Private clinic recommendations

[perihelpneeded]

I have decided I need help, I cannot keep getting ignored by my GP because my mental health is now seriously suffering so I think I need to speak to someone that I at least feel wont dismiss me and am looking at a private menopause clinic.

I wondered if anyone else has used one and could recommend an option that does online appointments?

I'd suggest you do one of these-

Look at the website of the British Menopause Society and choose SPECIALISTS - they are listed by region. Not ALL specialists are on the site but it gives you a start.

Look at your local private hospitals and select 'gynaecologists' from the menu and see if any are experienced in menopause.

Do a google search for menopause specialists in your area.

Be aware that some specialists are private GPs who work with menopause so it depends what level of experience you want.

I'd not focus on a 'clinic' but more an individual doctor. There are hundreds of consultants across the UK working from private hospitals (not clinics) who deal with menopause.

It also depends on your location and if you can travel - for example there will be far more choice in big cities, eg London.

Honestly at the moment travel might not be possible as my health is so bad, I generally dont have great health and this is just exacerbating it all to the point I am struggling so bad, which is why I thought looking for online appointments would be a good option.

I will do what you suggested and see if I get any luck

Ok doing this has been amazing. I've been searching and there were so many options but ive just found what sounds like a perfect option going via the BMS list. Thank you so much for the suggestion. I think I was going in circles and there were so many options but this helped a lot.

A lot of doctors work online anyway now.
However, if you an see one face to face it's often better.
I had some online appts with my consultant during lockdown etc and although it was okay, it wasn't as good as in person.

The biggest online clinic is Newson Health but you will probably be given estrogen gel and Utrogestan which your own GP could offer.
Hormone Health (headed by Prof Nick Panay ) may do online.

I'm sorry- I half recognise your username - have you another thread about your situation? if so could you maybe link to it?

peakmpst.co.uk is my menopause specialist, she gave me my life back, Dr Amanda Smith. She’s based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire as am I.

She did video calls during covid so this could be a possibility for you. She is so knowledgeable, she ran our NHS menopause clinic before the Tory government pulled the funding, absolutely disgusting. She won’t go off piste with ridiculous doses like the Newson Clinic, honestly after I saw the TV documentary at what they’d been doing I was SO shocked. One woman is looking at a hysterectomy due to hyperplasia (thickening lining of the womb) this carries a risk of cancer. The dosage of estrogen they’d prescribed was so unbelievably high.

Dr Smiths charges are very reasonable for her wealth of knowledge. My current HRT was withdrawn for no reason and not due to safety issues. I’m very progesterone intolerant and Tridestra meant I only needed it once every 3 months. My G.P contacted her for guidance and she informed her of a regime, replacing estrogen tablets with a patch instead, kind of off license, but Dr Smith has a colleague at the British Menopause Society who follows this regime also as she to struggles with progesterone, so I know I’m safe.

My G.P mentioned a hysterectomy which I’d accept if offered. But I doubt the struggling NHS would do this as we had to battle gynae for my daughters awful situation of horrendous endometriosis, that’s another story, we eventually got there due to reaching out to an understanding Gynaecologist, initially privately. He was so sympathetic to her and refused to let us pay and placed her on his NHS list, an angel in disguise.

Sorry to hear you're suffering.
Check out Dr Naomi Potter.
She runs a private clinics around London called Menopause Care.
They also do online consultations.
She's also on instagram and youtube

Do not use the Newson Clinic!!!

Watch the documentary about them. It was a BBC Panorama program, they’re being investigated. The British Menopause Society has removed her clinic from its register of recommended clinics due to prescribing VERY HIGH doses of estrogen that hasn’t been trialled for safety and efficacy.

I used Dr Olivia Hum, she is in Sussex but works online and in Manchester I believe

Berkshire Menopause Clinic. She will do online appointments. I paid £240 for my initial appt and she prescribed hrt that my gp were able to prescribe on the nhs. Check out her 5 star reviews on google. She just got a big award as well.

The clinic as far as I'm aware from reports in the media is no longer prescribing high doses.

This was in the news a long time ago.

I think the 'investigation' has happened and the clinics are now working within recommended guidance.

Disclaimer: no personal experience, only from what is reported in the press.

This is who I have gone with as they had someone local if I want in person appointments and they have online. Fingers crossed they can help but it cant be any worse than the complete dismissal ive had from my own GP.

This is who I was originally looking at, im not even sure why I didn't book with them but I wanted to research options first. Im glad I didn't, haven't seen anything about them but have booked with someone I found via the BMS website.

Yes I posted the other week as I have a dermoid cyst that possibly needs removal and you and another poster suggested exploring endometriosis. I have my gynae appointment coming up but will mention all of this at my consultation so they have all the info but went with someone that listed endometriosis as a specialisation as I thought they could then advise on whether im best to get these looked at first. Hopefully will get more info at my consultation.

That sounds like a good plan.
Hope you get a helpful outcome.

i Hope you get some hope and help from them. I’ve not personally used them, but my friend has and found them very good.
I've been following Naomi Potter on instagram for a few years now and found her advice very helpful.

You don't need to pay privately for what is routine treatment available on the nhs.

All practices have multiple GPs. Ask to see or have a phone consult with whoever has an interest in women's health. Don't let one GP put you off.

Say you've read NICE guidelines and would like a prescription for body identical HRT, oestrogel and utrogestan (or patches). With a 3 month review.

Have you tried all self care options like limiting caffeine and alcohol, good diet etc?

Good luck.

@perihelpneeded I'm not sure if you mean you've got a consultation booked with a gynaecologist re. endometriosis? Dr Naomi Potter is in reserve for HRT?

If you can, it's better to get one doctor who can do a lot of things- so a gynae who knows about endo AND HRT.

OP has many gynae complex issues (she has another thread about it.)

Ah right I just saw a cyst mentioned on this thread and the op says her GP dismisses her suggesting the GP is the problem which is sometimes the case.

I just really object to women feeling they have to pay for what is widely available on the nhs.

Another vote for Berkshire Menopause Clinic. Dr McQuillan is extremely well-respected in the medical world and hugely knowledgeable.

I honestly wish this were the case, ive been back and forth to my GPs and I actually put a complaint in to the practice manager today and honestly in this whole process, she is the person that has listened to me most.

But the GP has ignored every symptom and gone solely based on 2 FSH tests that gave different results but she has taken the lowest one (both taken around day 16 of my cycle) and because that was ok, has said no its not peri. Ive tried discussing and explaining but its like talking to a wall. As I said I got to the point I put a complaint in today and the practice manager has been super helpful but my mental health in the meantime has taken a battering and I cannot wait and hope that they might help in the future. I have been convincing myself for months to wait a bit longer as they will surely help me and I cannot cope being left any longer, for my sake and my families as its affecting them too.

Yes ive done absolutely everything I can. The only thing I havent been able to do with certainty is exercise, I am disabled and have issues with pain and energy levels and this has been exacerbated by these issues and ive struggled with the energy to get around the house, let alone exercise. But ive done what I can, when I can.

I have had to basically research my own health to get help for far too many years and actually have a really helpful GP that listens to me and is fantastic but he is so booked up that it takes several months to see him and ive not been able to, ive found out today its because he is scaling back to retire, but they have me in to see him later this month as a result of my complaint. To highlight how hard it is to see him, both me and the practice manager were shocked that she managed to find a slot for him in April, he is always booked months in advance.

I absolutely agree, im frustrated that im having to pay but it honestly feels like my best option at this point. I always read about people struggling to be listened to and I never thought that would be the case as my usual GP is fantastic but as I said in my last post, he is near on impossible to see and now about to retire.

Honestly it feels like my whole health feels complex lately which is why ive held off paying a menopause clinic because there are other things going on, but the only thing thats actually been confirmed is a dermoid cyst and some low level inflammation showing in my bowel. Aside from that, nothing else has been found so far and my GP says none of those things explain the hormone like symptoms that are going on. She hasn't even mentioned anything else and hasn't offered any suggestions when ive asked about the cause, just that she doesnt feel its peri.

'there are other things going on, but the only thing thats actually been confirmed is a dermoid cyst and some low level inflammation showing in my bowel. Aside from that, nothing else has been found'

If bloods and scans/tests etc have come back clear perhaps there isn't anything else going on which would perhaps as you say point to hormonal issues.

What disability do you have (obviously you don't need to disclose that, I'm just thinking if that is contributing to your problems).

How old are you and what is your cycle like?

Good that you are seeing the nice GP soon, maybe hold off paying for private see what he suggests?

OP has posted more before.

The point of going to a private consultant is that you get more time and more expertise. I agree it ought not to be necessary but sometimes it is.