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[onion relish]

Hi All,

I've finally got a gynae appointment (after waiting a year, I had a call today offering a cancellation tomorrow), and I've now gone blank 

What on earth do I ask for?

A bit about me - I have Transverse Myelitis (MS type of disease), and have been on Evorel Sequi for a year. I was on Elleste Duet(?) for several months before that. I weigh about 16 stone and don't exercise much as I have trouble walking.

I suffer with the most awful flushes that floor me (bet you're all familiar with that). Not helpful with the fatigue I have anyway. My GP told me quite sharply, "patches or tablets, that's it!" but surely there's something else out there? I've read here about gels and was hoping maybe someone would offer me some advice on what to ask for.

The first month I took Elleste I felt amazing - better than I've felt for years. The next few months were okay, but nothing like the first. Then it was ALL downhill mentally until I ended up in the GP's with horrendous anxiety and a script for diazepam.

I was given patches, but have never felt great on them - not anywhere as good as that first month - but then, without warning, my patches were cancelled as I'd not had my blood pressure checked at the surgery and they couldn't give me an appointment for a few weeks. I had a spare pack of pills in the cupboard, so took them until my next period. And felt GREAT again.

Would anyone know if my weight would not give me good results with the patches? I know from listening to my Canadian cousin that some overweight women cut their patches in half and use 1.5 at a time, or the ladies using gel will use a bit more. Do gynaes allow this over here? My cousin use the gel for the first fortnight, then gel and the last fortnight of patches from a mixed pack. She has fibromyalgia and has the best results for her fatigue.

I have really light, but long and not very regular periods with the patches and had very heavy, painful, regular periods with the pills (even with that single month's worth I took in between patches).

I don't want to take the pills ALL the time as I'm quite immobile and DVT runs in my family. I also don't want the horrible permanent PMT and anxiety I had with them - I don't think my marriage will last if I go through that again.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, so thank you in advance.

[Dancinggirl]

Write out your symptoms together with all the relevant health issues you suffer with.  Add in all the HRT types you have already tried and why they haven't suited you.
Print off the info under TREATMENTS on this site to aid discussion with the specialist.
Ask about a regime of Oestrogel or oestrogen patches, used everyday,  with either Utrogestan or Provera added in for 12 days each month. You will find these things in the Oestrogen and Progesterone sections under TREATMENTS on this site.
Write out your questions and this will help things to go better at the appointment.
Good luck.  DG x

[onion relish]

OMG, Dancinggirl - thank you so much 

I can't believe you replied so quick!

I'll have a look at the info now.

Thank you.

[jillydoll]

Let us know how you get on...

Good luck...xx

[Dancinggirl]

Here ar ether links you need - try to print all these section off:

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.php

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/postmeno.php

DG x

[CLKD]

Let us know how you get on!

[onion relish]

Brilliant 

Thanks, All. I will let you know how I get on, though I'm not hopeful. I don't seem to have much luck with medical professionals these days.

The print-outs are being done as I type 

[suzysunday]

All the  best to you with the gynae appointment.  I understand completely not having much luck with health professionals.  It's all so daunting talking to them and trying to get what you want.  Try and stay focused and calm, though easier said than done! Good luck 😊.

[onion relish]

Well, that was depressing.

Is it possible that non-gynaes cover gynae clinics?

The reason I ask is I took the print-outs, was clear the problems I was having with my current regime and what I hoped to achieve, but came away with nothing but "patch or pill" again.

Worse, she asked me how to spell Estrogel, looked it up in the BNF and told me it was identical to the Evorel I'm using. I pointed out for the second time that I was having problems with them sticking on my tummy or bottom so she suggested I stick them on my upper arm.

When she asked about my aversion to taking the tablet version and I said that after several months my anxiety was unbearable she suggested I take beta blockers (I was on them many years ago but I'm asthmatic and was taken off them).

She suggested more anti-depressants after I showed her my prescription list which has me on 60mg of Prozac and 50mg of Amitriptyline.

She's writing to my GP to suggest I go back on the tablets despite me saying I will not take them as I'm pretty immobile and DVT is in my family, plus extra anti-depressants.

Why oh why could I not have seen someone who actually listened to me? I can't be bothered to go back to the GP again. It was a waste of both our time. It looks like I will have to go through the menopause suffering.

Oh! That reminds me - she went off on a rant about women who "insist" on having HRT until they're 60 because it makes them feel like a teenager again and that they won't give it up because they feel younger and have young men!

But she re-assured me that ALL menopause was over in FOUR years.

So that's okay as I'll only now have to put up with this sh!t for another few years, meanwhile my MS is disabling me further to the point that in another few years time I'll have worse things to worry about and I won't be able to make the most of the few years I probably have before going downhill.

I'm not usually a vindictive person, but I REALLY hope she has the longest, most miserable menopause possible 

[suzysunday]

Poor you  it  sounds horrendous.  I have a scan tomorrow and see gynae next week, the 7th in 2 years and not got far with them. Are you ok with the antidepressants?

[Dancinggirl]

onion relish - I'm afraid I would report this doctor for being so rude and unhelpful.  To imply that women want HRT beyond 60 so they can have younger boyfriends is totally inappropriate.  WE now have to work till we are 66 now and HRT can enable us to do this. Wait till she gets to menopause - she may well Change her tune.   DG x

[onion relish]

Poor you  it  sounds horrendous.  I have a scan tomorrow and see gynae next week, the 7th in 2 years and not got far with them. Are you ok with the antidepressants?

I've been on Prozac for nearly 20 years. I use amitriptyline mostly for pain. Every time I've tried coming off Prozac or swapping them for something that seems to be the current GP pushed anti-depressant, the depression has come back and I've started self-harming again.

I really don't want to fix the one part of my medication that isn't broken. Depression has been worse than any of my physical problems as when I'm down I can't fight anything. I don't understand that they don't understand that I don't want to be that bed-living, unwashed, waste of a life, semi-human being that my depression makes me.

I hope I don't sound awful after your very kind sympathy, as I don't mean too (any and all sympathy gratefully received  )and I hope you get better luck with number 7.

[onion relish]

onion relish - I'm afraid I report this doctor fro being so rude and unhelpful.  To imply that women want HRT beyond 60 os they can have longer boyfriends is totally inappropriate.  WE have to work til we are 66 now adn HRt can enable us to do this.  Dg x

Dancinggirl - I would absolutely LOVE to, but I won't be believed plus I'm considered a nuisance patient as I've queried treatments before.

I know this as I've had a copy of my records and have seen what some GPs have added to their notes.

I've asked for my LHA to pay for me to go to the new and only HRT clinic in Wales but have been refused so it looks like it'll be the probably unattainable private route for me. I've been saving for 8 months as I thought this would be the outcome, but it's going to take me a long time as I'm on sickness benefits and my OH has just lost his job.

It's taken me weeks to come back here to thank everyone who helped me before I went as I've been on a royal downer since the appointment and haven't wanted to "talk" to anyone.

Thanks anyway, Dancinggirl - knowing I'm not alone even thinking I should have reported this awful woman has been a help.

[suzysunday]

My gynae is not happy with me as I recently had a hysteroscopy for pmb, that did not get enough tissue and he wants me to have it again and I refused as I cant cope.  He was not very kind to me on the phone and I dread seeing him. I may also be as nuisance patient.  All the best to you.

[onion relish]

My gynae is not happy with me as I recently had a hysteroscopy for pmb, that did not get enough tissue and he wants me to have it again and I refused as I cant cope.  He was not very kind to me on the phone and I dread seeing him. I may also be as nuisance patient.  All the best to you.

Suzysunday, I feel for you.

I used to work in a hospital. Without wanting to bang my own drum I had many patients who would come back to me with a little gift or card. They did it because they felt I'd been kinder than many others they'd come across in the system. I was kind to them after my mum's hospital experiences which weren't good.

Kindness doesn't cost anything. Instead of being hostile and dismissive, I'm sure staff like this would get a lot more out of their patients AND their jobs if they'd just consider walking a mile in their patients' shoes.

I wish you all the best, too. Stick by your guns. It's YOUR body.