Anyone used HRT gel after being told they were too young?

[Anyusernamewilldo8963]

GP has reluctantly agreed to try me on HRT despite being adamant I'm "too young" to be in peri. I'll be 44 in a few months and I've been perimenopausal for about 3 years now, I agree I'm on the younger side but it's beyond frustrating that this outdated thinking is still leading the narrative.

I was of course polite and listed out all my symptoms with when they each started and how they've progressed, how its affecting my daily life now and she did eventually agree that I am indeed in perimenopause but had to throw in another couple "too young" comments before the consultation was over.

From my own research I wanted to try the patch but she has prescribed me the gel you rub in and I didn't feel I could push back as it was such a fight just to be taken seriously in the first place and I felt if I sounded at all knowledgeable about various treatment options I would've been classed as a drug seeker and dismissed entirely.

Can anyone give me their experience of using the gel and how long I give it before I request a switch to the patch (only if the gel doesn't help of course)

I'm not sure what you experienced. The choice of patch or gel is your choice. The only possible explanation is that with estrogen gel it is easier to adjust the dose. It's nothing to do with age.

There's no advantage or otherwise between the two.

You give any HRT 3 months (patch, gel, tablets.)

Why did you want a patch? Did you explain why to the dr?

I didn't even mention the patch, I was offered the gel (very reluctantly) and whilst I'm confident to advocate for myself I just felt if I disagreed with trying the gel and said I'd prefer the patch it would lead to the offer being taken back off the table and being left with nothing.

I would prefer the patch simply for ease of use but at this stage I'd happily dance naked in the moonlight chanting if I was told it would work and offer me some relief!

Ive just turned 40 but been having symptoms since i was 38- my GP was all for prescribing HRT aged 38 but i decided to wait. Went private at the start of the year, turns out im low in testosterone and peri and im on Oestragen gel (i already have the coil).

3 months in i feel like it is helping with the night sweats and less insomnia (though still waking frequently but not for too long)

I cant uses patches as i'm allergic to the sticky backing on plasters/dressings etc

I've held off on any medical help as up until recently the symptoms were manageable but it's now seriously affecting normal daily life, I just didn't expect to have to convince the GP I know my body better than she does. It was the initial total dismissal based purely on my age that annoyed me, especially given she did end up reluctantly agreeing I was right.

She did mention the coil as I'm currently taking a lot of txa each period and I agreed it sounded like it would help but instead she's put me on tablets instead and made it clear the timing is very important on when taking them but didn't really explain how/when to take them and didn't refer me to have a coil fitted. I will have to speak to the pharmacist on how to take the new tablets with the gel.

Hopefully in 3 months I'll also see some improvement as its not sustainable to just keep struggling when there is help available and the only reason for withholding it is one GPs insistence on my being "too young" when clearly women can and do go through it even younger than I am

I started at 48 with combi patch.
The a couple of years later to patch plus tablets
Then last year to coil plus patches
Last month from patch to gel.
Each changed triggered by not really working any more.
The gel is a bit of a faff but is working for me and I feel so much better.
Did have a family history of early menopause (I'm late compared to mum and aunt) plus a specialist doctor at GP so prescribed easily.