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[Lanie66]

After trying unsuccessfully recently to get a GP appointment and none are available to book, I've resorted to googling and found this clinic.  It looks really good but a years consultations would cost over £500.  I've only found one mention of it on this group.  Has anyone any experience of using it?

I'm so frustrated, I just want to talk to someone about my history, symptoms and if I need HRT.  All my surgery can say is "we're sorry".  We have no specialist menopause nurse or Dr but one of the NPs is quite good.  Unfortunately she's not available for the foreseeable and the receptionist told me they couldn't guarantee who I'd see anyway!  There is no other menopause support within at least 100 miles.
Lanie

[sheila99]

I don't know about this one but a lot of private clinics are doing phone consultations now. I nie newsonhealth is and they seem to have good reviews on here (not used them personally). The other option is Dr currie who runs this site, you can send her one question on email for I think £30 if your doc will prescribe based on her recommendation.

[Lanie66]

Thanks Sheila. Unfortunately I have many questions so a consult with Dr Currie would likely be in same ballpark 

[Seahorse]

Hi Lanie That is so frustrating and inadequate that you cannot get an appointment with your GP. I haven't heard of this clinic before either. I just had a quick look at their website and my initial feeling is that it is quite prescriptive in length of appointments and frequency of appointments. For example I thought you should try HRT for 3 months before a review and once you are settled on HRT annual appointments are adequate rather than 6 monthly as they suggest. I have seen a private GP menopause specialist online from Dr Naomi Potter and Associates- Menopause care. I found her on Instagram, and felt quite confident in their approach after watching a number of her videos and reading her posts, and I made an appointment with one of her colleagues. It's really difficult when you feel rubbish and desperate and don't want to waste money. I think you need to go with your gut feeling. As Sheila said Louise Newson's clinic has a very good reputation, but I think there is quite a long waiting list.

[Kathleen]

Hello Laine66.

I think that Newson Heaith has a three month waiting list but when I contacted them last year I asked about cancellations and I got an appointment within weeks.

It's appalling that you can't get the help you need from your GP. If many other practices are run the same way it is no surprise that the waiting times for menopause clinics are so long!

Wishing you well and please let us know  how you get on.

K.

[Lanie66]

Thank you Seahorse and Kathleen.   I have since googled the MG HRT and if the OMC (Dr is from MG clinic) uses the same bioidentical hormones then I probably won't go down that route as they aren't subject to the same safety tests as body identical.  The front page gives so little info. 

[Lanie66]

So, in update, I contacted Dr Currie and got a really great comprehensive reply, I felt I was armed to go to the GP.

I eventually got to see a female GP who seemed great, was open to listening to me recount Dr Currie's advice.  A couple of times I reiterated low dose as I'd been advised.  I realised from Heather's consult that to get low dose oestrogen I'd have to have a separate pill for progesterone.

However I've been prescribed Elleste Duet Conti combined  2mg/1mg.  To me 2mg doesn't seem low dose and I'm reticent to start them.  I was never good with the contraceptive pill and I'm wondering if I'll get side effects from hrt too.

I've googled the types of hrt etc and feel I'm back in the minefield.  Also I believe there's a shortage of patches or some types are available in some areas and not others. 

I rang my pharmacist and he told me he remembered the GP phoning to ask which hrt they had.  He recommended Kliovance to her as its half the dose of the Elleste Conti but she said she wanted to prescribe the elleste. 

I think I'll go back to the GP and ask why.  Anyone else have experience why elleste might be better for first use rather than kliovance?

Thanks x

[CLKD]

Well done!  Keep on pushing.

£500.00 over a year ain't much in the scheme of things.  It shouldn't be necessary, I don't know what Consultants charge for the initial appt.?  When I was having private treatment in the 1990s, it was £170 per hour. 

[Diamonds and pearls 53]

Lanie, do you need conti hrt? If so, Femoston conti comes in  a low dose (1mg/5mg) and an ultra low dose ( 0.5mg/2.5mg) which might suit you.

[Lanie66]

I don't know what conti means, does it just mean combined?  I think the problem is sourcing hrt.  The pharmacist basically said they had 2, the elleste Duet conti and the kliovance, that's it.  I'm too scared to start it tbh.  I need to find a day when I'm home all day to await a doctors call to discuss. 

Thanks diamonds & pearls x

[Diamonds and pearls 53]

Lanie, conti means continual so you don't have a bleed. That's prescribed if you are post meno, and no longer having periods. If you are peri or still have periods you would have sequential hrt.

[Lanie66]

Thank you for clarifying that, nowhere in my googling have I seen that x

[Gilla999]

Just to add I am aware of the doctor who trained at MG who runs the OMC. She is the 'specialist' who told me categorically that my symptoms (cyclical night sweats and insomnia) couldn't be because of my hormones, after she did one blood test.

Fast forward 8 months of misery later and eventually being prescribed Lenzetto by a different private gynae and the problems have all gone.

I'm sure Dr Laila at the OMC is great for some other people but she was terrible for me.

[Diamonds and pearls 53]

Lanie, look at the Menu on here, go to treatments and then to prescribable hrt, you will find all the types of hrt listed and their different strengths etc.