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've been following this thread being peri and having started HRT and I am shocked by the attitudes of the GPs. can one of the online private services prescribe HRT? Push doctor or the likes? Cheaper than a consultant for getting started perhaps?

@Oliversmumsarmy Go back to the GP and take with you a copy of the NIce guidance - top of this forum- and show it to the GP.

Ask the why they are refusing to treat you with recommended treatment.

If they say 'side effects' ask which ones. Tell them they are not allowed to withhold treatment unless you are at risk from your onwn medical history.

You may not be used to speaking to drs like this but they cannot behave like this and get away with it.

If they refuse, say you want a referral to a menopause specialist as they (GP) is not offering you recognised treatment so you want a 2nd opinion.

Half of their patients are women. are they saying the same to them?

@jazzandh

There are options for private online consultations costing about two-three hundred pounds. Think it's about the same as seeing a private doctor face to face, most seem to charge this for a half-hour appt & everything else is extra. It would fairly mount up - and as far as I know, many medical insurance companies don't cover menopause treatment (though they may pay for scans/gynae procedures - not sure about this.)

Push dr and similar are GP services but I' d not be confident about them providing hrt unless they can see your medical records.
Babylon is another similar service.

I thought push dr charged £30?

There ought not to be any other costs for a private consultation. They only do blood tests on women under 45 if necessary.

I've had private meno treatment for 14 years and never had a blood test for hrt.

Insurance companies do not cover it as it would be ongoing for decades possibly and it's not classed as a disease.

You can use insurance for meno symptoms like heavy periods or similar but once there is 'meno' on your diagnosis they won't pay.

Hi, after having total hysterectomy, I decided I didn't want Hrt!! But wanted to try something more natural red clover 1000mg and I haven't looked back 9 years now and best bit is I dont get side effects

"people are more at risk from lack of Vitamin D, which is essential for bones , and which is also why many more Scots have MS as that is linked to low levels of sunlight."

So are Scottish people getting worse complications from Covid than other Europeans as vitamin D levels is believed to be a factor?

You're just lucky @Emmababe50 :) Red clover may help some women but there is a lack of evidence that it does.

Were you under 50 when you had your ovaries removed? If you were, you should have been offered hrt to protect your bones and heart.That's medical advice now.

Have you ever been offered or advised to have a bone density scan? Might be a good idea to have that assessment done .

Yes had a total hysterectomy at 40 , yes I understand that doesn't work for everyone but I needed to as have crohns/endometriosis and didn't want more meds.and I had a bone scan for crohns as well thankyou
I was just lucky

Keep having your dexa scans @Emmababe. I have mine every 2-3 years so if you have not had one in 9 years you def need one.

for the record, most modern hrt is natural- it's made from yams.

@emmababe50 Not sure if you saw my previous post about regular bone scans? It's SO important you have these done not just once for Crohns but long term, every 3 years.

Now, no dr would remove your ovaries and not give you estrogen. It's vital for bone health. You have been without estrogen for almost 10 years and are still not up to the age of the average menopause - 51. Estrogen is givne not for meno symptoms but for bone and heart protection.

Sorry if I sound a bit OTT here but I'm a medical writer some of the time and have spoken to so many poor women with osteoporosis who were diagnosed in their 50s or 60s and had no idea.

The drugs to treat it are far far worse in terms of side effects than estrogen hrt.

You need to take this seriously and have a chat with your GP.

My mum has just been diagnosed with dementia. She's okay at the moment but it will get worse obviously.

This clearly runs in the women on my mum's side of the family. My grandmother and great grandmother suffered too. All went through a natural, ie unmedicated, menopause.

Is there any evidence that HRT, ie taking oestrogen into your sixties, helps prevent it? it's another positive as far as I'm concerned. I'm more afraid of losing my mind than a small risk of breast cancer.

@jackdawdawn Sorry to hear about your mum and the family history.

Are you using hrt now? Are you doing it through Louise Newson? If so, discuss with her and there may be things on her website on it.

I was just going to add how to anti-depressants help prevent osteoporosis? I consider that I am in perimenopause due to shorter cycle and would like to get HRT as soon as needed for that reason alone. This sort of thing concerns me! I'm not even sure when one is supposed to go to the GP to even ask in the whole phase but had assumed perhaps earlier was better.

JinglingHellsBells totally agree with you.

Bone density scans should be offered routinely to menopausal women but rarely are. I went back onto HRT after my spine and hip went from osteopenia to full blown osteoporosis. Most recent BDS showed an improvement. I also take high dosage vitamin D.

OP find another GP and insist on being referred to a menopause specialist/clinic. Good luck.

@JinglingHellsBells no, a local consultant who runs an NHS meno clinic (referral only) by day and who runs a private clinic one day a week as well... utterly ridiculous, I know.