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[Gigi1968]

Hi ladies
This is my first time posting here.  I am 54 years old and had an early menopause at age 37 and I have been on HRT for 16 years.  On a whole I have found HRT very helpful and has allowed me to function normally, in fact sometimes I forget I am menopausal which is great but every so often I have this thought that I have been on it for so long and I should try to come off but every time I have come off it all the symptoms have come back with a vengeance.  I also started bleeding on and off about two years ago and I was advised to come off HRT until I had investigations, the symptoms came back and I was irritable, emotional, couldn't sleep, my skin got so dry and I had terrible brain fog but the hot flushes were so insane to the point that I insisted we get air conditioning in our bedroom in January. Thankfully the scans and hysteroscopy came back negative and I was told I could go back on HRT, the relief I felt was unbelievable.  I was then changed from Kliovance tablets to Evorel Conti patches and whilst all the symptoms went away after 2 weeks, I have just had bleeding for six weeks straight so now I'm waiting for an appointment at the one stop hysteroscopy clinic on 12th April, the bleeding as I speak now has stopped, I was told to come off HRT again but I have to admit I cannot face life without them so I am trying some supplements while still using the patch.  I am trying something called Meno complex, I don't know if anyone here has tried them and if they are ready to share their experiences.
The main reason of this post is I am looking for a menopause clinic because unfortunately I don't feel my GPs know much about menopause and I just feel like I need to speak to someone who can suggest different things when something isn't working.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[laszla]

Welcome Gigi, it's very common that GPs aren't up to much in the menopause advice department.
Whereabouts in the country are you and would you be willing to travel to a clinic?
This should help with people giving recommendations. I believe the Louise Newson clinic and perhaps others also offer a Zoom option for patients who aren't near a clinic. I have no experience of LN myself but plenty of women on the forum do.

[Peanut31]

Hi

Newson health will do Zoom consultations and also telephone consultations.

I’m with them, but they are not cheap. I’m due a telephone call from the Doctor I use there and it’s £230.00. I normally do zoom but it’s not convenient to do this on this occasion.

I would say they have been very good in some areas, for example I suffered terribly with VA not knowing it was that. My own GP was buggering about with antibiotics, thrush cream, urine samples, scans etc with no success.

It wasn’t until this forum advised I could have VA I phoned the clinic and spoke to a nurse £50, they immediately prescribed Vagifem and this has been a god send to me, they do listen and understand.

However, my own impression is that they are keen to encourage you to up your dosage all the time, if you’re not doing great, and that is not always the answer, my last zoom call I felt rushed too.

I was told to up my HRT, as didn’t feel great, and to be honest I’ve stopped HRT until I speak to the doctor as I was terrible, I felt worse on it, and had panic attacks (something I haven’t had) weight gain, sore and huge boobs.

I dreaded taking progesterone as unlike others I had terrible sleep when on them, and if you having oestrogen you have to have oestrogen.

Best wishes

[sheila99]

Bleeding can be expected in the first 3-6 months of a new conti routine. Unless you have money to burn I would give it a bit longer to settle.

[Gigi1968]

Thank you all for your replies, @laszla, I’m in Milton Keynes and happy to travel to London if need be, it’s not that far by train.
@poppytoast thank you for the recommendation, I had never even heard of tibolone, I’ll see if I can get a prescription
@sheila99 I am happy to give it a little while longer to settle but I have been on it for 9 months now and I agree with you these supplements are not cheap at all.
@peanuts31 thank you for the suggestion for the clinics, I will see if I can identify one nearby

[Peanut31]

Your very welcome.

Take care & good luck.

Peanut31.