1st annual review of HRT tomorrow with GP - nervous about it

[GlomOfNit]

This is the only properly supportive GP I've seen at my practice re. HRT. Even she makes noises about 'only being allowed' on it for 5 years. Tomorrow, as instructed in a note via pharmacy, I have to see GP to review BMI and BP and see how it's all going.

I'm bricking it, stupidly. I know I have agency here but it feels like a test I'm going to fail. I don't want to stop it but my BMI is overweight (26.89, - ok, 27!) and I think my BP might be on the high side of normal too (it was when I was asked to measure it at home, after being highish in the surgery). I'm stupidly anxious about taking BP and haven't done so at home for ages as it was stressing me out. I know, that's daft. I do know I get white-coat hypertension - apparently I can get that at home too!

I'm on 2mg (sometimes 2.5mg but that was based on suggestions here and from a medical friend) of Sandrena and the recommended Utrogestan for 12 days of my cycle. It all seemed to work fairly well for the first 9 months or so and then I got sweats at night, palpitations, dizziness when I have those, and breast pain back again. I do wonder if I'm absorbing the Sandrena gel well - it takes ages to sink in without being tacky enough to stick to clothes. It's also a PITA in the mornings because of the extra time, so often I delay it until evening, so the times I take it are erratic.

What are my options? Is there any point in asking to swap to patches to see if they suit me any better? I don't want to abandon transdermal oestrogen, I know it's safest. I'm absolutely plagued by the palpitations and ectopic heartbeats, and the dizziness I sometimes get with them worries me too.

Really worried that she'll just say 'it's not working, is it - I think you should stop' - I know HRT has benefits for the heart and bones, I don't want to stop! (The hypochondriac me also worried I have an actual heart condition. I've had ECGs and nothing unusual has come up. That was a few years ago though.)

But you don't have to stop if you don't want to.

I changed my prescription after the first two months, so a year is a really long time. They usually say three months I think.

Absolutely go in and say you'd like to try patches instead. I use patches and think they are great. There's no way I could faff around with gel, I barely use moisturiser.

I was on the 100mg patch and was fine. Then because of shortages I was on 1.5 sandrena, which was not enough and bumped to 2 x 1.0 satchets and felt great.

then there was a sandrena shortage and I tried the 100 patch again and it wasn’t enough any more.

a long story to say you might find the patch worse, and they are unlikely they will give you more than 100 patch, which at least for me is less oestrogen than 2x 1.0 sandrena.

Good luck. I take my sandrena at night and just sit there for awhile. Remember to have good BP form and don’t let them take it until you are calm.