Menopause, HRT & The Dreaded GP Appointments

Why is it such an up hill battle?!

I put off calling my GP every time I need to, as the last few years with them haven't been an easy ride - and I’m all out of fight!!

It's taken since 2019 to get a diagnosis of PMDD and better treatment. Once I had my chemical menopause there was a battle to obtain and then adjust my HRT, and another battle to have a hysterectomy. And prescriptions not being sent, not being right or being delayed - it was all too much.

In case you've not read my previous blog posts, here's a quick run down of my story - I hope that by sharing it, someone feels less alone in the struggle of being heard, understood & taken seriously by some (not all!) medical professionals.

I was given a chemical menopause by a specialist who wanted to work out if I had PMDD or something else. All went well, and I was diagnosed with PMDD. The second injection came, he said I’d need HRT due to my age, but it wouldn’t interfere with my PMDD as it was a constant level. But as he was a private doctor, he could only give me a short-term prescription - so he wrote to my GP.

I called my GP 2 days later said to ask if I could have the prescription on repeat, my consultant had written to them. She said I was too young, I was on the injection I wasn’t allowed it. I started getting angry and frustrated. After a back and forth and standing my ground, my GP finally listened and wrote a prescription for me.

3 months after that, I called saying I didn’t think the oestrogen was enough. I was having terrible hot flushes and dryness, and I didn’t think it was right. The response was ‘No, you can't have more, it will interfere with your PMDD’. I called again, and the GP replied,’ You shouldn’t be on HRT at all, stop taking it!’

I was no further along, sweating my tits off and itching everywhere!! 3 months later, I decided to return to a specialist (thank god for hubby having health that also covers me) - and the specialist listened! OH MY GOD someone finally listened! He told me what to take, and even put me on the path for a hysterectomy. Here's a lovely pic of me gearing up for it on surgery day..

Why does it take so many attempts to be heard?

Now we come to post-hysterectomy; my surgeon gave me what I needed, my GP read his letter and agreed to continue to prescribe my HRT, and its been an easier ride, They didn't initially agree with the surgeon giving me testosterone, but I put up a fight and managed to keep it on my prescription.

But then the most recent hurdle came - no one thought about vaginal oestrogen. They all missed that one. 18 months of feeling like I had UTIs, feeling dry, having pain during & after sex.. I thought, it's time to deal with this. I saw a lovely nurse, I tried what she prescribed, and it worked - but when it came to reordering the prescription it took 3 months, 3 attempts, 3 promises that it'd arrive the next day.. I hope they can sort it quicker next time!!

Why is accessing healthcare for menopause such a struggle?

I was very lucky to go private for some of my healthcare - but it shouldn't have to cost the earth to get the help we need, for something that we all go through. And I've had so many negative experiences with the GP, it's stopping me from getting the help I want & need.

I'm having trouble with the texture of my testosterone gel. Can I be bothered to deal with it? Nope! I keep waking with hot sweats. Can I be bothered to go to the GP to get some help? Absolutely not! My mood is low, I'm fatigued, I'm gaining weight. Will it get sorted? I really don’t know.

The one thing I know is that sharing my experiences & talking to others who are feeling the same, really does help - and I know in time, it'll give me the push to go to the GP with a list & the motivation to advocate for what I need. I hope it does the same for you, too. 💙