GP has told me they don't prescribe HRT

[HRTRefusal]

I've been following this board and reading about HRT for over a year, trying to decide whether to take it or not. My symptoms have been getting worse and I decided I had to try because I'm fed up feeling like this, it's affecting my quality of life.

I had a GP call back this morning only to be told "we don't prescribe HRT because of the risks" I was offered anti depressants for anxiety/low mood, something else to help with my sleep issues and she could also give me something else that would help with sweats (I'd told her I have that under control with Red Clover). I have other symptoms but these are the ones she offered treatment for.

It was a real blow because it has taken me so long to decide I want to try HRT and I feel I was fobbed off tbh.

I'm in Scotland so I don't know if there are different approaches to menopause treatment here, I'd love to hear from anyone else who's GP doesn't prescribe HRT and whether you take anti depressants and sleep issue medication or whether you changed GP. I don't know where to go from here.

I bet if men had menopausal symptoms they'd prescribe it!

Hormonal contraception probably has similar risks but I'm sure they prescribe that.

They need to spell out the risks to patients and let them make an informed choice.

@JinglingHellsBells my doctors wanted me to have some very invasive scan called a hysterscopy which is apparently v painful, this was on the basis that I disclosed that I had an early period - normal - last November. And no bleeding since. Not a spot. No pain, nothing, so why should I go thru some awful examination and waste the consultant's time? But I have committed the cardinal sin of defying a doctor, so I have no hope now!

My appt is with a NI -based gynae called Dr Kirk, not Dr Newton.

@jackdawn Have I understood? You are in PERI and they suggested a hysteroscopy? Or it's 12 months since a period and they suggested it?

No one has a hysteroscopy for an early period! The queues would be a mile long if they sent women for that!

I have had a hysteroscopy as it happens, as I had 3 slight episodes of unexplained bleeding on HRT. It didn't hurt but my understanding is that can be down to the skill of the dr.

I hope you get on ok.

I see you are in Glasgow OP

There is a Menopause specialist service at the Sandyford Clinic. It's self referral.

I went there and got HRT after my GP refused it.

@JinglingHellsBells No my post was badly worded, I have had fairly normal periods since November which are stretching to be five weekly rather than four, but no in-between bleeding, but also bad flushes/insomnia/anxiety etc. I am 48 in a fortnight.

You are right that the NHS would collapse if every woman with irregular periods had to be referred to a gynaecologist! I just did not and do not believe it is necessary in my case. I am not an irresponsible fool and if I had inexplicable bleeding I would attend. But I don't! A period after 18 days usually just means you've had an infertile cycle - it's short cos there's no ovulation and thus no progesterone, no 'luteal phase', at least this is my understanding.

it's utterly shocking @Jackdawdawn some of the things on here about drs!

No one has an invasive procedure for irregular periods at 48! The first step anyway is an ultrasound scan, which may lead to a hystersocopy if anything worrying is found.

Irregular bleeding under 50 or before menopause is never investigated UNLESS there is massive flooding, pain, things that might suggest large fibroids, or so on.

Your dr sounds ridiculous.

It's really quite scary to read of things like this because it appears that most of the medical profession know nothing about menopause, or women's gynae issues, and mistakes and mistreatment are rife. AND while women are sent for unnecessary scans, someone who may have cancer is having to join the queue.

I am in England and my GP practice I have been told they don’t prescribe HRT

They won’t even prescribe me sleeping pills or anything to help with my 3-4 hours sleep per night.

am in England and my GP practice I have been told they don’t prescribe HRT

They are not allowed to say that. It is completely unethical to withhold a major type of treatment per se rather than for a woman who is at high risk of using it.

You need to take this higher and contact other authorities and go on Good Morning Britain!

Thanks again everyone, it's good to feel supported.

@JinglingHellsBells Is she really so incompetent she cannot handle HRT?

OR does she not 'believe in it ' so is saying you will have to go to hospital for an appt or she will need to ask a specialist.

I'll try to redact the letter later and post it on here so people can see the context but the paragraph after the hospital comment states - "In summary the practice policy is to follow these guidelines before prescribing HRT and these guidelines are followed by all doctors at the practice" This is of course utter nonsense because right after I asked for HRT I was immediately told *We don't prescribe HRT because of the risks" nothing about advice from a hospital or an assessment of the risks etc....just a firm refusal from the outset.

There is a Menopause specialist service at the Sandyford Clinic. It's self referral.
I went there and got HRT after my GP refused it.

When was this @Roseburn - I checked out their website the other week and was so disappointed when I spotted this - "You need to be referred to the menopause service by your GP. Please speak with your GP in the first instance who can refer you to us. I bet they have changed it because most GPs are refusing woman HRT and they were all self referring and overwhelming this service.

@HRTRefusal You surely must be able to find a way to report this practice to a higher authority? I don't know what but surely there is some type of redress?

The NICE guidance is very clear and says that other drugs are not to be offered first, that hrt is the primary first line treatment.

This is the section you need to read and if necessary c/p and take with you to an appt or include in a letter to the practice.
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/chapter/Recommendations#individualised-care

You surely must be able to find a way to report this practice to a higher authority?

I plan researching a bit first, try and find out how other women in Glasgow have got on and whether this is coming from a higher authority because I don't think this is just my surgery and I want to know why. Possibly contact a female MP I know. I don't think I would get anywhere with this right now given the Covid situation but I don't think I can ignore it.

Sadly @HRTRefusal, it seems that for many women you have to pay to get anywhere. It's disgusting, it leaves less well-off women basically back where they were before the Health Service. Private care for those who could afford it, and everyone else suffering and putting up with misery.

There is an MP who has been vocal on HRT shortages and women's issues generally- Jackie Doyle-Price.

I found this interesting and it shows that our experiences are very sadly typical 50sense.net/heath-truth-or-scare-on-hrt-or-hormone-replacement-therapy-and-me-part-two/

Why don't you ask for your GP to refer you to the Glasgow meno clinic, and to give you reasons why not? Worth a try.

The advice for this @HRTRefusal and @Oliversmumsarmy is that you write to the practice manager and refer to the Nice guidance.

If I were you I would make another appt and print off the Nice guidance and take a copy highlighted in the sections that apply to you.

I would be very polite but still insist on a reason why hrt wa s so hard to get from them.

This is NOT normal practice and they need to be called to account.

Unless you have a risk factor which means you cannot have it, they cannot withhold it for no good reason.

Please don't accept this because it won't be just you, it iwll be all women who attend these practices.

When was this @Roseburn - I checked out their website the other week and was so disappointed when I spotted this - "You need to be referred to the menopause service by your GP. Please speak with your GP in the first instance who can refer you to us. I bet they have changed it because most GPs are refusing woman HRT and they were all self referring and overwhelming this service.

I went about 2 years ago. Just phoned up and made an appointment. It must have changed!

I don't think a GP can refuse if you ask for a referral ?

That's outrageous. They can't or shouldn't just refuse something that all women will go through at some point.
Please complain, this is so far from unacceptable.
If still no joy ask your friends who theyve seen and switch practice.
I had to approach my own practice 3 x and am just about to start HRT in the next week or 2.
Good luck.

I wonder if something has changed policywise in the last couple of years...??

as I said upthread originally everything went well (small local appointment fiasco notwithstanding) and GP was extremely helpful but seeing the same one last autumn was a complete attitude change and different (fewer) alleged options, she actually said "GEL?? what gel, it's pills or patches, there is NO gel"

So very glad I kept the clinic appointment! ...it's very strange imo.

@Spidey66 oh yes, I went to the GP in my early twenties and had the Pill chucked at me. Similarly in my early thirties when my skin broke out - no problem writing a script for the Pill then either (a really horrible one, that made me feel suicidal within a week). Yet the Pill also carries cancer & blood clot risks...

And Viagra is the best selling drug of all time - suspect few men are told to accept impotence as a natural part of ageing and embrace the experience, or that the practice doesn't 'believe' in it.

it seems that for many women you have to pay to get anywhere - sadly I think you are right and if I were in a position to do that I would.

suspect few men are told to accept impotence as a natural part of ageing and embrace the experience - Isn't that the truth!!!!

Because my GP has just blatantly lied about what she told me on the phone and has the practice manager backing her up, I don't even feel I can go back to the surgery, I don't go very often, probably 4 times in the last decade but I would need to be at deaths door now I think so I will need to register elsewhere.

I am very sorry to hear that OP. I don't go to the GP often either and I dont feel that I will again, unless I am very unwell. It takes courage to start to talk to a relative stranger about intimate stuff happening to your body, and it feels like an affront to be dismissed.

Could you register elsewhere when surgeries open up again? Maybe ask for recommendations among your acquaintances, some practices/GPs get a name for being good women's doctors.

From what I can gather, Newton's telephone consultations are c£250 plus of course charges for prescriptions. Is that unaffordable for you? Could you pay it off if they offered you a payment plan?

Apparently they can prescribe remotely according to my private clinic yesterday, even on a first appt. I will be so angry and annoyed if they don't!

@HRTRefusal I have asked around a few meno drs who I know, to see what their advice is, and they have said you have to ask why they do not prescribe. They say your practice ought to be providing evidence-based treatment.

I certainly would challenge them and not move to another practice before you at least discuss and get to the bottom of their decision.

JinglingHellsBells

I don’t believe my surgery could give a crap about being reported.

I don’t think it is going to lose sleep over losing its 1star rating (I don’t think you can go lower than 1 star)

I try to avoid the place if at all possible.

If you go you either get the dr who tells you what ever is wrong with you is because of your age.

Or another who told me allergy tests didn’t exist or that your test results came back normal when you know they didn’t.

Or the one who recommended lavender when I went to see if I could have sleeping pills for my insomnia caused by the menopause
HRT might have been what I needed but I already knew that was a step too far

I was already taking Melatonin and if I missed a dose I didn’t sleep.

I rang the gps surgery once and accidentally jabbed the immediate emergency number on my telephone.

Instead of being put through to a doctor It gave the surgery opening times and asked people to call back during opening times.

Dp went back again and again to this surgery with all the signs of bowel cancer (it runs in his family)
Dp asked if his symptoms meant he had bowel cancer
He was told to stop frightening himself and stop using Dr Google.
They weren’t interested that he was comparing what the symptoms his father suffered were what he was going through.

For 6 months he went back over and over. Every 3 day for several weeks as he got worse and worse.

I ended up helping him into A&E as he could barely walk and it was there he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and why he hadn’t been to see his GP sooner.

We would go to another surgery but there isn’t anything around as they have taken over all the gps surgeries in the area

@oliversmumsarmy It's not about losing a star or whatever. In response to these posts, I contacted meno specialists and GPs on social media to ask advice for you and @HRTRefusal.

Their advice is that if youwant HRT you ask why they do not offer it- that is what you said. They have to give a medical reason. It's no good going in and discussing your issues and expecting them to say 'Ah, I'll give you HRT' if you do not say you want it.

If they do say it's your age, then you need to come back with 'Yes it's menopause and I want to try HRT.'

It's not clear if you have actually asked for it or think they do not offer it. This is something they cannot do.

They would have to have the same attitude logically to the Pill, thyroid treatment and other conditions which are all treated with hormones.

How do you mean they have 'taken over all other surgeries'?

Do you live in a small town where there is only one practice?

JinglingHellsBells but I did request it.
I was told because of the side effects they didn’t prescribe it.

When I say taken over every other HPs surgery I mean just that

There were a lot of single independent GPs surgeries in the area now they are all branches of this surgery.

And what did you say when they said that?
Were you face to face with a GP?

They simply are not allowed to say that. It goes against all medical practice. You need to take this up with a formal complaint to the practice manager and higher than that if necessary.

Where are you in the UK?