HRT - nobody gives a fuck about women

[Missproportionate]

Angry face 🤬

Can't get Estrogen Gel for love or money. Having been on it a year I know I can't function without it - as in I have to lie perfectly still and not move for hours on end due to vertigo, flushes dizziness, palpitations... (not posting for advice as I've done lots of posting about that elsewhere and researched myself coz GPs know fuck all)

I have spent many, many hours I won't get back being misdiagnosed, minimised, etc before finally getting a prescription. Now it's totally unavailable and I have to spend hours on the phone getting GPs and pharmacists to re-prescribe whatever estrogen is available within a 20 mile radius, taking time off work, cancelling appointments for myself and all the people in my family I care for (sandwich generation of course 🙄 - = I provide free care for elderly rels as well as DCs)

I've had it and angry. Aibu to think this is a fundamentally mysoginistic problem I have and I feel like this stuff is being witheld by almost deliberate means?

Even when I do get it they won't give me enough as they are too stupid to do the sums. The pharmacist managed to work it out so I only got 2 weeks worth (when GP agreed to 3 months) and now I'm off on another phone spree round the pharmacies!
Congratulations if you've read all that. I felt this board the only one that will sympathise!

I'm also angry at the general schooling of women into health woo because we don't get our health problems properly addressed and the women I know who won't take HRT and suffer this shit because they 'don't want to take hormones' or 'GP said not suitable for me' or 'I will suffer and then take this ineffective herb and pretend it helps'

I've never had any problems getting hrt, maybe I've been lucky despite only having male doctors. I've been on it for 15 years and am not coming off it until I retire.
Maybe they'll think differently about it when it's their wives going bananas.

Menopausal women face severe mental health issues as UK hit by HRT shortage

news.upday.com/uk/menopausal-women-face-severe-mental-health-issues-as-uk-faces-hrt-shortage/?utm_source=upday&utm_medium=referral

There are other meds to take for menopause - I've had perimenopausal symptoms since I was like 30 because of a hormone imbalance and I take natural meds for them which are amazing. Trans women need HRT more than cis women

Also, if these “natural meds” are so incredible, why aren’t trans woman all taking them? They shouldn’t therefore need HRT, right?

Silly me, I forgot it’s all one lovely big sister hood. Until it isn’t and instead it’s still women being shafted.

Me too. Had to sit on my hands when I saw this on twitter. Why can't the transwomen have the herbal tea if it's so bloody marvellous, and leave the hormone replacement for women.

Are you watching Davina? All our brains are going to be completely fkd if we’re not on it apparently. Everyone’s going to be on it soon no wonder it’s running out.

HRT. What does the R stand for? Replacement!

This is 51% of the population going through this. I’m fucked if I’m going to stand by and let this be made some cis v trans issue. FFS 😡

Interesting, Davina mentioned trans at the end there and said it effects them too.

Replacement - defined as taking the place of.
Or putting back, putting back a sex hormone when one has been removed.

The poor teacher in the C4 documentary. My heart broke for her. I really hope she is ok.

We shouldn't get blagged off with it being a 'natural process' so 'suck it up'. Because as far as I'm aware historically women rarely got to late 40's/50's. Dying in childbirth, from male violence, from malnutrition or killed at work etc. So menopause is a relatively new thing. And when women did present with what we know now are menopause symptoms they were drugged up with 'Mother's little helper'.

Even on the menopause threads here there are posters who pop up disputing women's menopause symptoms. It really fucks me off.

The link between not taking it and dementia is terrifying.

That's not even a little bit true. There have always been menopausal women throughout history. Life expectancy was lower but that was through averages which includes incredibly common high rates of childhood mortality. People weren't likely to to make it well into their 80s and 90s like we are. But there were good odds that a woman would go through menopause.

That's not to say that women should have to suffer it now. But it is a natural state that women have lived through for the entire existence of our species. (I mean we've always had headaches too, but that hasn't stopped me necking paracetamol and ibuprofen as needed for the migraine I woke up with.) So I'm absolutely not advocating for not taking HRT. Women should have this available to us. But maybe we also shouldn't have the expectation that we absolutely will need it either. Nor should we automatically assume that experiences like middle aged brain fog are menopause related because that means we don't investigate for far more serious illnesses with similar symptoms like Pernicious Anaemia which is terminal if untreated.

It's the same with PMS. A lot of what society leads us to believe are normal PMS symptoms are actually a sign that something is wrong. And my normalising the idea that PMS is this huge life impacting thing, we avoid diagnosing other problems. I get PMS but it's usually just 'mild' cramps and a bit of constipation. Any time I've had mood swings or severe cramps, it's been because something has been really very wrong. But I suffered for years with endometrial growths on an ovary because of the idea that I was making a big deal out of what was just normal. I know plenty of woman who have suffered the same. I'm a five years younger than my mother was when she completed menopause, so I'm sure mine is coming very soon. And while I don't rule out taking HRT, (if the men leave any for us) I'll also be insisting on full investigations for any symptoms I have and not just allowing them to be automatically categorised as menopause.

Spotted that - she said "our trans friends our non binary friends as it affects all of us" (or Similar.)

Not transwomen.

I'm actually wondering if more info on how important oestrogen is for us, including BRAINS, might help turn the tide for our young girls who think they're boys.

Yes, the shortage affects anyone needing HRT

The trans population is so small compared to the cis population that even with the different needs of trans women on HRT, they aren't what's causing the shortages. And to suggest so is scapegoating.

There is no such thing as cis population. The word you are looking for is women. Only women need HRT.

Absolutely.
100%

fuck off with your fucking CIS women

we are women. Adult human female.

cis is something dreamt up by men to lower us in the hierarchy of biology, and reduce the rights and security we’ve fought for.

The shortage affects women.

That's an unacceptable situation. I am at the verge of starting HRT but will put it off for now.

@MusInDomo don't let this put you off! If you saw the Davina programme you'll see how beneficial it is.

On that note: Davina is a force of nature! Brilliant programme. MAde me double down on telling all my reluctant friends it's TIME.

Cis is something dreamt up by men to lower us in the hierarchy of biology, and reduce the rights and security we’ve fought for.

Well put.

WOMEN need HRT. It can be seriously detrimental to our health not to have it.

Pmk

Trans women need HRT more than cis women

No, males do not need replacement oestrogen more than female people do. They want it. That's different.

What a load of bollocks. Pun intended. Males do not need female hormones. What a ridiculous thing to state. Trans identifying males are choosing to subject their bodies to female hormones by choice. Not to replace anything lost. Wise up.

I have just had a work email through regarding some medications that I thought I’d share with you so you are aware

“In response to significant ongoing disruption to the supply ofOestrogel® Pump-Pack 0.06% gel, Ovestin®1mg cream and Premique® Low Dose 0.3mg/1.5mg modified-release tablets, a Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) has been issued for each of these by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC):
SSP019: Oestrogel® Pump-Pack 0.06% gel
SSP020: Ovestin® 1mg cream
SSP021: Premique® Low Dose 0.3mg/1.5mg modified- release tablets
Introduced on 29 April 2022, SSP019, SSP020 and SSP021 have been developed to enable community pharmacists in the UK to supply patients with no more than three months’ worth of these medicines.
These SSPs have been introduced to help manage the ongoing supply disruption affecting these HRT products to maximise the number of people who will receive a supply. Patients should be made aware that under the terms of the SSP, the prescription will be deemed complete, and no further supply can be made from the same prescription above the three month quantity”

I have been quietly despairing ever since I approached my female GP last summer about how I was struggling with peri menopause symptoms and she suggested anti-depressants, told me that they couldn't prescribe utrogestan in Scotland and that I would not be allowed HRT for more than 5 years because of the significant breast cancer risk. I have had no bloody alternative but to try herbal stuff. And it is just insulting when I read trans women need HRT more.