I hear you loud & clear Tinkerbell. My HRT is consultant managed (privately) but I live in fear of GP HRT reviews & was stressed out on hearing I was to have my first several months ago. As I'm late 50s & the surgery had previously said no HRT after 60, I assumed I would be told to start tapering off preparatory to their withdrawing it altogether. In the event it was a lovely locum GP who rang me at home and to my surprise & relief she had no objection to my continuing the low dose systemic & 5 nights weekly Vagifem-Estriol topical combo when I explained why I need all the components & gave her my (normal) home BP reading, (low) weight etc.
A few months later though, another GP who didn't know my history queried my HRT & I had to go into a long, stressful explanation all over again. The recommended regimens had been documented on both NHS & private meno clinic letters, but with high GP turnover it looks likely to be challenged over & over again.
Worse than this, a few years ago when only on topical HRT a very young female gynae told me I should not be using the Vagifem & Estriol combination prescribed by our nearest, very well respected NHS meno clinic as it is "the same thing - you are using double". I explained the Estriol cream (the weaker of the 2 Estriol creams at that - 0.01%) had been added by the meno clinic when Vagifem proved inadequate, advising that many women need to use this on the vulva in addition to the internal application of the more potent oestrogen, oestradiol, in Vagifem. The gynae still didn't accept this combination was necessary. It felt a hopeless situation for womankind when a senior medic who'd chosen to specialise in gynaecology apparently knew so little about menopause & its associated treatments.
It's so frustrating that so many of us keep coming up against this incredible lack of knowledge & misunderstanding that needlessly increases the stress of obtaining medication that is for so many of us essential for decent QOL, for what may amount to several decades of our lives.
I hope you manage to get the appointment you need. If you have copies of any correspondence documenting your need for your current regimen I would also send those in to the GP who's challenging it.
Good luck
though I have to say it seems scandalous that luck should have to come into it.
Wx
