a gp online. It’s around £25 plus a charge to prescribe something to you on top of the nhs prescription charge.

I think my GP's surgery works like Dragonniamh's - speak to a receptionist and you are triaged so that a GP will ring you back to discuss your concerns/symptoms, and schedule an appointment if they deem it necessary. I appreciate that not every surgery is set up like that though.

I had exactly the same problem last month Sleepyslops. Period was due halfway through a week's holiday. Rang the surgery and spoke to a receptionist who told me that their policy had changed and they no longer prescribed Norethisterone to delay periods unless there was a medical necessity.

I ended up registering with the online Superdrug pharmacy, completing the questionnaire and getting my Norethisterone posted to me. It cost about £4 more than a prescription, but still a small price to pay for not having to deal with my period when on holiday, and my periods are nowhere near as bad as yours. Hope you get it sorted before you go away.

Just see a private GP. This really isn't something you should be asking the NHS for.

If men bled through their clothing every month in agony, no one would fucking tell them not to see a doctor.

OP just ignore the arseholes.

The NHS should be well-funded enough for these issues. This attitude of poverty (while the Tories' mates wipe their arses with fivers) is a race to the bottom. Maybe we could take the 5million quid that's being pissed up the wall on Trump's golfing holiday and give it to the NHS.

Rocinante, I can't afford to go privately for all my health concerns.

I visit the GP once a year for my medication review. I have seen a psychologist funded privately through work.

I work. I pay my tax and insurance. I pay my prescription charges. I do not claim benefits or anything similar. I just can not afford a private GP every time.

I can't bear the thought of dealing with my period whilst on holiday. It makes me not want to go. I have been meaning to see if there's anything more permanent that can be done, but have consistently put this off until now I feel I have to see the doctor and get help.

If you order Norehisterone online (in UK) you need to fill in a number of questions including what other meds you're on. A real pharmacist checks your order and will contact you if there's any issue - this happened to me when I placed two orders fairly close together and they wanted to check everything was ok (I'd simply miscalculated the number of tablets I'd need to cover me for my holiday).

A person losing so much blood every month that they bleed through tampons, towels and clothes is actually a serious problem. The fact that men actively prevented women from being medical professionals for decades and still haven't quite got around to seeing women as real people who shouldn't have to sit in pools of their own blood doesn't change that. What really bothers me is the fact that other women (not sure if you're a woman Rocinante, but I've seen other women say it) believe that you have to just put up with blood flooding out of your body because it's not a medical need - it takes a massive collective headfuck for people to just eat that shit.

OP you should not have to put up with that sort of bleeding, holiday or no holiday. Doctors will try to tell you it's your lot as woman and to go away and know your place. Do not accept it.

Rocinante I am guessing you are either a man or you are a woman who is lucky to have never had menstrual problems. Minimising issues like flooding as something not worthy of medical attention is not acceptable.

OP I hope you get it sorted and have a lovely holiday.

Sleepy
As a pp said, you could think about geting the Mirena coil. Your uterus has to not be too enlarged otherwise it won’t work it’s worth a try. That of depa pro injections. But I would think the former is more desirable as it is very low dose hormones and the injection is high level. Both are progesterone.

Rocinante you are being thoroughly unpleasant. I work in a GP's surgery and a request for noresthisterone would be considered perfectly normal - we are all aware how horrendous and debilitating some women's periods are. Slightly concerned about the 'killing two birds with one stone' comment though Op - our GPs would prefer you to make a double appointment if you have more than one problem to discuss.

onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com/uk/period-delay

onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/period-delay-ppc.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsqWn5tyU3AIVwrDtCh18GwJeEAAYASAAEgIcSPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Any online prescribing service will check what medication you are already on.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to sit down tonight and order through Boots. Their site has a proper section about period delay tablets and says that it will be assessed etc, so I feel comfortable getting them through there.

I probably do need to get it sorted, it is truely awful, I just keep putting it off as I just can't face going through the tests etc again - they said I have endometriosis last time I went to the gynaecologist.

Sorry quirky, I didn't know that - re double appts. I shall remmeber that if it happens again, but for now I won't be going to the GP.

You could go to your usual pharmacist. Ours checks things through the surgery.

3 months wait after last visit to GP to see a specialist, then another 5 months to get procedure to check what the problem is.

Let's face it, IF you have anything serious, you are screwed. By the time they found out what you have, you will have lost months of valuable treatment.

3 weeks to see a GP is completely standard, no wonder A&E are overflowed with non-emergency and petty issues!

Some posters obviously have no idea how heavy and difficult other's periods can be.

Without medication, I can use a heavy duty tampon and a heavy duty towel and if I'm lucky, don't need to return to the loo for nearly half an hour. Sometimes I don't even manage to wash my hands before needing to change.

Some womem just don't know how lucky they are.

Have you actually explained your dilemma to the receptionist?

Tbf the GP probably has people to help with more pressing problems then their period possibly starting whilst they're on holiday. Js...

Tell me about it OP, I've been waiting 6 months for treatment for cysts on my ovaries. Every day is horrible pain mixed up with random bleeding without any warning!

If you think you might have endo you need to have the proper investigations. Did the gynae do a laparoscopy or was it just a guess? Try to get a referral to a specialist endo centre and don't let the GP fob you off when you finally get an appointment

Ignore the self-righteous arseholes OP, it's not like you're trying to get paracetamol.

I visit the GP once a year for my medication review.

The pharmacist can do this for you as well, no need to wait for the GP to do this.

Hope you're being seen by a gynaecologist for the endemetriosis I have this and it can be very difficult to live with.

Hope you get sorted and have a lovely holiday.

Thanks everyone. I see now IABU to be mad with the Doctors. That's my anxiety over the situation projecting onto the GP surgery.

Twotabby - yes they did some internal exams/tests and confirmed endo. I had the mirena, but it didn't work and then life got in the way and I haven't followed it up since.