Morning all
I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed today. I'm 54 years old and post menopausal - last period 4 years ago. I've just had a call with a private GP who runs a menopause clinic which I went to 3 weeks ago. She was calling to discuss the blood tests that she insisted I had before deciding whether she could prescribe testosterone. I was hoping to try this, thinking it might help with zero libido, muscle aches and tiredness.
I have been taking livial/tibolone for about 18 months but these symptoms still persist and I have reached breaking point. I spoke to my GP about 6 months ago, suggesting that I may need to try a different HRT/increase my oestrogen and/or try testosterone. My own GP was unwilling to change my treatment without getting advice from a GP-lead menopause clinic, which she referred me to on 31/3/22. I am still waiting on the appointment - I was told yesterday that I may expect an appointment in 6-8 weeks! I think the main issue is there is a history of breast cancer in my family, my sister had the disease and tested positive for the gene - I tested negative. However the GPS I speak to all seem afraid to give me any more oestrogen because of this family history, regardless of my negative gene test.
So I decided to pay to see a GP who runs a menopause clinic - got the blood tests done and results as follows;
Oestradiol 63 pmol/L
Progesterone <1.0 nmol/L
Testosterone 0.20 nmol/L
SHBG 43 nmol/L
Free Androgen Index 'Unable to calculate' (Don't know why the results say this, I did find a calculator online and it's giving me a Free Testosterone of
0.000745 nmol/L and
0.373%.The calculator also gives a reading for
'bio-available testosterone' of 0.168 nmol/L and 84%
So the private GP agreed that my oestrogen and testosterone were low. She also said that she wouldn't be prescribing any oestrogen OR testosterone. No testosterone because my body would convert it to oestrogen and no oestrogen due to the BC family history. She suggested a referral to a Consultant, which I can't afford at this moment in time, and there's a 3 month waiting list for the private clinic! I have already spent £250 on one appointment and blood tests and I am worried that a specialist will refuse to give me anything else too. The GP just kept saying that she empathised with my situation but just couldn't prescribe anything.
Meanwhile I am trying to process the blood results and understand why the readings are so low (they seem really low to me?) when I am already taking tibolone and vagifem. Then I wonder if I have an absorption issue. I also feel a little angry that I am not allowed to take control and make an informed decision regarding increasing my oestrogen, balancing the risk with my quality of life. I thought that I also may have been able to trial the testosterone for a few months, then get the bloods done again to monitor the oestrogen/testosterone levels.
I just feel so low about it all today, I was holding on to the the hope that going private might get me the testosterone quicker and I would be able to enjoy a sex life again, not to mention see an improvement in my chronic back and muscle aches.
![Sad :(](https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/Smileys/extended/sad.gif)
Thanks to anyone who has read this far - I would welcome any comments on my situation, advice what I could do next?