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[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.
Just back from my GP and I'm no further forward but I think in a perverse way you'll enjoy what I have to report!

The lady doctor was very sympathetic and wanted to help me but:

-She had never heard of Oestrogel, didn't think it was available on the NHS and the only topical preparations she had ever prescribed were for VA.

-She had never heard of Utrogestan and had to look it up in her book.

-She suggested I might want to see a cardiologist for my palpitations and see someone about my anxiety.

As I wasn't going to get Oestrogel I asked for an oestrogen patch and Utrogestan but when I got to the Pharmacy she had prescribed Elleste Solo tablets to be taken 1 or 2 daily. I left then as the Pharmacist needed to check with her that this was right and they didn't have Utrogestan in stock anyway!

 She seemed very concerned about my palpitations and anxiety but seemed keen to treat these as separate conditions rather than attribute them to the menopause. She has also arranged for me to have a blood test tomorrow to check my Thyroid.

 I need to think what to do now but in the meantime I thought I'd report back to you lovely ladies.

Wishing you all well.

K.

[Kate50]

Oh FFS!
I pick up my prescriptions for  oestrogel utrogestan and testim tomorrow will take pics and send them to you so she can see you can get them on NHS. They dont know cos unless they come across it in their medical bible they don't know ote!  Get her to refer you you can go anywhere in UK for meno clinic as long as it's NHS.
So are you getting utrogestan?  They do like to rule out the palpitations but you will probably find out they are menopause  along with anxiety. She obviously doesn't know the symptoms of menopause if you had said hot flush a light bulb may have come on! !!!!! Tell her what the symptoms are and that you want oestrogen  bf therapy! ! What a waste of money! 

[Mommarv]

This is unbelievable! Just realised I went to docs couple of years ago with palpitations and he changed my antidepressant. I had no idea at time that can be caused by meno and clearly neither did the chap I saw at the time FFS! Still carried on getting them but reading this has reminded me that three weeks after starting HRT and I havent had any for at least a week! Is there anything on this website you could print out to take back to her and show her? Good luck and keep going xxx

[Kate50]

Thinking about it it's better to have a GP that doesn't know than one that thinks it does! The latter won't be educated. 

[coldethyl]

It probably is a good idea to get the palpitations checked out so that you know that they are just meno and anxiety related. And also getting help for anxiety is always a good thing but you do wish that they'd join the dots up a bit more. The cbt therapist I saw privately also did NHS work and she said doctors were now sending folk to them menopausal issues as it was supposedly helpful. She said she had no experience of treating menopause and thought it was just another fob off by GPs who didn't want to really get to grips with dealing with the menopause. It is a complex area but you would think something that you had to get your teeth into would make a pleasant change from sore throats and kids with rashes.

[linz57]

Kathleen, I think we may both have the same doctor!

[CLKD]

Your GP has admitted her lack of knowledge and is correct in checking about the palpitations etc..  At least she listened and seems able to learn.  Maybe keeping a mood/food/hormone diary to take to appts. will convince her that the anxiety is likely to be meno related?

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

Incredible isn't it. I thought you'd appreciate my tale of woe lol!

I'm due again at the surgery tomorrow for the Thyroid blood test but I'm not going to pick up the Oestrogen tablets or the Utrogestan just yet. I'm going to consider seeing a Gynecologist at one of the private hospitals near where I live as I need talk to a professional who understands the menopause.

I understand her concern about the palpitations and as  I am part of a population study that includes using a 24 hour heart monitor I will be checked over soon anyway so she agreed that we could wait for that appointment.

Having had an anxious and palpy morning I was much calmer this afternoon  but I've just had an early evening surge so now jittery again. Honestly if this isn't all hormonal I'll eat my hat. Like many of you I am amazed that something every woman of a certain age goes through is still such a mystery to some doctors. Are we MM ladies really so unusual? Do they never see other patients with the same problems and if so what do they say to them? My GP said it was great that I was educating her about treatments like Utrogestan because she had never prescribed it, plus I notice that an online chemist will happily send you some Oestrogel if you present them with either a private or NHS prescription.

I'll keep you posted ladies and in the meantime many thanks for your responses. Sometimes I think the only sense I ever hear about the menopause is from the member if this forum!

Take care all.

K.

[CLKD]

Will the Gynaecologist understand menopause though  …….. you could be spending money for nowt 

How about speaking with a Pharmacist to see which Surgery in your area supports menopause?

[Hurdity]

Hi Kathleen

For heavens sake!!

Yes it's good you are getting checked out for palps/heart and thyroid as well but why not also give you the HRT you ask for? Can you not get referred to a menopause clinic? Also if she has prescribed utrogestan can you not go back and ask for patch or gel - saying you will only consider transdermal oestrogen? That is perfectly reasonable not to want tablets! Can you not phone up and say there has been an error - if she wasn't going to give you gel but a patch? Maybe she's got muddled up with Evorel or Estraderm herself. Defo ring up and say there has been a mistake as you understood you were being prescribed a patch and insist! She can't just prescribe you tabs without your knowledge and approval!!

Hurdity x

[Suzi Q]

I ended up being given betas they worked out for me xxxxx