Has anyone bought HRT online? (From Superdrug/Boots etc)

[FuckNuggets]

I'm convinced I'm perimenopausal. I'm (almost) 45. My periods haven't been this heavy since I was a teen! Irregular (every 3 weeks, then nothing for 2 months). Anxiety and panic attacks, heart palpitations, memory loss and brain fog, horrible debilitating period pain (again not had it like this since I was a teen), dizziness and nausea, headaches, fatigue and exhaustion, can't sleep, breasts constantly tender/sore, hardly any sex drive, vaginal dryness.

I've been taking magnesium after seeing it recommended on here, which has helped massively. Taking multivitamins, evening primrose oil, folic acid, vitamin B, and Feraglobin.

After about 6 months of this, I got in touch with my GP. Had to use the online form as a face to face appointment is like trying to get a date with god! A lovely female GP got back in touch with me and said she'd be happy to prescribe HRT but would like to do some blood tests to rule anything out first.

Finally (after 3 weeks of trying) got a phone appointment to get the results. Got a male GP who was very dismissive, and said my blood tests were all fine. I wasn't menopausal, and could still conceive if I wanted to (never mentioned wanting more kids). He couldn't prescribe HRT because I was too young and my hormones were fine.

I'm at the end of my bloody tether and sick of feeling like absolute shite all the time! I know it's expensive to buy HRT online, but I'm wanting to give it a try. Wondering if anyone has bought it from online chemists? And if so what worked best for you? I'd prefer oral tablets, rather than patches or creams, but I can do the patches or creams if they're better.

I understand your frustration but TBH there are so many types of hrt and doses that you really could do with some educated prescribing to start with.

Blood tests are only used for women under 45, so at your age you really don't need them- it's all done on symptoms.

Is there another GP you could see?

Other options include a private consultant ( fees around £300 for 1st appt) or women here have been talking about BUPA menopause service. It's £250 for the appt (online I think) and a prescription, with email follow up for 6 months (something like that.)

I tried several time with my GP only to be told I couldn't be menopausal as I was still having periods. Despite GP last year saying I was probably peri.

So I paid to see a private menopause specialist who prescribed HRT straight away. She talked through the various options and risks/benefits etc. wasn't cheap, and I'm cross I had to pay.

If NHS GP refuses to prescribe in future I might try getting online, but seeing someone before starting was very reassuring.

Third time lucky for me as you can see on my previous thread , I'm 44 , 45 in April , I've finally been prescribed even though my periods are generally all fine but have 13 other symptoms most of which you've described.
Call your GP surgery again and get a different doctor , I know it's time consuming but you need to be prescribed on your symptoms ,.all my blood work and hormone checks were all fine , I've been prescribed on my symptoms alone.
Good luck.OP don't give up

Ps are you on England ??
Any results I have for bloods or tests i can access the same day or the day after using the NHS app , just a thought so you didnt have to wait three weeks

@Maltybiscuit how do you do this? I've asked the GP for access, filled in all the forms but I can still only see my medications on the app, not blood test results.

OP I would try to get another appointment with another GP.

I have an amazing practice with mainly female partners and it is so supportive. I think you need to find the right GP. The blood tests at this stage rule out anything else - for example I had blood tests which were inconclusive on meno, but showed I was very deficient in iron. I've managed to get my ferritin from 16 to 72 in three months which has also helped me feel better.

The GP told me all my symptoms were clearly peri menopause, and I'm on month three of HRT and I've increased the estrogen dose already after two months, GP supported this and it's been transformational for my sleep.

Please try another GP. It's worth it, especially if you find one who can support you with additional appointments.

@Moredarkchocolateplease I use an app called AirMid UK I can literally see everything right back to my birth year and vaccinations and every single consultation notes I've ever had. I've moved house 15 times all over the UK but the records are all consistent and follow on unlike dentists !!! But that's another story. I'm glad you're getting sorted with your HRT , I'm only in day two of patches but I cannot wait for an improvement fingers crossed

I got mine from a private menopause doctor on line - there is a list on the British Menopause Society website.

What I liked:
Had loads of time and she really answered all my questions and beyond
Pharmacy was excellent at sourcing everything she prescribed without me having to go without/beg round local pharmacies

What I disliked:
Having to pay for it all

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll try going back to my GP again. I'm not holding out much hope though. I've been with the same surgery for 20 years, they used to be one of the best in the city. But since covid they've declined massively and are now rated one of the worst. Can't even request which doctor you want to speak to let alone get a face to face appointment.

I wish I could afford to go to private, would be so much easier!

Thanks @Maltybiscuit it says my GP isn't joined to the scheme yet.

Our GPs are amazing in every other way so I suppose I can't grumble! They will print out test results for collection if I ask, even before I've seen the GP so I'll go with that for now.

I get my HRT through the Boots online doctor and am very happy with the service and level of advice. They are very quick to respond to messages and check in with you to see how it's going and advise as to what changes you might want to do and why.
I take Bijuve tablets, plus Elleste solo (as a bit more oestrogen was needed) and vagifem (though I'll switch to Gina after this box as it's the same but cheaper). Bijuve costs £58 for 3 months, Elleste £11

I've also been told I'm peri. I'm in my 30s. I have awful Endometriosis and went from flooding and bleeding for 8 days to flooding and bleeding for 1 day.

My anxiety is so bad it's medicated! I have bad palpitations that I've had a 24 hour ECG several times.
My memory has gone to shit and my hair skin and nails have all changed texture.

My GP ordered blood tests so they were booked in. The receptionist phoned me up and said "you aren't going to like this, but I've had to cancel the blood tests due to your age" and that was that. (But what if they picked up another issue? It would be nice to have stuff ruled out!)

Practice Manager didn't do anything and the GP wasn't bothered either.

But I feel like shit. And I'm fed up with feeling like shit. I'm fed up with cystitis!

I left a review on Careopinion and I think Menopause should be Healthwatch's next focus

@FuckNuggets the NICE guidelines which your go must follow clearly state that blood tests are NOT to be used for diagnosis of perimenopause, rather symptoms should be.

I think your blood tests have come in and a different gp has picked them up without reading the previous notes properly.

Make a new telephone appt with the original gp and say that since no other problems are apparent in the blood work you want to start on hrt for your perimenopausal symptoms

Unfortunately for the OP, the NICE guidance says no blood tests for women over 45. She's 'only' 44 so maybe they are going by the rule book on that- which is ridiculous I agree.

Yes, though if you are 45 in a few weeks I would make the appt for after that date

How does this work @CMOTDibbler ?
Is it a proper consultation with your medical history etc discussed, symptoms, and what kind of dose/ type of HRT you prefer? Is it a face to face online chat or by email?

Or is it more for women who are already on it and can't get a prescription in time from their GP?

@JinglingSpringbells its online, and yes you describe your symptoms, lots of questions about health, blood pressure, but also you can add free text. They message you, make recommendations, and then you can message back anytime. My experience was that they were very clear as to why they recommended things and what to do. I feel very in control of my choices too and its good to be able to go back to their messages

@AnnaMagnani I could've written your post word for word!

Thanks for replying.

I was just curious as although it's not applicable to me, I was looking online to try to get some Utrogestan privately (while waiting for it to come into stock at the clinic I go to.) It wasn't Boots or Superdrug.

The online form asked all kinds of questions that were not-applicable, as it seemed to be based on women within a certain age range, (younger than me) recently had a last period, and all kinds of other stuff that I couldn't answer because it was based (as far as I can remember) on having been prescribed it already by a GP.

I just wondered if some women might find the same trying to get hrt the way you have.

Hi.

I have bought HRT from boots online. I was prescribed it first then could not get in to see the GP so just went online. HRT changed my life 100%. There is a really good sheet symptom checker you can do. I think a lot of us know our bodes. Obviously get to see your GP if you can as they will want to take a full history ( as do boots online ) but also your Blood Pressure and family history of cancer and other things etc in the family. Boots online tends to be prescribed by either a pharmacist of Doctor.