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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I'm just so fed up of the lack of support for women's health

12 replies

Mummabear04 · 06/08/2025 09:35

Just a rant really and I'm so fed up with it. Im in my late 30s and feel I've never had any real support from my GP regarding my periods. Since having me 2nd child 3 years ago I've had so many issues but it's all been brushed off and I feel I'm just left to suffer and get on with it. I've had horrendously heavy periods during this time and been back and forth to the GP. I initially had the copper coil put in after DC2 and that worked for a while and tbh I felt so much better without the hormones until all of a sudden my mental health plummeted (not like me at all) to the point where I wanted to crawl back into bed every morning and dissappear. I went to the GP and she basically said she didn't know enough about it and make an appointment wurh the practice nurse. The PN then put me on levest pill with no break which I have been on for the past 9 months. The idea being to stop the heavy bleeds and bring my iron back up (it was slightly low but was never given iron tablets). So about 3 weeks ago my mental health plummeted again so I had to go back to the GP (PN not available) and she's basically said stop the pill immediately and book to get a mirena (?) Coil fitted. I have come off the pill and I feel both worse and better for my period. My bloating has gone down and my body feels better for it (can't describe it but think my body needed it) however I am bleeding soooo heavy, lots or clots and I am soooo drained and exhausted. My head is still in a bad place and I feel completely helpless. I get the GP can only tick off one thing at a time to try but I feel no support at all from them and I feel very wobbly while looking after 2 small children. My DH is very supportive but at the end of the day he works full time and i still have to get up and on with all the rest. I am just so angry at the general world for not putting any time, money or research power into women's health.

OP posts:
nomas · 06/08/2025 09:39

Sorry to hear that. Could you ask to be referred to a gyne?

My longstanding GP is an 80+ man who has a very brusque manner and very little sympathy, I do wish he would retire. Thankfully there is a young female GP at the practice who I always ask to see now as she is much more thorough. If I do get a call from the male GP, I groan inwardly.

DuchessDandelion · 06/08/2025 09:54

I just don't understand GPs like this...both times I've been to the GP for period changes I've been referred for tests to check for problems.

The last time was because my periods have become heavier & I was sent for an ultrasound to check for fibroids. That is surely the very least they should be doing for you??

Kick up a fuss, op, it's totally unreasonable of them

Monwmum · 06/08/2025 10:21

Unfortunately the waiting list for gynae referrals is now years long...I have been going through similar with my 19 year old daughter who has had horrendous periods from the start. We are lucky enough to have private health but even the gynaecologist just seems to use her as a guinea pig to try out different pills on instead of running a full hormone blood test...

My GP said they aren't really referring to gynae on the NHS at the moment as the wait list is so long! It's outrageous. In other countries, women see a gynaecologist as a matter of course.

Is there anyway you can go private, OP? You may only need one or two appointments and maybe a scan?

Best of luck

Mummabear04 · 06/08/2025 13:21

nomas · 06/08/2025 09:39

Sorry to hear that. Could you ask to be referred to a gyne?

My longstanding GP is an 80+ man who has a very brusque manner and very little sympathy, I do wish he would retire. Thankfully there is a young female GP at the practice who I always ask to see now as she is much more thorough. If I do get a call from the male GP, I groan inwardly.

That's the thing! All the GPs I've been seeing are women under 50! I don't understand why they dont know or care about this stuff!

OP posts:
Mummabear04 · 06/08/2025 13:22

DuchessDandelion · 06/08/2025 09:54

I just don't understand GPs like this...both times I've been to the GP for period changes I've been referred for tests to check for problems.

The last time was because my periods have become heavier & I was sent for an ultrasound to check for fibroids. That is surely the very least they should be doing for you??

Kick up a fuss, op, it's totally unreasonable of them

Did you have other symptoms apart from heavy periods?

OP posts:
Mummabear04 · 06/08/2025 13:23

Monwmum · 06/08/2025 10:21

Unfortunately the waiting list for gynae referrals is now years long...I have been going through similar with my 19 year old daughter who has had horrendous periods from the start. We are lucky enough to have private health but even the gynaecologist just seems to use her as a guinea pig to try out different pills on instead of running a full hormone blood test...

My GP said they aren't really referring to gynae on the NHS at the moment as the wait list is so long! It's outrageous. In other countries, women see a gynaecologist as a matter of course.

Is there anyway you can go private, OP? You may only need one or two appointments and maybe a scan?

Best of luck

I dont have private health care so not sure where I would even start or who to call? Any advice?

OP posts:
VintageJewellery · 06/08/2025 13:27

I agree tbh. I've had epic health problems for years and there is no time for the GP to even hear what the problem is let alone do anything about it.

There was a big survey a few years ago and though of opening women's health centres, but I haven't heard any mention of that recently.

CastleCrasher · 06/08/2025 13:33

Do ask for a gynae referral, but as others say, don't hold your breath (i think I've been waiting 6 years since the last referral). In the meantime, try getting an appointment at a family planning clinic (not one run out of your hp office) i did this recently for something routine and couldn't believe the difference. They asked questions, answered my questions and i ended up getting exactly the treatment I've been asking for for years (which wasn't what i was there for!) I won't be going back to my (usually decent) gp for this kind of thing ever again if I can help it.

Hankunamatata · 06/08/2025 13:36

I was you. Had mirena put in and sorted my horrible periods. Setraline stabilised my mood. Then started estrogen patches when get hot flushes at 39

AnnaMagnani · 06/08/2025 13:37

I was also going to suggest Family Planning Clinic instead of GP.

I went with my heavy painful periods and it was a totally different quality of consultation.

They are also the sort of clinic that gets cut so we need to demonstrate that are needed.

beachwalkx · 06/08/2025 13:41

It’s ridiculous
a decade ago I asked if I might have endometriosis. They said maybe, but we can’t do anything except the pill
2.5 years ago I started with screaming pain randomly and got referred to gynae. It took 2 years from referral but I have finally had a full day in theatre, the lap found deep infiltrating stage 4 endo absolutely everywhere from my bowel to my bladder to my appendix

Mummabear04 · 06/08/2025 14:06

beachwalkx · 06/08/2025 13:41

It’s ridiculous
a decade ago I asked if I might have endometriosis. They said maybe, but we can’t do anything except the pill
2.5 years ago I started with screaming pain randomly and got referred to gynae. It took 2 years from referral but I have finally had a full day in theatre, the lap found deep infiltrating stage 4 endo absolutely everywhere from my bowel to my bladder to my appendix

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry you've had to go through all this and to suffer for so long!!! I hope that you have had much better treatment since then and are being looked after x

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