Pharmacist says i dont need Mini Pill any more.

[JenniferBooth]

Im going to be 51 in June I buy my pill from Boots (Hana) i was buying the latest box on Friday when i was asked the usual question , Does my GP (lol) know that i am on it. I usually say yes which isnt true as i cant get through to my GP Ive tried phoning, e mail and even Twitter. This time wasnt the usual pharmacist and he asked when i last had my blood pressure taken. I said a long while ago. He also asked when i last had a period (i had three light bleeds in 2022) Nothing since. I said there is no way of knowing whether my periods have stopped due to pill or menopause. He said it was more likely the latter and suggested only buying a months supply of Hana until i could see a doctor and get his advice confirmed. I did smile wryly at that and repeated how hard it is to get a GP appointment so bought my usual three month supply to give me more time. He did try to take my blood pressure but had to stop as i found it too painful. It wouldnt have been an accurate reading tbf as id been rushing about all afternoon.

Doesn't sound like that's what he said - that you don't need it any more. More likely he wants you to have a blood pressure check with GP practice hence only one month's supply. I know it's hard to get an appointment but you're saying basically over months of trying you can't get through to your practice at all via phone email or twitter. Really?

@BonzoGates YES REALLY Ive been trying since last May to get bowel issues investigated. And there are plenty of Mners saying the same on the threads ive been on. And he did actually say he didnt think the pill was needed in my case

I pointed out that women have been recommended to take it till around 55 and he didnt agree

He sound as if he is concerned about your blood pressure.

He’s not saying it to ruin your day op; I think he’s concerned about you being on hormones for so long without having had the proper health checks that go along with them. Presumably he is worried about blood clots and stroke?

Difficult though it is, the safest option for you is to persist in trying to make an appointment with your gp for a routine blood test and meds review.

I understand your frustration though. It’s these routine but very important checks that are being missed when surgeries are under so much pressure.

I will give it a try tomorrow

Oh Im child free by choice and i did point out to him if i had been sterilized when i asked for it i wouldnt be going through all this now. He was surprised that the NHS refused to do it

For blood pressure checks you don't need to see your GP - you can see the nurse. Appointments with your surgery's nurse is probably easier to get.
What do you mean you "buy" your pill. Isn't it free?

No i buy Hana What im paying for is the convienience and the avoidance of the stress of trying to book an appointment.

I didn’t know it was 55 now. Thanks.

I hope you get it sorted. I know it’s impossible to see anyone.

@JenniferBooth oh I always thought you generally got a permanent repeat prescription with the Pill except for a check-up every year or so (like the pharmacist said you need now) and it was free.
(I've never been on the pill).
Even so - definitely try and get an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner for your blood pressure.
I had blood tests too recently. I didn't need to see my GP (he just had to print the request form out) and I went to the hospital walk in blood clinic.
Unless there are medical concerns following the results you won't need to see the GP at all for this.

@EmmaEmerald

@Needmorelego Thank You i didnt think of that

If you’re over 50 you need contraception for a year after your last period. If you’ve had no bleed since 2022 you don’t need contraception so he is right.

If still bleeding you can use the progesterone only pill until 55.

If you're on the Pill you get a withdrawal bleed so can't say with confidence when your last period was.

@EmmaEmerald not on the POP. And you shouldn’t be on a combined pill over 50.

Oh that's why I had 50 in my head, thanks.

On the POP you may not be having periods at all. My last one was over 15 years ago, that's nothing to do with menopause.

So I honestly have no idea if my periods have stopped or not.

You can’t say this to someone taking a hormonal contraceptive as it may be stopping them bleeding.

@Pixie2015 But if she was bleeding on the POP until 2022 and hasn’t bled since you could assume she is menopausal so safely stop. Obviously if she had been amenorrhoeic all along you couldn’t.

I started mini pill in October 2021 after waiting for a period that never arrived. Had a long bleed which lasted the most of November 2021

Then three light bleeds in 2022

why not buy yourself a blood pressure machine, very reasonable on amazon and at least you can keep an eye on it as you increase in age. I take mine regularly at home where I am relaxed.

@AngieRosess yes good idea Better way of getting an accurate reading

I've been on the pop for 10 years and don't get any bleeding. At my latest pill check appt I was asked how long I was thinking of staying on it, as I'm now 50.
They said if I came off it now they'd recommend 2 years of using alternative contraception. But if I stayed on it another year then they would say it would be 1 year of alternatives.

I asked for another prescription and intend to stay on it until 55 if I can. If it means I miss any of the long and unpredictable bleeds that peri/menopause can bring, then happy days.

NHS says that most will have stopped periods by 51, but then all adds the caveat that maybe not and it can last a (lot) later.

and bowel issues really shouldn't be ignored, think you might just have to shout louder at your GPs, not that you should have to of course, but certainly at mine you need to be quite firm, polite of course, if they don't want to give you an appt.

Quite. I didn't have a period for 10 years on pop and only sporadically (and a fraction as heavy) after two pregnancies, how are you supposed to judge when to stop taking it?

Op. The blood pressure thing seems to be a routine check, I'm 37 and had one last time I bought. Like you I've struggled to get a gp appointment for contraceptives in particular as the waiting time usually means I run out by then! So I buy instead. Having the blood pressure check once a year is annoying but still more convenient then faffing with GP appointment even if I have to pay for the bloody things! Roll on menopause!