Newson Health and the menopause industry

[ArabellaScott]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8e5y4e83lo

Keeping an eye on this. Newson makes an awful lot of money out of HRT.

I had a very sniffy GP when I first asked for hrt, but at least he didn't tell me that it didn't work!

Well said, it would be absolute bloody purgatory without HRT in my life, I doubt I’d have a marriage left without it. Like yourself I’ve never been overweight, eat healthily, I don’t smoke or drink, pretty good until the menopause hit me 🤦‍♀️

I want to protect my heart and bones and live as good a life as I can, no woman should be denied this or made to feel guilty somehow for taking HRT. I’m with you on this 🤗

Ditto
Or rather one of her team.
There have been concerns from BMS for some time.
(DOI- I haven’t RTFT yet or watched the programme)

And to add:
My concerns with Newson Health have been about what they tell women is safe, without apparent discussion of potential risks or the unknown elements in HRT prescribing around high doses of Oestrogen as well as how they have managed women who do develop complications on very high doses I.e continue to take their fee but bump them back to me as an NHS GP to sort out the problems.
I am very much an advocate for women having HRT if that is what they want/need but we need to follow evidence based practice as we do in other aspects of healthcare.

Yes my menopause nurse said they had a lot of problems prescribing such high doses.of oestrogen. I'm not sure 6 pumps of gel a day is necessary

I’m so pleased to see this documentary this evening, I’ve had an uneasy feeling about the sudden growth of this industry. I’m only 42 and already tired of the conversations about perimenopause/ menopause in my friendship group (all same age). Also in the office too. I just keep quiet.

I was bought a menopause book by one friend for my birthday!! Have never mentioned peri symptoms so was very taken aback. It feels like the new female “empowerment “ thing we can bond over. It’s weird.

I am tired of being forced to think about something that feels years off. Already know a friend same age going to a private clinic, being prescribed hormone treatments at 42. None of my business so I just keep quiet, while wondering if it’s really necessary (and why you wouldn’t go to GP first?).

Honestly it feels like social contagion. Everyone is talking about early 40s now. Expecting it. Looking for it. I’m happily burying my head in the sand until I really need to think about it. I’ve only just come through the early years for gods sake! I’m being told well “it takes 10 years to build up to the menopause and you need to be prepared “.

It feels like I’m being encouraged to worry about a future of horrible symptoms which may never happen, it might not be that bad (my mum was fine).

Sorry … rant over!

I mean, it is a thing that happens, but it's like periods. Some women are never bothered by them - mine were always regular, light and usually painless. Others weren't so lucky. Menopause is similar, some women sail through apparently, some have a dreadful time and the majority have some inconvenient and annoying symptoms, which you can choose to medicate or not. The brilliant thing is that we can talk about it without embarrassment.

Interesting documentary. I had horrendous, debilitating anxiety descend from nowhere after 8 years of the usual peri symptoms.

I had managed hot flushes etc not too badly but, it was actually after my periods stopped for good, this happened.

GP refused to precribe anti depressants. She thought my symptoms were physical. I was sent for eye tests, brain scan. All clear. It was me who first worked out it was anxiety causing all the physical symptoms.

My GP (female) had known me years and i'm the last person you'd think would get anxiety. So, she just would not have it that i was anxious.

Anyway, eventually a friend suggested it might be menopause anxiety. And the gp, sick of the sight of me by now, prescribed femi conti (tablets)

This worked for me. Within 3 weeks, back to my old self. Been on that 8 years and intend to stay on it for life. Very comfortable with risks.

I was debilitated with the anxiety. Interesting that the prog only mentioned patches. Guess tablets out of favour?

My ex suffered erectile dysfunction. And it was interesting. Full help given. Counselling. Viagra dished out no probs.

I had 15 years or zero orgasm (what I call silent orgasm no pleasure sensation) crampy, painful joints and brain fog and was totally dismissed. GPs looked at me like I was a drug seeking addict.

Fasting doesn't help active women. We need to fuel well to exercise and build strength

The same for me and they definitely did not try to sell me anything. The advice given was to obtain the prescription through the NHS and if this wasn't forthcoming then they would be able to prescribe directly to me but obviously this would come at a cost. This feels, to me, like a smear campaign. To add, my GP was very obliging with prescrbing HRT and have had no problems with it.

The menopause conversation was desperately needed. The lack of information was ridiculous- I even spent time googling if peri menopause was a real recognised thing prior to davinas documentary

However the message I feel swung to "it's dangerous not to take hrt" which is wrong.

Hrt is one tool to use. Safe at regulated doses. Not a cure all, must be used alongside lifestyle changes too.

When I agreed to a total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo oophorectomy (bye bye womb, cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes), my consent was conditional on my receiving HRT (oestrogen) transdermally afterwards - as much as needed, for as long as needed.

My consultant gynae surgeon wrote in full to my GP surgery.

Every year my GP surgery tries to stop my HRT, even the Estriol cream for vaginal atrophy. In fact they DO stop it, and the onus is on me to persuade them to restart it. There are no ‘reviews’ - no blood tests, no health checks for osteoporosis or heart, nothing. Just ‘blah blah cancer’.

I await this year’s curt and abrupt phone call later this morning, telling me I don’t need the HRT.

Maybe they think my ovaries have grown back by now. Women are such mystical creatures, after all, who need guiding and telling.

That's appalling @AutumnCrow.

There's absolutely no consistency across care and this is why women go to online gp influencers for information and private practice.

Information is patchy and we don't know who to trust, including the bbc,

Sort of off topic but this lifting routine popped up on instagram for me - it's pretty much the routine I followed in the cancer exercise book, every other day. So simple and easy to do at home. Cans and bottles of water work too,

I'm not going to link as sometimes instagram shares your name.

And my dog always looks that bored and walks off.

I've had a hysterectomy too - I kept my ovaries, lost my uterus and cervix. I was 44 when I had my hysterectomy. The surgeon warned me that my ovaries were likely to pack up quicker than any other women of a similar age who had not had a hysterectomy. Despite this - and having a hysterectomy is right there in my medical notes - I still has a massive battle to get HRT.

Have never had any kind of review. Given the total lack of knowledge of any GPs at my surgery they wouldn't know what they are reviewing. Having said that, I'm also on thyroxine for an underactive thyroid since before I had my hysterectomy and have never been reviewed for that either. It's on me to book blood tests to see where my levels are.

Agree @WarriorN there would be no need for Newson Clinic or any other private menopause clinic if GPs and the NHS were doing their job properly, but they're not. It's pure luck whether you have a GP who understands/is interested and a battle if you haven't.

I think it's interesting that there seems to be a growing perception that HRT is a 'must do' and it's all about feeling young and better. I know women in their mid forties who are on high doses and sometimes 'have a little extra gel if they're feeling a bit low'. I'm in my 50s and I've been on HRT for 15 years, always a low dose. Recently I thought I'd try taking a bit more oestrogen, 3 pumps instead of 2. Within a couple of days I was bleeding and had period type pains. It reminded me what powerful stuff HRT is. So I can understand concerns at some of the high doses being prescribed.

It's not about feeling younger but it is about feeling better. Or at least "normal". If you have debilitating menopause symptoms of course you want to feel better.

I agree. The application of gel seems less serious than pill popping.

It is preferable in some cases as transdermal is easier on the tummy than pills.

Stacy Simms has better advice if you are active. Sadly though the majority of women in the UK and US are not active though and with two thirds being overweight or obese fasting can be a good option if not taken to the extreme and the impact on hormones is managed as Mindy Peltz advises.

HRT pills are proven to raise the risk of blood clots whereas gels and patches do not carry this increased risk. The GP also said something about an increased risk because tablets are obviously processed by the liver in a way which transdermal is not. Gel/patch is always the first option. Many women do have to try a few options, I had terrible symptoms using the gel, it just didn't agree with me at all. One popular brand of patches gives me a skin rash - it's the glue, not the HRT element. A second brand of patches suits me perfectly. Bit like the contraceptive pill, it can take a few months to find the product which suits you best. There are some women still taking the tablets and very happy on them.

I really liked the tablets! Find the gel messy and inconvenient. But it is supposed to be less risky than the tablets which is why I switched - and also the pills I was on kept having supply issues.

Supply issues have been a huge problem with gel/patches in recent years too. The last government appointed a "HRT Tsar" to try to deal with it, she was in position for less than 6 months before they declared the situation resolved and moved her onto something else. This was frustrating to so many of us who were spending hours phoning round pharmacies trying to find Estradot/Evorel/gel and having to make do with part prescriptions and the rest of it.

Supply for me does seem to be better, but I am on 75 mcg patches which anecdotally are less popular than the 50 or 100 patches.