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[jobeckett]

Thanks ladies for all your responses.

Hurdity - sorry yes you're right, I am on Evorel 50 x 2 weeks & Evorel Conti x 2 weeks (with Utrogestan days 1-25 - 100mg).  I'm not sure why I am not on a shorter cycle of prog but I will mention this when I see her for a review in 6 weeks. 

I know I am being a little impatient - I should wait to see how this combo settles down (so far I've had a bit of nausea & massive hunger surges) but that subsided after a few days (apart from the hunger surges!!).  I was just concerned that I might find myself in a situ where I had to do a lot of trial and error before I found the right balance, hence the thought of seeing a gynae to save the agony of time in finding the right mix.  But I will give it some more time as it may well be unnecessary to spend money (that I haven't really got). 

Can I ask what difference it makes taking prog for 11-12 days at 200mg than what I've been prescribed?

Jo x

[Hurdity]

Hi again jobeckett

OK I'm even more confused - or should it be shocked! If you are taking Evorel conti (ie the combi patches) for two weeks out of four, then why have you also been given utrogestan? This is far too much progesterone - unless you went to the docs with very heavy bleeding and regular periods and she has deliberately prescribed this.

Did you say what your cycle is doing before starting HRT? If you are late peri-menopause (very occasional periods) or post-menopause then you just need the estrogen patches ( ie the Evorel 50 or similar like the small Estradot I mentioned) and the utrogestan Days 1-25 - which may give a bleed in the 3 days off. If you are early peri-menopausal then you can take the same combo but with utrogestan 200 mg x 12 days which would give you a regular bleed.

You could also just use the Evorel sequi which gives progestogen ( via the patch) for 14 days per month and will also give you a monthly bleed.

I still don't think you need to go to a private gynae but just need to go back to your doc to get the right prescription and sounds like she is sympathetic to this. If you can remind us where you are in meno and why she prescribed the extra progesterone then perhaps we can help you before you back to the doc?

Btw although many of us have seen neither Nick Panay nor John Studd - we have read their papers, research and articles, and the many reports from other women who have seen them over the years, and of course there is a strong personal element to how women take to individuals. However if my fairygodmother flew in and offered me a visit next week to a gynae of my choice - of these two, mine would be Nick Panay!!!

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

I haven't read all the responses yet but :

Consultants can work part-time in the NHS and run a Private Clinic.  If they weren't running a Private Clinic they may well be tending sheep (as my Boss used to do as he didn't believe in PP work).  18 months is probably because Nick Payne has a good reputation and ladies may well be prepared to wait!!! after all, we don't know do we, so making assumptions 


"I don't think he should practice privately" - would you be brave enough Hurdity to write and tell him!  In an ideal World there would be enough GPs and Specialists so that there isn't a Waiting List, but the NHS in particular is in dire straights.  Also, are you aware of how many patients fail to attend?  I have spent hours on the 'phone or literally driving to collect patients in my car who are willing to take an appt. due to failed attendances!!!!

NHS GPs are not allowed to provide Private Prescriptions.  GPs should be more willing to refer patients particularly to Specailists with long Waiting Lists.  This situation is nothing new but the proviso should be that patients, should they change their minds or become well, must ring the appt.s office to cancel in good time!

[CLKD]

Interesting Dangermouse - presumably they are part-time NHS GPs? who pay for the use of the rooms, that those patients are charged for lab. work, Nurses etc.?  Otherwise ? That was the problem in the early years of NHS/Private work, the NHS sold theatre time/rooms but the Staff often didn't get paid for caring for the Private Patients.  I know of some NHS Nurses who simply refused to do so.

Jo - sadly it will be Trial and Error until you find a regime which suits you which also, might not be a complete 'cure'.  Each lady has different chemical make up which alters during The Change (hint is in the  name  ) so it can be a while B4 she notices a difference.  Let us know how you get on!

[GypsyRoseLee]

CLKD is it really true that NHS GPs can't provide private prescriptions?

It's just that one of our friends is a GP and when DH needed ABs last year for an infected toe (nice) and couldn't get an appt with his own GP, our friend wrote him a private script just on a piece of A4, with her contact details and reg. number on it.

The pharmacy were fine about it.

[dangermouse]

I don't know if they're part time as they aren't from my surgery. It's a new system that's being rolled out, here's an article on it (but it's from the DM so may have some inaccuracies and exaggerations...)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3792857/Scheme-patients-pay-NHS-GP-slippery-slope-privatisation.html

[Tempest]

Hurdity has a good point!

There is no 'secret' about either of the private consultants. The only thing that may differ is that I know Professor Studd is more ready to prescribe testosterone, which you will struggle to get via the NHS unless you've had a hysterectomy/oopherectomy.

I used to think they would have the 'magic answer' and was desperate myself (but my case is more complex). In my case, I would prefer face to face regular reviews and I have really struggled, so am pushing to see a specialist Consultant via the NHS at the moment.

I would go back to the GP to clarify the points Hurdity raised, and then give it 3 months. OR you could ask right now if you could have the Estrogel/Utro. combo as you'd feel more comfortable with the gel. But usually GP's like you to try 1 combination first and then review after a decent period unless you run into real problems.

Please note too that folk can get a bit caught up in chopping and changing the gel dosage if you have no experience of HRT and what to expect from it (I speak from experience). Any HRT is not an overnight 'wonder cure' so it would probably be a good idea to chat to your GP about what your expectations of HRT are. I know mine are now more realistic than when I first started exploring HRT.

Good luck! xxxx

[Tempest]

By the way Dangermouse - how is your friend doing now? She sounds like she has had a hellish time!

[CLKD]

GRL  - have bumped my thread on the topic.

[Tempest]

Where can I find the thread please CLKD?

[CLKD]

I bumped it - it will show on your 'unread posts' …….. 'Other Health Discussions'

Can't remember what I called it, meno-brain 

[Tempest]

Will search it out, if MY meno brain will oblige. Thank you!!

[CLKD]

Hope you aren't too disappointed 

[dangermouse]

Tempest - My friend is pretty much back to how she was thanks, so not great but not in hell anymore! Need to catch up with her to see if she's seen anyone yet in the alternative fields as she's pretty convinced, after spending so much money, that Western medicine can't help her right now.

The Pill was my lifesaver earlier in the year, but now the mid-peri surges have stopped I am looking at other avenues with Ray Peat's theories, and adding more fruit and juices has made me feel SO much better! I constantly had sugar cravings before that I would try to ignore as I believed it was bad for me but for my body its calmed a lot of symptoms down and the cravings have finally stopped as I was just having too little from avoiding sugar and intermittent fasting. Ray Peat is very anti-oestrogen replacement though (he likens it to cocaine  ) so this isn't the forum to discuss it on as it would just confuse our already confusing situations! I can only go by my own body and if I feel I need it at a later stage I won't be against it, as I know so many here feel great on estradiol.

[Tempest]

Dangermouse, I'm glad your friend is over the worse of the horror! I hope she manages to find some relief from the alterative avenues. I hear ayeurvedic medicine can be a good route to try. Wish her luck from me!

And.....guess what?? I tested your sugar theory. Like you, I did absolutely no sugar whatsoever not even in fruit! This week, I've been eating regularly (every 3 to 4 hours) and introduced fruit daily into my diet. I have to say that my banana at 4pm has been a life saver! Prior to that, I used to get the shakes so bad and even became rather irrational around 4pm every day. I owe you a huge debt of gratitude. I wanted to give it until today to test the theory, so was going to hunt you out anyway to let you know. You really gave me something to think about after my initial scepticism when you posted about it, and I thought - what if there is something in this?

I'm also eating within half an hour of getting up in the morning too, and this has helped loads! I used to get up and get stuck in to chores before eating something for the first time around 10.30 am and by then, i was literally jittering to pieces. It has really helped.

Thank you so very much!!!