To think that £130 every three months for HRT isn't viable?

[Knittingsavesme]

Posting here for traffic.

I was prescribed Androferme 1 female testosterone HRT on private prescription yesterday. (Prescribed by NHS consultant gynaecologist, but not available in the UK. She did say I might have trouble getting hold of it.

Turns out you used to be able to order it on the internet and import it, from the Australian pharmaceutical company that makes it, at a cost of £130 every 3 months! It's no longer possible to this and the cost would have been prohibitive anyway. AIBU to think that women's health just isn't taken seriously enough? Also, what was the point of me taking up NHS time to be given a prescription that can't be dispensed?

The British Menopause Society says, on its website, that testosterone therapy is successful. What a shame we can't access it!

Has anyone been prescribed alternative female testosterone HRT in the U.K.? If so, has it made a difference and what do you take?

Pharmacy in Wigmore street is probably John Bell and Croydon.
There is also a specialist import company called Clinigen which has a website which might be helpful.You will need to find a pharmacy who uses them. I don't think they will supply to you directly. I am sure there are other companies, I can't remember any other names.

@lifeisgoodagain that is great! Unfortunately, not all of us are as lucky to find one on the NHS that works for us, me included. The Menopause specialist gynaecologist I saw yesterday told me that the oestrogen HRT available on the NHS is not what I need. She suggested female testosterone HRT. Despite being available in many other countries, and proven to work effectively, it is not licensed in the UK. An example of women’s health being less of a priority IMHO.

@SpringFan thank you for the information.

i probably wouldn't have got divorced if I'd been able to get hold of it. I'd willingly pay that.

Boops I'm one of those annoying healthy eating and exercise type of people. Don't drink or smoke. I still swear the menopause will be the death of me. It's proper grim.

Boops I'm a healthy eating, distance running, heavy lifting, teetotal gym bunny. I have hrt consisting of oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA. You'll have to prise it from my cold, dead hands to get me to stop taking it.

Sorry, are you taking oestrogen?

I don't understand why she would prescribe you something that is unlicensed?

I have never had any problems getting bog standard hrt from my gp, luckily.

I think private menopause clinics are a waste of money and a rip off.

Oh, and

Surely the menopause is a natural process that can be managed with lifestyle and diet?

Why do you think that?

What does this offer over the HRT currently under NHS (evocol patches for example)

@Purpleartichoke

Competitive "who has it worse" comparisons are utterly needless. Every ailment and it's struggles are difficult for the respective person. The menopause is incredibly underfunded in this country, and it's perfectly okay to complain about that. There are also people who cannot afford the £130.

Standard HRT is oestrogen and progesterone.

Testoterone can be used along side hrt but quite fashionable to use it alone.

@Boopsy, women in poorer countries die from heart disease, have a, lot more fractures and other health issues.

I'm on HRT, I went to a specialist Menopause Nurse led clinic.

The Menopause effects your heart, bone and mental health. There's enough evidence to show that most women will benefit from HRT. Everyone going through it in their 40's should be given it.

It's like saying periods, hormones, pregnancy, birth is natural.

It used to be thought that women naturally shrunk, but now we know it's preventable, as are fractures.

It does tie in with how unimportant women's health has been considered.

@Boopsy I'm 45 and started displaying symptoms at least 3 years ago. The sweats, messed up periods, aches and anxiety i could put up with, but when the insomnia and brain fog kicked in, to the point i was struggling to be able to do my job, i went to the GP.

Not everyone will experience symptoms like this, but thank goodness we can access medication to alleviate them if we do. I don't believe healthy eating and exercise alone would have helped me, and neither did my (quite frankly bloody wonderful) GP.

I've got a friend who is really dismissive of hrt and loves to talk about how because shes vegan and eats lots of soy, she is sailing through the menopause.

I do love her but her memory is terrible, she has an incredibly short fuse and gets paranoid after a drink. She could so do with hrt!

Does anyone mind sharing their experiences of testosterone therapy? And why they were prescribed it? I have a Mirena coil and oestrogen patches plus pessaries but still next to no libido- does testosterone really help with this and are the side effects as bad as I fear?

Sorry to derail, OP. At the moment it’s a total pain even sourcing the patches. I agree that if men went through the menopause it would be right up there with cancer funding.

@MatildaTheCat the testosterone HRT is supposed to help with lack of libido, mood swings and memory and concentration problems. The HRT I have been prescribed up until now was oestrogen and progesterone based. Was brilliant for night sweats but not for all the other symptoms I have. The gynaecologist I saw yesterday (read my earlier posts - on the NHS, cited by the British Menopause Society as a Menopause Specialist in my area) said I would fare much better now on testosterone based HRT. This is prescribed in many other countries, but not the U.K.

Sorry @MatildaTheCat, my comment about reading my earlier posts wasn’t aimed at you. Signposting those saying oestrogen based HRT works ok.

Also I eat a healthy diet and do regular exercise. If only it was that easy!

she has an incredibly short fuse and gets paranoid after a drink. She could so do with hrt!

. I have a friend just like this as well! She also bangs on about how veganism is a cure for everything but she has become very highly strung over the past few years and yes, paranoid after a drink.

dontalltalkatonce maybe its the same friend! Veganism features very highly but mood fluctuations are off the scale!

Knittingsavesme thanks, I would be very interested to know if the testosterone therapy helps you. My symptoms are mostly controlled (although memory is fairly dire) but lack of libido is stubbornly untouched by the patches.

Boopsy
Well if we are going down that route why treat anything. Cancer occurs naturally, let it take its course
Asthma. OK you wheeze but you are still breathing - crack on. No need for inhalers
Hips. Do you actually need a new hip to live. Arthritis is the norm for some people. Just stop moving

Great news! I've had a reply from Lawley Pharmacy in Australia, who manufacture AndroFeme 1. Here is what it says:\ Thank you for your email emquiry.

AndroFeme® 1 (1% testosterone cream) is available in the UK and obtainable at your local pharmacy on prescription.

AndroFeme® 1 is not registered as yet in the UK, however is supplied to UK pharmacies via the London based Clinigen Group (formerly IDIS) under the MHRA non-licensed therapeutic goods supply provisions.

Your local pharmacy can obtain stock of AndroFeme by contacting Clinigen at:

Telephone: +44 1932 2654600_
Email: [email protected]m_

UK pharmaceutical distribution regulations do not allow Clinigen to respond to patient enquiries – they can only deal with pharmacies, hospitals and medical practitioners.

Many pharmacies are unaware of AndroFeme 1’s availability in the UK so may give you a quizzical look initially.
Alternatively the online pharmacies www.pharmacierge.comm (London) and www.theindependentpharmacy.co.ukk (Bristol) stock AndroFeme 1.

AndroFeme® 1 is supplied in a 50mL tube and using the recommended starting dose of 0.5mL once daily to the upper outer thigh or lower abdomen.
Cost to the patient is around £80-85 per tube on a private prescription which will provide a 100 day supply (approximately £25 per month).

I'm off now to my local Chemists, to speak to their pharmacist. Fingers crossed!

Pharmacist checking with their suppliers in the morning and then going to ring me

Unfortunately, Lloyds Pharmacy shop manager just called to say they can't get the Androfeme 1 for me🙁

AndroFeme 1 arriving tomorrow! Used one of the online pharmacies referred to in the email from the manufacturer. Cost £79 including delivery by DPD next day. Could not find a chemist locally that could get hold of it. Tried all the big chains and a couple of independents.

Thank you for all your posts and Merry Christmas everyone. I'll post back in a couple of weeks to let you know if I see a difference after using the gel for a couple of weeks.