BBC1, 8PM Tomorrow (Monday 30/9). Panorama - The Menopause Industry.

[SebastianFlytesTrousers]

Documentary presented by Kirsty Wark investigating the multi million pound global menopause industry.

Should be interesting.

Sorry that ^ was responding to @QuaintBiscuit - bold fail

Still doesn't justify giving women doses of oestrogen that haven't been tested to see if they are safe.

@hairbearbunches The information you're querying is out there.

HRT that is licensed for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis comes with a dose. Here is a link.https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/postmeno.php The products marked * are licensed for osteoporosis treatment/prevention.

Have you had a DEXA scan? Without that, you've no knowledge of what's going on. If you have no estrogen then your GP should arrange a scan asap. If you've not had one- why not?

You say you have few symptoms, yet you're still increasing your dose as you're not absorbing. If you have few symptoms, why are you increasing the dose?

The way it works is you'd use the recommended dose of HRT to improve your bones and have a scan every 18 months to 2 years. (It takes 2 years for changes to show.)

Depending on the results of the DEXA scan you'd carry on with the same dose or reduce it, or be prescribed additional drugs for established osteoporosis.

It's so difficult to get decent menopause treatment on the NHS and when you're desperate for some answers then of course, you go where you have to.

However I agree that there needs to be protections in place. The problem is there is insufficient training for GP's on menopause and lack of extensive research into women's health.

I know these are both changing and welcome that but in the meantime women divorce, retire and die because of the symptoms and we need help.

I stopped my HRT two weeks ago due to heavy bleeding and clotting. 2mg of estradiol 1mg of notetherone? I went right through the pad knickers and pyjama bottoms i was wearing through the old t shirt i was sitting on and onto the sofa. I had all the synptoms come back Period pain Piles Sludgy poo. Sore from bleeding (periods always made me sore down there right from eleven years old) Ultrasound tommorrow as a precaution. Editing to add i hadnt had a period for two years + and have been on mini pill for three years

HRT is not for everyone and yes some people will have side effects like all medication and have to give it up. Some women sail through the menopause and don’t need anything.

Women on HRT need to be monitored for other symptoms and these need to be checked out. Just like when you’re on the pill.

The answer is not to make it harder to get HRT. It’s better education for GPs and more research and studies.

Totally agree Whether its suitable for me or not other women should get it should they want it or need it .

Still doesn't justify giving women doses of oestrogen that haven't been tested to see if they are safe.

@QuaintBiscuit no-one's saying that's justified, but that it appears it was very few cases indeed.

Agreed with PP's that the whole area needs investment rather than bringing down the pioneers.

Another Newson patient here. In fact I'd already decided to get a follow up apt before this morning's news.
After hit and miss experiences with dosing on the NHS - GPs don't really seem to understand - which led to bleeds and investigations, i came off HRT. But found my symptoms drove me to seek further help. And after my NHS experience that led me to Newson. It would be nice if half the population over the age o 50 didn't have to have sub standard treatment on the NHS.

So Dr Newson takes a higher dose than is recommended as her consultant (a male doctor) approved it. Is he also being investigated for prescribing higher doses of oestrogen than have been licensed?

But, but, but he's a man!

Absolutely crystal clear to me, one of the Medical experts quoted in this panorama absolutely detests Dr Newson (the hormone doctor) she's always making sly digs without naming her on social media so wasn't at all shocked to see her pop up on here! Eye-roll....!!

I prefer Dr Louise Newson over those experts. I've also watched a webinar with the other Expert from the BMS (Gynaecologist I think) , she had
the attitude of dismissiveness too on what I watched before.

The current NHS service for anyone menopausal was practically non existent 5 years ago when I was at my worst! Dr Newson clinic was a lifesaver!!!

It's not totally perfect and its exponential growth has meant sometimes there are admin issues etc but I've been very happy with them. It's nowhere as bad as the inconsistency and attitude of most of the NHS docs I've seen, where you get barely 10 mins!!

When I finally got HRT from my gp, she just asked if I had hot flushes, no other symptoms (which I had) but had a lot of debilitating symptoms which started 5 plus years earlier and have now cleared up thanks to HRT.

Panorama should go undercover in NHS surgeries etc and see the sometimes nonsensical and brutal dismissal of women's symptoms by the medical professionals I've seen.

Patients are gas lit, made to feel guilty and like they ought to be able to cope etc etc! So it's very rich indeed to cherry pick 3 cases for this documentary.

I thought panorama were meant to be more balanced in their arguments??

I'm afraid yet more women will be ditching their HRT or being told that "you are on the maximum dose so tough luck" if they can face getting help in the first place thanks to this dreadful panorama episode.

By the time I eventually asked (sorry, begged) for HRT after waiting until I was 45, I was in a very dark place indeed. It was like being down a black hole where I was just barely existing... any women feeling similar will probably feel like they can't face going to get it now!

HRT has become some sort of messed up football between organizations like the BMS, Endocrinologists, Primary care, Menopause specialists with the poor patients in the middle!!

Women deserve individual care - not blanket approaches and we need more good quality research!!! Please!!

The reason people go to private menopase clinics in the first place is because so many of us are completely fobbed off by the NHS! For me - even though I'd had a hysterectomy and had been warned my ovaries might pack up sooner rather than later - it took four appointments, two prescriptions for SSRI anti-depressants and one for folic acid (wtf?) before finally getting HRT. What a total waste of money. Had I not been assertive, I'd still be plodding on, miserable, with my atrophying nether regions and crippling anxiety.

It is an utter SCANDAL that these sorts of clinics are even needed in the first place. The fact that they are is testament to the shit service many of us receive on the NHS. I bet that's not raised in the documentary.

The HRT nurse in my surgery is great and thinks women should have it if they need or want it. Going to feel a bit guilty going back there tomorrow and telling her ive stopped it cos i dont want constant bleeding. That actually wrecked my intimate life for a short while And i didnt want it turning into a long while.

Exactly this.

I fear this program is going to cause a lot of harm to many women.

There already seems to be a backlash after finally we are talking about how awful the menopause can be. Accusations of ‘over medicalising’ menopause. We really like women suffer don’t we?

Women can be suicidal, suffer relationship breakdowns, lose their jobs. Plus all the other detrimental effects of low oestrogen such as brittle bones. But any chat of helping this is ‘over medicalising’.

Absolutely agree with that!!!! I've been massively fobbed off and last week was hauled in to try and scare me to death again! She went through my medical history and started saying, hmm, we don't know how oestrgen will affect this and that..., so random, I'm medical myself so told them my view!! 😡

I've just started watching it on iplayer and I'm delighted to see the wonderful women at Menopause Warriors are featured. Their group helped me when I was in a very dark place indeed.

Does she say this in the programme? Where have you seen this?
I know who she sees as she's mentioned it before.

@JenniferBooth my GP surgery has a child health clinic, an asthma clinic, a diabetes clinic, a travel immunisations clinic. I asked whether they had a menopause clinic or even a women's health clinic and they looked at me as if I'd completely lost the plot.

Menopause can be over medicalised thoug and it isn't awful for everyone and really I had hoped the days of blaming a women's hormones for everything would belong past us but it seems not

The fact that it's been under researched and women so poorly supported just opens gaps in the markets for dubious practises

I'm considering complaining to the BBC or whoever is the TV watchdog?

Fucking hell thats BAD! Like women dont matter! I did change my surgery earlier this year after spending a YEAR trying to get an appointment at my old one.

The BBC stopped being unbiased years ago.

The problem with this style of programme is that a professional person like a doctor can't come back with their side of the story.

I actially think the first section of the show is good. Don't waste your money on all these supplements as they are unproven, and the manufacturers are making claims they can't back up with science.

Women shouldn't be wasting their money on this shit.

She has an Instagram post about it. And talks about her consultant that approved it.