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[Dandelion]

Hi Ladies

Hope you are all ok today. It's been pouring with rain here for two days,  but I like rain so I don't mind.
I just got back from a GP appointment, and what a palava that was.

I went, armed with some emails from Dr Currie saying I would be allowed patches and utrogestan.

The doctor has only given me one months supply, because she is not sure whether Utrogestan is allowed to be prescribed in our area.
I've been given estradot and utrogestan. The chemists are ordering it in. I think I have been given the lowest dose estradot.

When I told her other ladies from the UK were being prescribed it on the NHS she said that it differs from area to area, what they are allowed to prescribe.

When I tried to explain bio-identical hormones to the doctor, she asked me what I understood about bio identical and I said the molecule mimics our own prog molecules.

The doctor got confused between natural hormones and bio identical hormones. I told her I had tried the natural route and it didn't work.

The doctor wasn't happy that I was not wiling to try other options. I said I just want the hrt that I have asked for, that Dr Curry agreed.

Dr Curry said the doctors can email her, but this GP did not seem interested in that.
She was also not too fussed about me 'going on the internet' even though I told her lots of GP's refer their patients to this site.
She would not take seriously the fact that I 'spoke to' lots of UK women on here, and I said this site is not some random website.
I said I paid Dr currie, £50 for two questions, and I asked, why, when other women get what they want, am I having all this hassle getting what I want.

I have another appoinntment in a months time with her, and I hope she has found out by then whether I can take utrogestan other wise, if oestradot and utrogestan work for me, I may have to buy them privately, cos once I am on a HRT that works, I wont want to come off.

What do you guys on here think about my GP appointment?

[ellie66]

Dandelion,

It may be Ultrogestan is not in the CCG Prescribing Formulary. This advises GP what to prescribe and is decided locally. GP's can still prescribe it if it is not in the local Prescribing Formulary however it would be at a GP's discretion.

Any hassle I would just ask for a private prescription for it. It is not that expensive.

What dose of Estradot have you got? Surely you need an equivalent dose to the 2/10 Femston?

It sounds like you have an extremely uninformed GP.

Ellie

Ps Dandelion I have Oestrogel for NON menopause related reasons I will not have any medication in patch form at all. The patches will be the same as Oestrogel it is just a different for slapping them on your body!!!   

[ellie66]

Dandelion,

Do a Freedom of Information Request to your CCG to find out if Utrogestan is in their Prescribing Formulary.

I am happy to do it for you if you want to message me. I do NHS FOIAs all the time. I bet it is in the Formaulary. This would really make your GP squirm!

Ellie

[Dandelion]

Dandelion,

Do a Freedom of Information Request to your CCG to find out if Utrogestan is in their Prescribing Formulary.

I am happy to do it for you if you want to message me. I do NHS FOIAs all the time. I bet it is in the Formaulary. This would really make your GP squirm!

Ellie

Hi Ellie thanks, i will pm you.
I don't wanna alienate the gp but I do want utrogestan.
I think im on the lowest dose oestrogen, I wasn't absorbing the pills at all, cos I have ibs.

[warwick01]

Hi Dandelion

I had a conversation yesterday with my Pharmacist regarding Utrogeston. He advised me the due to cost GP's prefer not to prescribe this and therefore go for a cheaper option.

He did say if you ask for a private prescription (£8:30) the GP would agree to this.

Hope the above helps
W 

[ellie66]

Hmmm it is quite cheap compared to a lot of drugs. Plus if it has less side effects there will be less waste as patients will not be asking to have their script changed. http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php

At that price I cannot see how the NHS can deny on cost grounds.

[Liz]

I only got 1 month of Utrogestan the first time too as my GP wanted to make sure it suited me.

Perhaps try the month and then contact your GP to confirm it is suiting you (which hopefully it will!).  Then you'll have more ammunition to argue your case (which hopefully you won't need to do) if the Utro suits you.

Good luck - when are you planning on starting the patches/Utro?

[Joyce]

Most GPs only give a month to start with, in case it is unsuitable. There are no guarantees that a particular HRT will suit everyone as we're all very different.

[Dandelion]

Dandelion,

It may be Ultrogestan is not in the CCG Prescribing Formulary. This advises GP what to prescribe and is decided locally. GP's can still prescribe it if it is not in the local Prescribing Formulary however it would be at a GP's discretion.

Any hassle I would just ask for a private prescription for it. It is not that expensive.

What dose of Estradot have you got? Surely you need an equivalent dose to the 2/10 Femston?

It sounds like you have an extremely uninformed GP.

Ellie

Ps Dandelion I have Oestrogel for NON menopause related reasons I will not have any medication in patch form at all. The patches will be the same as Oestrogel it is just a different for slapping them on your body!!!   

gp
Ive been so unlucky with all female GP's at the moment, it might be that i have tio go private, even though i disagree witj private health care, mney should not equal health, healthare should be available to alll, but we live in a topsy turvy world full of loads of obstacles and needs must migjht come into it if he refuses.
My GP today, not usual one, didn't like it when i suggested she email Dr Currie, like Dr currie suggested in her email.
I think she resented me doing my homework and I could not be ar$ed to explain the difference between bioidentical and natural phyto oestogens.
I had to remember to try and keep my cool, cos I was so pissed off with all these doctors amy surgery, seeming to put obstacles in my way, cos theydon't like it when their patients dig a bit deeper on issues that affect their quality of life.

If when I see the doc next month, and she refuses my oestrogen and utrogestan, can I always ask for a private prescription?

[Dandelion]

Hi Dandelion

I had a conversation yesterday with my Pharmacist regarding Utrogeston. He advised me the due to cost GP's prefer not to prescribe this and therefore go for a cheaper option.

He did say if you ask for a private prescription (£8:30) the GP would agree to this.

Hope the above helps
W

Aww thanks, you answered my question in the post before this.
Yeah it's worth paying to feel good.
I never absorbed 1/10 or 2/10, got flushes throughout, plus sweats, totally random but often in bed, or coming indoors after being outside.
I dunno how far through perimeno I am.
I've had loads of medical stuff lately, psych nurse appointment, psychologist referral appointment, COPD newly diagnosed caused by smoking, I love smoking but its like this, carry on smoking and damage lungs more.
Back to hrt, I had a little feeling that doctors might be avoiding prescribing utrogestan cos of price, but isn't utrogestan cheap anyway?
http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/utrogestan-capsule-200mg/prd-mf6
I went on netdoctor.co.uk and looked at the bumph on estradot.
How depressing that it emphaasises the risks, based on this faulty research that caused loads of women to come off hrt.
Sometimes I think the powers that be want us to be crazy hormonal wrecks. They make it so hard to get hrt, grrrrrr frustrating, that doctor could tell I was pissed off.
I suspect that my digestive system is disrupted due to lack of oestrogen, so I am hoping that this different delivery method will take away the ibs and digestive problems and of course, the flushes and sweats.
It's been a year of hard work with hrt, I admit, I procrastinated doing anythig for months, even though I knew my femoston was not working.
I suspected I wasnt absorbinhg it and I think I may have posted about that, Dr Curry confirmed my suspicions, that some women just don't absorb oral tablet hrt.
I listen to my body and have a good command of what it is telling me, even though i smoke (for now) and drink, I know when something is wrong and usually what to do about it, and my own GP doesnt seem to like me researching my own health and in formation that affects or can affect my life.

[Liz]

Hi Dandelion - when are you planning on starting with your patches then?   Hope they work for you.

[Dandelion]

Hi Dandelion - when are you planning on starting with your patches then?   Hope they work for you.

Hi
I've just started the progesterone phase of my femoston, so I have to finish that before starting the estradot.

[Liz]

Ah, I see.  Good luck with it!  I'm just finishing off the last 3 patches then going to try the Oestrogel.  The Utrogestan suits me very well, though.

[Hurdity]

Dandelion - sorry to hear about all your issues with the doctors. However the most important thing you can do for your health and especially as you enter menopause is to start the process to try to give up smoking, and limit alcohol (if it is over the recommended limits). HRT is not a panacea and especially as you have other health problems including those caused by smoking.

I do hope this HRT suits you - and I presume you have been given 50 mcg Estradot patch? Once you have found out if it suits you then you can tackle the issues of the docs not prescribing it. I am not familiar with any of this (ie prescribing formulary) I understood that we were entitled to be prescribed any generally licensed product needed for our health. In the case of progesterone, there is no other alternative to Utrogestan, as there is no other product on the market licensed for use as HRT, only progestins (ie synthetic progestogens). If you are adamant you do not want progestins then surely they have to comply? Anyway even it sounds like even if they (the powers that be) have decided to advise docs not to prescribe Utrogestan on cost grounds - this surely is only advisory, because the product is licensed by NICE and available?

Hurdity x

[Dandelion]

Dandelion - sorry to hear about all your issues with the doctors. However the most important thing you can do for your health and especially as you enter menopause is to start the process to try to give up smoking, and limit alcohol (if it is over the recommended limits). HRT is not a panacea and especially as you have other health problems including those caused by smoking.

I do hope this HRT suits you - and I presume you have been given 50 mcg Estradot patch? Once you have found out if it suits you then you can tackle the issues of the docs not prescribing it. I am not familiar with any of this (ie prescribing formulary) I understood that we were entitled to be prescribed any generally licensed product needed for our health. In the case of progesterone, there is no other alternative to Utrogestan, as there is no other product on the market licensed for use as HRT, only progestins (ie synthetic progestogens). If you are adamant you do not want progestins then surely they have to comply? Anyway even it sounds like even if they (the powers that be) have decided to advise docs not to prescribe Utrogestan on cost grounds - this surely is only advisory, because the product is licensed by NICE and available?

Hurdity x

Hi Hurdity

I hear you on the cigarettes and alcohol thing, you are right.

I think they have given me estradot 25mg. She was on about giving me the lowest dose I think.

It might be enough - I told her I was in peri and she said it didn't matter. A couple of you on here said Estradot 50 and I am now worrying she has not given me a high enough dose.

EDIT,- aww damn, I just checked and the dose she gave me is only 25mcg, so probably not enough.
Two of you have said you assume I am getting estradot 50mcg.
I don't wanna waste anymore time, my meno based anxiety is just getting worse and worse, so I wanna go straight onto the fifty micrograms.

Can anyone tell me how I can buy estradot 50mcg please privately.

I'm really starting to despair now, I have had enough of this hassle, and it's getting me down.
thanks