Looking for menopause specialist in north west

[Moonpie07]

After a horrible two years of symptoms, a frankly useless and unsympathetic GP (who prescribed HRT suitable only for women who don't have ovaries when I do and I clearly knew more about it then her after my own research) plus an NHS gynaecologist who repeatedly only offers an endometrial ablation as a solution, I have decided that the only way forward is to look for a specialist and assume I will have to pay for this. Have looked on Menopause Matters and the nearest appears to be a Tony Mander. Does anyone have experience him or know of anyone else in the Liverpool or Manchester area? How much is it likely to cost me and having had 3 unsuccessful attempts at HRT so far is it worthwhile? What else could he offer ?

when you say 3 unsuccessful attempts at HRT do you mean you have tried 3 types or been refused it 3 times?
Your own GP cannot refuse you a treatment if you have no medical risks and could benefit. If she on;y prescribes to women with no ovaries I'd consider discussing this further with her as it's unacceptable - is this the practice's policy or her own personal lack of training or her own prejudices? Neither is right!

Fees for consultants vary but you can call his PA and ask. Usually around the £250 mark for a 1st appt and less for follow-ups maybe once every 6 months. They may also ask your gp to continue with the prescribing but can't guarantee this.

Thank you QueenoftheNights. I have tried Elleste Duet and Evorel patches. In each case I experienced crippling headaches after 3-4 days which forced me to give up but I am desperate to find something to help. My GP appeared clueless; first she dismissed my symptoms, telling me to put my trainers on and go for a walk! Then she offered antidepressants which I didn't want but was so anxious I tried, again with horrible side effects. She did refer me to gynaecologist but gynaecologist told me she does not usually prescribe HRT and suggested that GP was best placed to do so. The gynaecologist did recommend a patch but that is no longer available suggesting her info is not up to date . As you can imagine I am somewhat disillusioned now. Just wondering whether a private specialist is actually worthwhile or HRT just not for me.

You might get on better with Oestrogel, which is easy to adjust the dose. sounds as if they dose you tried was too much too soon hence the headaches.

With gel, you use whatever you need to alleviate the symptoms (what are you main ones?) so that can be the standard dose of 2 pumps but starting off it's best to try one pump or even half that amount to see how you feel.

you also need a separate progestogen each month to give you a bleed. This would be for 12 days every 28.

It's often a case of you reading around, talking to other women and coming up with something you want to try, and telling the dr, if they are clueless, though a good gynae ought to be helpful.

Thank you. This sounds promising. I have a follow up appointment with the gynaecologist next month so I will read up and ask about the gel .

What are your symptoms? I'm having unexplained bleeding between periods just now and trying to work out if it's the menopause or not.

Hi,
I'm a member of the British Menopause Society, and a psychotherapist specializing in working with menopasual women.
You can ask your go for a referral to the menopause clinic at St Marys in Manchester.
It's a specialist NHS clinic which is highly regarded in the field.
It's you right to ask for the referral x

Apologies for my typos...my fingers must be fuzzy today!!
It's your right to ask your GP for the referral x

What are your horrible symptoms? I presume you are peri-menopausal, having flushes but not finished periods yet. People usually have a couple of years of that, it's normal.

HRT doesn't suit everyone and if it does, it's not ideal to be on it indefinitely.

Thank you SlimBlon. This is exactly what I was looking for. My GP just seems clueless/ill-informed and whilst I have got friends going through this, they have got on fine with first HRT they've tried. I will make appointment and ask for referral. Thank you.

Excellent!
I hope it goes well.
Menopause can be a tough time for some women and a good support system is needed to make life easier.
With warm wishes,
Sandra x

Hello sorry this is an old thread. Did you go to the menopause clinic may I ask? I’m in Manchester and been struggling for years. Many thanks.

@linda2009 NHS meno clinics are often run by GPs or former GPs with little or no more training. You are unlikely to get a fast appt at the moment anyway. Look at the British Menopause Society website and you will find a whole list of UK specialists, some NHS, some not.

Thanks so much. Yes of course you are right and I’m not suprised. Will do....

Louise Newson is about to open a second clinic in Knutsford but also does video consultations
www.newsonhealth.co.uk/consultations

Thank you for that. Do you see her yourself?

@linda2009 no I haven’t, I’ve asked to go on the waiting list for her Stratford clinic.

If you search threads in here re Louise Newson you’ll see lots of posts about her. She’s supposed to be excellent, plus her website has lots of info as well. If you are looking for North west you might as well take advantage of her opening her clinic in Knutsford and not having to travel to Stratford upon Avon.

She has lots of podcasts, written articles etc so she really is highly recommended

Thank you so much. I’m nearly 54 and 7 months and have so far stayed away from HRT which it seems she advocates, as I got put on antidepressants at 52. And I get migraines. But 4 years of hell im starting to maybe think again. Best of luck to you 🙏