Fighting for hrt

[Jaymar139]

Hello..I've had some lovely replies from people over the past few weeks who have helped me at a time when I don't know what to do or where to go next ..I'm 47 and have been having menopause symptoms for a few years but the last 6 months it has affected my life so bad it's scaring me ..I first saw my doctor 3 weeks ago and I walked into the appointment a mess ..I cried to her and told her my symptoms ..I'm waking up at 3 in the morning drenched in sweat so I sit in my garden to try and escape the horrible anxious episode I'm waking up with,my anxiety is so bad I'm shaking throughout the day with hit flushes , palpitations,my sex drive has completely gone and I've got vaginal dryness ..she said hrt will help and she said I needed a blood test ..I had had a blood test 3 weeks before for something different so she asked the lab to take some hormone results from that and she would see me again in a week..she even sent me home with a leaflet all about hrt ..she called me a week later and said your bloods are normal but you can still go on hrt and she asked if she could call me back while she looked into which hrt to give me ..2 days later still no call back and by this time I just wanted my nightmare to end ..I chased her up crying down the phone telling her I'm worried about how I'm feeling and my state of mind ..she then said I've spoken to my gyno friend who has said your not going through menopause it's pms ..I was so shocked I couldn't breath ..it made me feel like I was being dramatic .I said I've had pms all my life I know it's not that ..she wouldn't listen to me and didn't even talk to after that about any of my symptoms..I said I need help and she gave me the mini pill ..the ones you can buy from the chemist ..ive been bounced backwards and forwards since then each time hitting a brick wall ..I was referred to what was supposed to be a menopause clinic ..I got there yesterday to be told by the doctor she can't help me because they only deal with gyno not menopause that's my GPS job..she also said if my periids are not as heavy at my age I should be having biopsy and scans ..all these doctors I am seeing are older women..my hair is also now falling out ..stress or menopause I don't know ..I'm very very scared that this is life for me now ..I don't know what to do ..I feel numb .if it wasn't for having this forum I don't know what I would do ..

Brilliant.. I'm Actualy looking forward to going to the appointment now..the help I've had off you all has made me feel so much better about the situation.. I've already printed out the nice guidelines.. Its as thick as a book..

Good luck with your appointment OP

Thankyou so much.. You've all been amazing.. This is my first experience with any kind of forum or chat and it has made a big difference.. You have all made me feel so much better and not alone.. 🌹

Not sure if I've misread OP.... but it sounded like all you have to do is go back to GP and ask for the hrt they said you could have if you wanted.

No they haven't..ive complained to the gp manager and all the doctors had a meeting about my doctor and the way she diagnosed me.. The doctors all agreed they woukd have diagnosed me the same way.. I was referred to what was supposed to be a menopause clinic to get there and be told she was a gyno and wasn't a menopause specialist.. She said that's my GPS Job..so I phoned the manager again, I go straight to the manager because the receptionists are very cocky and make me feel like I'm being a pain.. The manager said she can give me another appointment with a different doctor but as they've sll had a meeting and decided on the basis of a blood test I don't see me getting very far.. So I'm going to my appointment Monday with the nice guidelines and a bit more knowledge thanks to the posts on here..

I despair Jaymar139 you poor thing what a to do for you. I have been post menopause for 5 years now and I can remember when I went to the docs (male) with my symptons he completely dismissed HRT, in fact he was linking it to all sorts, obviously trying to frighten me. What a load of tosh!

Good luck on Monday and don't be fobbed off.

Hi Jaymar, how did you get on? Really hoping for a positive outcome for you

I'm younger and in peri menopause and got HRT prescribed without a blood test! I thought a blood test wasn't necessary after 45 anyway?

Really shocked to read about your experience, OP. Hope your appointment goes well.

Hiya everyone..I got it .I'm so tearful as it's been a nightmare month as you all know .the doctor was lovely and knew about my situation as she was one of the doctors that sat in the meeting about my case when I made my complaint ..she listened to me and said the reason the first doctor I saw wouldn't prescribe me hrt is because my periods wasn't irregular ..I said to her it was because she relied on my bloods which she shouldn't have done and the doctor agreed that you shouldn't rely on blood tests for my age ..today she even asked about my family's history with menopause which was nice because early menopause runs in my family ..I went into the appointment with my nice guidelines that I had printed and I didn't need them .I wouldn't have been so confident today if it wasn't for all you lovely people on here and I thankyou all so much ..🌹I've been put on elleste and have started taking it straight away ..I'm hoping to have a bit of myself back over the next month ..your all angels ..xx

Really chuffed for you OP 😀
Hopefully the HRT will kick in soon and life will get better for you💐

Thankyou.. Its realy opened my eyes though to how little help there is for women's health in some gp surgeries.. If I had listened to the first doctor I would be left to just cope with my symptoms and carry on..

Really glad to hear this, Jaymar. What a relief! Did you get the Ovestin too?

I can send you some Overton, @Jaymar139 if you didn’t get that yet. I had similar nightmares getting HRT (ongoing, actually) and have deepest sympathies for any woman going through this.

This board has been an amazing help.

Ovestin not Overton!! Fgs.

So happy to hear you’ve finally got what you need. Keeping my fingers crossed that whatever you have been given works well for you. If after a time you feel it’s not helping don’t despair try something else.

I was that overjoyed to get hrt I didn't think to ask about the dryness..she has said if there's any problems to just call and let her know so I will call tomorrow and ask for the ovestin lol.. Thankyou autumncrow.. Thankyou stongbeatsskinny I hope it helps as well.. I know from what I've read the hrt I've got is only a low dose but I'm hoping it helps.. If it doesn't the doctor said I can change.. This forum is a life saver. It's Actualy the first time I've ever used a forum but it's made such a difference when I needed to speak to women that was going through the same thing.. 💐

Hello gardening idiot.. I think you was one of the first people I spoke to on here..thankyou so much for being there. I didn't get my ovestin but I will call tomorrow and ask for it.. I didn't expect much from this other doctor today but she was lovely.. If only I had of seen her first.. She's put me on elleste.. Hopefully it helps. Xx

Brilliant news! 🎉🎉

This is so true and it's indefensible.

OP I had a similar problem with my GP. I can't afford a private prescription either. I had a bit of a mooch at the different online pharmacies to see which was the cheapest. I went with Boots in the end. Described my symptoms in the online messaging service, and even told them which HRT I wanted (I did a lot of research and found what I thought would work best for me). I was prescribed my HRT within a few days - £22 for 3 month's supply. I'm now on my fifth month and the £22 every 3 months is so worth it.

I should have RTFT. Glad you got it in the end OP, I'm on Elleste too, it's completely changed my quality of life!

OP I'm so pleased for you!!!

Definitely keep an eye on any improvements. They generally say three months before making a change but I increased my oestrogen after two months and then again after 4 months as I was still having the night sweats.

I really hope you start to feel better. You sound like you have a lovely DH too so that support will help. Xx

It's terrible isn't it the way some women are let down by the uneducated views of some GPS.especialy when those GPS are women..how long did the elleste take to work for you ..the first GP I saw put me onto the progesterone mini pill and even though it didn't help with my main symptoms it stopped me getting irritated and snappy..with the elleste I'm hoping it's going to help with my main symptoms like hot flushes and horrible night sweats but I'm really hoping my zest for life comes back as at the moment it feels like I've got no feelings for anything ..I don't look forward to anything ..my sex life has gone ..I get ratty with my partner if he even touches me and it's horrible .I've got to phone the surgery tomorrow for something for my vaginal dryness .I was that happy to get my hrt I didn't ask for anything even though I told her it was one of my worst symptoms ..

@Jaymar139 it took around 1 month for it to help with physical symptoms, around 6 weeks to help with my mood, and around 2 months to get my sex drive back.

I will ..now I've found a doctor who was happy to talk through the menopause with me if I have any problems I will let her know ..my bloke is a good en..he must be to put up with me this past 6 months ..he's my rock .when I was refused hrt at first when we got home he phoned the surgery and spoke to the manager .he either felt sorry for me or he just couldn't put up with my moods and crying any longer and wanted me to get hrt so he can stop suffering ..lol.