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[LynnG]

Hi everyone, I’m Lynn aged 68, I was 10 years post menopause until I had a Hysterectomy/Oophorectomy for cervical cancer 5 years ago. Three years after the surgery I started suffering from hot flushes and night sweats. The hot flushes are preceded by the most horrendous mood drop, from feeling perfectly fine my mood drops to one of doom and despair with very dark thoughts etc lasting 30 or so seconds and then the hot flush arrives and a more normal mood is restored.

My GP prescribed Gabapentin which has certainly helped but not eliminated the issues and the male Gynaecologist I was referred to for this problem has been dreadful. No blood tests just prescribed Anti depressants (not depressed) which caused more issues than they helped and then Sandrena Gel which did seem to help until I started feeling a bit strange. Fearing the anxiety/severe panic attacks related side effects I’d experienced with the anti depressant and unable to access the Gynaecologist I stopped using it.

I’m now back to Gabopentin alone and the night sweats are dreadful and I wake up feeling exhausted. My memory is also so bad my family feared I had Dementia. I’m still having several (10 plus) severe mood drops/hot flushes during the day. I’ve been looking for a doctor that I can access face to face as soon as Covid permits and one that will talk me through treatments and the potential for side effects and if they will be long or short term. I’m willing to pay but I cannot find anywhere that seems to specialise in post menopause/post hysterectomy issues. Life feels like I’m getting through these days, I don’t feel much joy in life and just wonder if there are any other women in my situation or if anyone knows of any clinic/doctor that can help me. Thank you for my membership approval. Stay safe everyone.

[CLKD]

There are menopause clinics which your GP can refer you too.  Have a lookC in your area, some are held in Hospital premises.  Don't see a Gynae., they know zilch about menopause!

Some find keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use.  Do you get a full hot flush which relieves the sudden dip in mood? 

U may find that your Surgery has a GP interested in women's health.  Or even a Practice Nurse might be a better beat initially ;-).

Let us know how you get on.

[sheila99]

 
Sounds like typical meno symptoms to me so imo hrt might be more appropriate than ADs. Your gp should be able to prescribe it though may want you to see a specialist because of your age and length of time without it (age itself should not stop you getting it). Perhaps take the NICE guidelines if you think your gp will be difficult. If you need a referral ask for a menopause clinic not a gynae, as you've discovered many gynaes are clueless about menopause. Any meno specialist should be able to treat you, I don't think you need a post meno/hysterectomy specialisation. If you post your area you may get some recommendations. Many are doing phone appointments so you may not need to travel. Newsonhealth has a good reputation but I believe a 3 month waiting list. Dr Currie who runs this site will answer an email question for £30.

[LynnG]

Thank you for the response, I do appreciate it.
My GP referred me for a menopause clinic and I ended up with a male Gynaecologist who is in private practice but being paid by the NHS. On two occasions he’s not rung/rung the wrong number and put it down that I Did not Attend (which he’ll get paid for) and then I’ve had to wait weeks for another 2/3 minute telephone appointment. He doesn’t answer my questions and seems interested in getting off the phone asap, it’s been 18 months now and nothing has improved in fact it seems to be getting worse.

I live in the North West and have been checking out the Menopause services including Dr Newsons and one in Liverpool area which seemed to be more related to younger women and promoting something called the Mona Lisa Touch procedure. Dr Newson seemed to be phone or video calls with two free email follow ups which is not what I feel I need.  I’d be grateful for any recommendations or corrections if I have misunderstood the aforementioned practices. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility given my current level of brain fog.

[CLKD]

Some consultants do that but it's illegal - you need to write to him and explain that you have not received his phone calls, copy to the Administrator at the Hospital.  You also need to let your GP know how difficult this has been thus far.  I wonder if he has made any contact with your GP which is the usual protocol.

You can send an e-mail to Dr Currie as suggested.

[LynnG]

Thank you again. I intend to ask him why he put me down as DNA last week when I was waiting “phone in bra” for his call so that I wouldn’t miss it.  Now I have to wait until the 9th August for the next appointment.  I saw also on my medical file he has also referred to seeing me in clinic which he also gets paid for when in reality I’ve seen him only once face to face and that was pre-pandemic.


I really feel I need to see someone in person as I have what is referred to as a “complex” medical history. I want to sit down and talk through any issues that may or may not be affecting my menopause type symptoms and get any relevant blood tests and treatment followed up with the appropriate monitoring.

I just feel my Gynaecologist fobs me off with a prescription without any consideration of my medical history and I’m left stranded when things go wrong. I’m left wondering if I did the right thing stopping the Sandrena Gel too quickly because of my fears following the awful side effects from the AD.  He didn’t address any of this with me in the last phone call and just seems out of his depth tbh. I do need a Menopause Specialist but I’d rather wait until I can see someone face to face, I really don’t want a phone/video/email consultation.

[Taz2]

Hi LynnG. I just wanted to reassure you that the feelings of doom you experience just before the hot flush/sweat hits are a normal part of the hot flushes for a lot of women (me included). Such a horrible feeling to go from being fine to feeling like the end of the world is nigh. I also used to get nausea and a feeling like I needed a swift visit to the loo before a sudden increase in heart rate. It gave me warning that one was about to hit so  I could hot(!) foot it across the classroom to be hear a window. My pupils were great is offering me a tissue to defog my steamed up glasses and they also used to fan me with their books  I started HRT fourteen years ago due to the debilitating effect the flushes had on my quality of life and I'm still on it at the age of 67.

The Sandrena gel would seem to be a good choice for you and what's good about it is that the dose can be tailored to suit you. I can understand why you were panicked into thinking that the horrible side effects you had from the anti-depressants might also happen with the gel but maybe you could try it again? Does your GP know that this was prescribed for you? Also do you know what the Gabapentin was prescribed specifically for? The side effects of this drug can be quite difficult to cope with.

Taz x 

[LynnG]

Thank you for the reassurance, it really is starting to get me down although I have just taken the initiative to increase the Gabopentin during the night and that seems to have helped. I’m not having quite so many mood drops/hot flushes at the moment but when they strike they’re unbearable. When I went through the change in my 50’s I had hot flushes without the mood drops and to be honest it wasn’t particularly bad or prolonged so this time around it has certainly knocked my socks off.

I was prescribed Gabopentin for the mood drops and hot flushes as it was discovered that the drug can help although it’s more usually prescribed for nerve pain or as a seizure medication. It definitely works for me and I don’t experience side effects from it. However, it wears off too quickly and I’m constantly trying to make 300mg x 4 stretch to cover 24 hours when it wears off after 4. Night times are dreadful.

I would really like to try Sandrena Gel again but not without supervision, I just feel abandoned by the Gynaecologist who is so inaccessible, he is a private Gynae who does some work for the NHS but as he works across several private hospitals it’s impossible to get hold of him. He rings me (or not) for my NHS phone appointment (he has on occasion told my gp in outcome letters that I was seen in clinic) and speaks for 2/3 minutes then writes me a prescription and writes me off for another several months.

The terror attacks I experienced from the AD has scared me so much I am truly afraid whenever I feel any kind of side effects, I still feel traumatised by the experience and I only took one tablet. It took 5 days before it was fully out of my system and I started to feel any kind of normal again.

[CLKD]

I would ask my GP what the up2date protocol is for seeing a Gynaecologist.  Is there a specific reason to be seen 'privately'?  Usually if they are being paid they will spend ages with a patient.  Your GP may suggest a different Gynae.. 

I didn't like the last breast surgeon I saw, sooooo patronising.  "And why are you here today?" and "Why are you worried about that?"  Well, I had noted changes in the breast thad underwent surgery in the 1990s and my GP thought I should be seen.  "Oh well we'll do an ultra sound whilst you are here".  Without even examining me!  He obviously hadn't read my notes either.   

U may benefit from a dedicated menopause clinic.