Hi, I'll try and keep this as short as possible, but I think it's going to be long.
I'm 52 years old and had a totaly hysterectomy in around 2019 due to womb cancer. At the time the advice was not to go on HRT because of the hormones/cancer risk. After a long while I was really suffering with hot flushes, many, many a day so came on this forum to ask advice. I was told that the new advice was I could now take oestrogen so I got in touch with my GP and was prescibed it.
12 weeks ago I started Mounjaro for weight loss but mainly diabetes. I have since lost 3 stone in that time but some of the weight loss is down to what has now been diagnosed (Last Friday.) as an overactive thyroid. I started medication for that on Sunday just gone and beta blockers to calm my thumping heart (A known symptom.) while the thyroid medication kicks in.
Also in the same blood test that diagnosed my thyroid it was discovered I have a severe vitamin D deficency and I'm on a prescription strength loading dose of Vitamin D for three months.
I promise I'm getting to the point! Around two weeks ago I happened to have the telly on This Morning and their doctor was on talking about the findings that taking oestrogen oraly, like I do, can cause blood clots, specially in people with family history. My mum was on blood thinners for clots in her lungs before she died and my nan actually died from a blood clot. Apparently the gel or patch version completely takes the blood clot risk away. To get in touch with my doctors surgery you have to fill out a form online called an econsult so I filled one out with those details and asked to be put on gel or patches. I was given an appointment (Via phone as I'm agoraphobic.) with the surgery's pharmacist last Friday.
When I spoke to the pharmacist she told me I'd, "Been on HRT long enough and it is time to come off." I did argue my case but she was adamant. I was Googling something else later and found the advice that you don't stop HRT cold turkey anyway, and also, because of what my body is going through at the moment, the weight loss shock, the vitamin deficency, the thyroid, now is not a good time to add an extra stress of coming off HRT. To be honest I don't want to either.
I phoned my endocriologist nusre to see if she could help and she said although they don't deal with HRT, to not stop cold turkey and the current advice was for women to contine HRT to at least 60 for bone and heart health. I cheked this online and it said even this advice was out of date now and that you should continue it as long as you need it.
I wrote out another econsult this week and unfortunatley I have been given another telephone appointment for Monday with the same pharmacist. Like I said I want to contine on HRT but don't know what to say to her about it. I tried telling her my symptoms last time (Anxiety, insomnia, hot flushes, joint pain, chin hair.) and she said they could all be put down to other things. Do I have any rights to say I want to stay on it? What should I say to her to convince her I should stay on oestrogen? Any help/advice woulld be really appreciated.