Refused HRT due to doctors beliefs
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi new to group but I’ve been peri menopausal for almost a year & ive been back & forth to my gp prescribed citrapram anti depressants which I’ve been on now for 3 months then I went back after 3 weeks on these for a follow up I was suffering extreme hot flushes several times a day anxious daily not sleeping extremely tired always & weight has increased but 9 months ago I was spritly quick mins was sharp too, Gp then prescribed me clonidine to minimise my hot flushes but they make me sleep & feel even more tired so seen another gp he then said I don’t think I can’t refur you to the menopause clinic I don’t believe in that womaen just need to let your body do what’s natural. 😡 well I’m moody,tired,hot sweats, anxious obviously the gps are both men but is it my right to get this referral to the clinic or I’m I just being to pushy? I really haven’t a clue bout menopause
Please someone give me some advice thank you 🙏??
0 likes, 13 replies
jackie92665 lauratired42
Posted
Hi, I'd ask for another doctor and if they still won't refer you or give you hrt put in a complaint. If a doctor won't refer you or prescribe you something because of their beliefs I believe that they have to refer you to another doctor who will. It makes me so annoyed when drs deny a woman HRT, unless there is a proper medical reason not to. Does the doctor also believe it's right to deny a woman pain relief for period /labour pain because it's the body doing what is natural? Sorry for the rant but it really annoys me LOL 🙂
lauratired42 jackie92665
Posted
Edell7329 lauratired42
Posted
They have no right to deny you referral to the menopause clinic! I have been going thru this since January 2017 and I have been extremely disappointed in the doctors male/female regarding menopause. I went to my gynecologist last Feb and she is usually very empathetic and understanding and she barely gave me the time of day and gave me s prescription for Prozac. I dont know maybe she us going thru menopause too! Anyway I have yet to find someone helpful with this transition. I can't take HRT because of a prior blood clot but believe me if I could I would have got it yesterday!! If you can take it demand a referral and go to the clinic!! Feel better!! Hugs to you!!
Guest Edell7329
Posted
Hi Edell, how did your gyn decide to give you prozac? I'm curious because of a conversation that I had today with my gyn about my anxiety. She was not helpful.
Edell7329 Guest
Posted
Hi Liz 9305, she didn't even tell me. I went and told her how I had been feeling, which was very anxious and I had a very bad case of acid reflex at the time which caused a lot of chest pain which had me convinced I was going to have a heart attack. I have always had health anxiety but I had never felt like this in my life. I was emotional and crying when I explained this to her and I have never been a crier in public, I have spent most.of.my adult life keeping my emotions inside. Anyway she was very cold and dismissive and said she was giving me a prescription and it should help. No other info or support. I didn't even know it was Prozac until I looked the name up.on the internet. I took it for 3 days and it made my acid reflux act up so I stopped taking it. My PCP gave me a prescription for paxil but I never took it as I thought I could handle this without anything but it seems to be getting worse so I am probabaly going try it. I am sorry this is so long! This is my only outlet and I appreciate all you ladies and wish you all the best!!
Guest Edell7329
Posted
vicky77852 lauratired42
Posted
samantha42264 lauratired42
Posted
That's what doctors do, they don't really believe these syptoms are due to peri or menipose and hand out anti depessants like candy. I went to the ER at one point because of high anxiety which caused me also to get depressed, it scared me...of course I had to talk to the ER phycologist who just handed me prescription for prozac. I took them for 12 weeks and I was way more of a complete mess...I stopped taking them. I went to my regular doctor twice now and she tried to give me 2 other anti depressants, after my experience with prozac I won't try the others. I don't have time to go through the initial side effects to find out if the work...I have to work and take care of a house hold.
Maybe we could just let things go naturally, but most of us woman have responsibilities, we can't miss work or ignore household things. I'm not on HRT but quality of life and being able to function and pay our bills is important. I'm fed up with trying to get a doctor to understand.
Guest samantha42264
Posted
samantha42264 Guest
Posted
Hi Liz,
I truly believe that doctors don't believe peri is real, they think we are ju still depressed or have anxiety....that part is true...but I was a normally functioning woman up until 40 when peri hit, then all of a sudden all these syptoms hit and it for sure goes around my monthly cycle, I can predict the moods now....so it's hormonal..
Why is it that there are so many of us suffering on her but in the live world all the woman my age never say anything is wrong? Are we all hiding and that's why doctors have no clue? I think if years were taken away from men lives and they were suffering there would be way more info available and it wouldn't be a secret thing and for sure doctors would be more aware.
jackie92665 samantha42264
Posted
Hi, totally agree with everything you said! Doctors just don't seem to care. It's because we're women. We are classed as "emotional"due to our hormones. So when our hormones go haywire it's not classed as important. And they seem to think the physical symptoms are all in our heads. It's put up and shut up. As you say if it was men there would be more information. If it was men they would of found a cure. I think a lot of doctors think we should be glad we don't have the mother of periods anymore. Or babies. I also think that society thinks because we can't have children any more that we're past it,so money shouldn't be put in to research for peri/menopause. It makes me so angry.
Guest samantha42264
Posted
Samantha, great question... I know plenty of women who are going through this but never talk about it. I don't really think it's taboo, but maybe some people do? The irony with the gyn I've been seeing is that she's my age!!! Maybe she's in denial about herself? I've had lifelong anxiety, but I was also normally functioning until I was 43 and started having panic attacks; more peri symptoms followed. Then, I had an ovary removed by this same gyn two years ago and the symptoms became steadily worse. Whenever she tests my hormone levels, though, she tells me that they're normal.
I am putting together a whole new plan to get the care and support that I need.
Guest jackie92665
Posted
Well said, Jackie! And isn't it ironic when some of the doctors who treat us like we're crazy are female doctors?? This may sound odd, but the kindest gyn of the three who have provided care to me in my adult life was a male doctor. I don't intend to generalize about male and female doctors at all, but by comparison to this particular doctor, the two women who followed were not empathic at all.