How did your first GP visit for menopause go?

[Mathsdebator]

I'm planning on trying to get an appointment to discuss menopause/ HRT when I get back from holiday.

I loathe going to the GP and am guilty of downplaying symptoms and doing the whole "it's probably nothing" thing. I feel like a burden and always think things will go away on their own - so I need a plan!

I'm 47. Last period was March, the one before that was September. I've been evey 28 days since my periods began!

I'm struggling with hot flushes, no sex drive, brain fog, dry vagina, irritability, insomnia...

Just wondering how your first appointment went. Did you take a list? Did you know what you wanted prescribing when you went in?

I was basically told I was hallucinating symptoms offered a basic blood test which apparently came back negative then told because I was still having periods I was "fine"

Have a look here:
https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/knowledge/how-to-talk-to-your-doctor-about-hrt---and-get-results

That's my worst nightmare. In normal life I'm a head strong professional - put me in front of a medical professional and I'm a gibberish idiot.

Thank you! I will make notes from this!

I made a list of all my symptoms, frequency and severity. One of my symptoms was really bad brain fog so I know I'd forget. Also seeing them listed, all 13, was a powerful visual cue for how long I'd been suffering.

I went in prepared to fight my corner but thankfully I was given HRT without much push back.

I was very pleasantly surprised. Youngish male GP made me feel very heard and carefully explained options and risks.

I expected to be told I needed antidepressants, but that wasn't the case at all.

I was happy to be prescribed hrt after a full blood panel. She was a bit concerned about my mum dying young-ish with a heart condition.

I have high blood pressure (medicated) so I'm hoping that won't be a reason for me not to have it.

I've been on Mounjaro for a while and have lost 2.5 stone so I'm hoping that may have helped to stabilise my BP a little.

My first appointment was with one of the practice nurses rather than a GP, and it went very well.

I mentioned I was thinking about enquiring about HRT to the practice nurse when I was in getting my smear test. She recommended seeing another practice nurse who specialised in women's health, and gave me some leaflets about menopause, including one with a lengthy list of menopause symptoms to go through for myself. I made an appointment with the other nurse; she was great, looked at the list of symptoms I recognised in myself and talked me through my options.

With all the preliminary work done by the nurse, I was then given an appointment with the GP who (again!) specialises in women's health, she went through my reasons for my choices with me and prescribed HRT.

My GPs have a lot of information on their website, including the particular health interests of the doctors and nurses. It might be worth having a look at your own practice's website to see if a particular nurse or doctor would be your best starting point.

Good luck!

No, it won't. They asked me to monitor my BP for a week, it was high, so I was prescribed medication to bring it down. It didn't stop them prescribing HRT, I'm currently using both.

I spoke to my GP.

she was bloody good.

i explained I’d come in mostly because the night sweats were so bad that I was soaking PJs and bed linen three times and night and I was getting bloody fed up with the laundry.

i have multiple other health conditions and she spent a long time working out what was the best drug to have.

genuinely a good consultation and outcome.

Just checked ours - they have the doctors listed but not their specialisms.

I need to register for the online e-consult thing (need to take proof of address down to do this) really.

I found a list of symptoms on the menopause charity website (https://themenopausecharity.org/information-and-support/symptoms/menopause-symptom-checker/) which I printed off and filled in before I went (I wasn't having irregular periods, I have a contraceptive implant so I don't have a cycle, my symptoms were more anxiety, crying at everything and brain fog).
I started explaining my symptoms to my GP (female and the women's health lead at my practice so I'm quite lucky with that), burst into tears and she asked me if I'd like to try HRT. I was 44, coming up to 45.
Good luck, I hope your experience is as straightforward as mine ended up being.

I’ve been on HRT now for about 4 wks after trying to manage most of my symptoms with herbal stuff/diet changes etc.
I had an appt with one of the GPs in our surgery who specialises in menopause and she was great. I explained how I was feeling and the symptoms I wasn’t able to manage (a bit of anxiety, not feeling myself at all, lots of crying, awful sleep) and she agreed that it was menopause and then we discussed the different options I could have medication wise. I’m 53 and have been on the mini pill for 20 years so I’m taking progesterone tablets and oestrogen gel.
She did ask me lots of questions and then checked my weight and BP before prescribing. I came away feeling very listened to and really pleased I’d done something about how I was feeling.
I hope you have the same positive experience that I did.

Mine went really well. I explained my symptoms and was given HRT.

At no medical appointment though should you EVER underplay your symptoms. Be very factual. List your symptoms, and if you know, say what condition you are concerned about and/or what investigations/treatment you would like them to consider. If you think you will get flustered or confused or intimidated or forget things then write it down. You can then either read it, or give it to them.

Any doctor will proceed on the basis of what you say. If you underplay things they will assume there isn’t too much of a problem. They aren’t psychic.

You need to learn to start advocating for yourself. I used to be more like you, until I developed chronic illness and realised that approach was getting me nowhere. I now prepare for all medical appointments, I research, go with notes as per above. I don’t see any doctors that are rude or dismissive. See another doctor if you aren’t happy with the outcome of an appointment. And remember that you see doctors for a consultation, not the word of god. They all have different opinions and approaches, so if you aren’t happy with one, see another. They should be listening to you and helping you make an informed decision, not dictating to you. Doctors are just people, not gods, and there are good doctors and bad ones. Abd the whole purpose of the job is to help you with your health condition so why on earth go you think you’d be wasting their time.

You need to change your mindset about the whole thing and you’ll have a much better experience and outcome.

Good luck.

17 weeks, 3 GPs (one seen twice), blood tests taken and I’m still no closer to getting HRT.

They want to put me on Venlaflaxine (anti-depressant, I don’t have any anxiety or similar symptoms).

I’m contemplating a formal complaint.

My first appointment was with a young male doctor who was lovely. Ordered blood tests and was very reassuring. Once the test results came back I saw another doctor (female) who lectured me about my cholesterol but signed off the hrt patches no problem.

I had the same worries as you op and psyched myself up to even make the appointment, but it was fine.

I saw the menopause nurse. It went really well and I felt supported.
I told her all of my symptoms, she arranged a blood test to rule anything else out and then put me on the patch and progesterone tablet.
Hope your appointment goes well op

Awful. Tried to push me down the anti depressant route and when I said no I wasn’t depressed she said I just lived a busy life and should do some meditation on a Saturday morning.
I was 7 years post hysterectomy and had so many symptoms.

went private, had two consultations within five days ( in between a consultant was written too just because of my surgery) and hrt was issued.
and I don’t meditate

I was told that the pill was given me all the hrt I needed. When I questioned that I was told I couldn’t possibly be menopausal even though I was 47 with symptoms.
thankfully i managed to get another appt with a different dr who was great and just prescribed it.

I hardly had any symptoms just a short fuse and some previous flooding which was not pleasant. I was given HRT at my first appointment with no qualms.

Ypu are 100% right with this. When it's ds I've pushed back when HCPs have been wrong (he was very ill as a new born and we'd have lost him had i not) but for some reason I don't with myself.

I do need to though, I teach teenagers and manage a tough department. I need to be completely with it to do my job.

Thank you, I needed to read this x

I was 41, after some bloods I was offered HRT straight away. No issues getting it, I had no knowledge about HRT so just went along with the GPs suggestion.

OP I’m a GP. I think the advice from Dr Louise Newson linked above is very good though potentially slightly unrealistic for the average NHS GP 10 minute appointment.

I would pay most attention to what she says in point 3! If you already feel this is perimenopause, and want to try HRT, in many ways it is so much more straightforward when a patient comes in saying exactly this, as at least we quickly get to the point and can spend a bit more time checking BP, discussing pros and cons of various options etc.

By all means write out a list of your symptoms but to be honest unless you really think some of them are due to something else, or some are particularly prominent such as the main issue being eg vaginal dryness or depression etc, which might slightly alter a management plan, all I really want and need to know at this stage is that you think you have perimenopause and have much less frequent periods now with hot flushes among other things basically! And that you want to try HRT. It really helps if you’ve properly researched the various methods yourself and have an idea of what you think might suit you best though I’d say be open to their input with this.

The worst thing you can do from my perspective is start with “it’s probably nothing!” (At the end of the day you’re here so I assume there is a reason!) and then go on and on about the ins and outs of every symptom and how awful it all is and then burst into tears. I’m really really not unsympathetic (I have the same issues myself!) but it’s just unnecessarily time consuming and emotionally draining for you and I both, and can mean it’s difficult to have a proper conversation about choice of HRT and make sure you are well informed and check BP etc etc (as long as your blood pressure is well controlled on medication that should be be a sticking point). Just go in ideally having done some research into HRT types and risks etc. yourself, and stick to concise facts and ask for what you want!

A female GP is likely to be more knowledgeable about HRT as a broad sweeping statement if you’re not sure who to ask for. Reception will often know which doctors are more experienced or more comfortable with different issues so you could call and ask who they’d recommend you see to discuss possibly starting on HRT.

I just want to put the other side. I went to GP after a hysterectomy to ask about HRT. He said I showed no signs of needing it, and if it aint broke dont fix it. He was so right. 15 years later, I have been absolutely fine without it. Bone density is perfect too.

Just out of interest, he said that he used hot flushes as an index, if hot flushes are severe, it is likely other symptoms are linked, if hot flushes are not severe, it is likely symptoms are due to something else.

He also said that it isn't a long term fix, and if you start too young, you need to come off it too young too, and dont benefit in the years you really might want it

I am not saying this would have been the right outcome for everyone, but it is for some of us

In my case it was particularly fortunate that I spoke to a GP who did not automatically hand out HRT as it transpires I am very genetically susceptible to hormone related breast cancer