Is dr correct

[iloverock]

I spoke to the doctors this morning who told me that the pill I am on which is a combined pill - gedarel. Has a higher level of oestrogen than HRT would and therefore there is no point putting me on HRT.

He said that all my symptoms could be something else.
He is referring me to have blood tests for thyroid and something else.
But he doesn't think my symptoms are menopause.
Inability to sleep
Night sweats
Hot
Racing heart
And they were just the ones I told him.

That's not right, @iloverock. Surely Gedarel is a much lower dose of oestrogen?

I'd still get your thyroid checked, though - and ask for full panel and antobodies, not just the cheapo basic one.

And read the NICE guidelines on HRT!

(My new GP is hopeless on HRT and thyroid. It's ... frustrating.)

That's what I thought. Otherwise why would anyone take hrt. Surely they could just be put on the pill??

My doctor told me there is no minimum clinical threshold of symptoms for the prescription of hrt so it boils down to the attitude of your doctor. Mine (female funnily enough) told me (after my thyroid and bold had been checked) that I could have it anytime I thought I needed it. Think your doctor is right to check the other stuff as they can present with similar symptoms but otherwise needs to stop behaving like it's a myth.

Also worth remembering for anyone with a thyroid condition or possibly borderline thyroid results should get it checked a few months after starting hrt as oestrogen can mean the body needs more thyroxine.

@iloverock

That's what I thought. Otherwise why would anyone take hrt. Surely they could just be put on the pill??

@iloverock It's a bit more complicated than that.

1 The Pill is synthetic hormones. (not exactly the same as our own.) In women over 50 the type of estrogen and progesterone in the Pill carries a higher risk of strokes. That's why it's not given.

2 I don't know the equivalent dose of estrogen in your pill compared to HRT doses. It may be higher and the Pill can be used with young(er) women as a form of HRT. (Under 45)

3 The Pill that is often preferred as HRT in younger women is Qlaira, because its estrogen is the same type as our own and in most types of hrt.

It all depends on how old you are and IF your pill does in fact have more estrogen. The usual starting dose for HRT is 1mg estrogen (daily) so your dr needs to explain the difference to you.

what are your other symptoms you haven't mentioned?

irritable, anxious, eating plenty?

and when you say hot, do you mean a quick feeling of hot or just hot a lot of the time?

Perhaps your doctor has confused micrograms (μg/mcg) with milligrams (mg?)

The combined pill has around 150 micrograms of oestrogen, whereas HRT has 1-2 milligrams. So an order of magnitude higher in HRT than the pill.

Thanks everyone.
My symptoms are
Night sweats
Irritability
Dizzy spells and racing heart
Spots
Digestive issues
Lack of interest in sex
Itchiness at night.

He just kept saying it wasn't menopause and he had to rule out other things (which is fine) but I don't understand how he can just rule out menopause simply because I'm on the pill

@rbe78
Jesus. Shouldn't a GP know that?
So the gedarel pill is 20 or 30 micrograms according to packet

But HRT is 1 milligram or the equivalent to 1000 micrograms?

So hrt has way more oestrogen in then.

[quote iloverock]@rbe78
Jesus. Shouldn't a GP know that?
So the gedarel pill is 20 or 30 micrograms according to packet

But HRT is 1 milligram or the equivalent to 1000 micrograms?

So hrt has way more oestrogen in then.

[/quote]
@iloverock I don't think it's so simple as looking at mcg or gms.

There are different types of estrogen.

I've read that the amount in HRT is lower than in the Pill.

I don't think it's possible to do a straight 'conversion' of the amount on the packet of the Pill.

@WarriorN

Also worth remembering for anyone with a thyroid condition or possibly borderline thyroid results should get it checked a few months after starting hrt as oestrogen can mean the body needs more thyroxine.

I know you're right, @WarriorN, but could you possibly link me to a source please, because yet again I'm going to have to tackle my hopeless GP on both issues (HRT and hypothyroidism).

Any help much appreciated

Yep, give me a tick

www.btf-thyroid.org/thyroid-and-menopause

^ they're the charity that works with the British thyroid association and NICE

Also the wonderful Diane:

He says oral oestrogen worse than patches vit I think it's best to check anyway

Thank you so much, @WarriorN.

I'm doing an e-consult this week to try to attract my GP's attention, so I need to be prepared for a very defensive phone call from them, as per usual. (My consultant wrote 12 days ago and has been ignored.)

I'm almost certain it would be in the nice guidance, possibly the thyroid one though?

It would say it on a thyroxine leaflet too. Oral contraceptives can also cause this issue (it's actually how I became hypo aged 20. Or it worsened pre existing needs)

Yep here: "the following may affect...

Good luck!

(Sorry for derail op, thyroid can have similarly woeful treatment as meno!)