HRT – It Should Not Be This Hard!
Talk to any group of women who have sought out HRT as part of their menopause journey and its guaranteed there will be several who have had awful experiences with their doctors. Unfortunately the cases of this happening are growing and we wanted to both acknowledge this, but also provide you with support.
One option open to the majority of women when they start menopause, is HRT – hormone replacement therapy. There are of course some exceptions to this, for example if you have a medical history which makes HRT inappropriate. However, as HRT is the most common medication to potentially alleviate menopausal symptoms, it is now widely discussed. Broadly speaking, HRT looks to replace some or all of the hormones that our bodies cease to produce effectively, due to menopause.
What are the key issues women are facing when they speak to their doctors – let’s look at the common trends:
- You’re too young: this one is by far the most dismissive and confronting statement many women share with us. Doctors feel they are too young to be experiencing peri-menopause and so they feel invalidated. This can also lead to them second-guessing themselves and their symptoms.
- You’re just depressed: there are thousands of instances where women have approached their doctors to talk about menopause and HRT, and walked away after being prescribed anti-depressants. This is a failure for doctors to acknowledge that women do not experience peri-menopause on the same schedule nor with the same symptoms. They confuse the low mood and anxiety that are such common feelings with peri-menopause as a depressive disorder instead and provide pills accordingly.
- Your blood tests are normal: a common method to “diagnose” peri-menopause are blood tests for hormone levels. However, in peri-menopause your hormones can fluctuate literally on an hourly basis. Therefore as blood tests are snapshots in time, its entirely possible for the levels to appear normal. This can result in the possibility of perimenopause being completely dismissed.
Approaching your doctor, knowing the challenges that may come up can make the entire experience extremely difficult – add this to the anxiety you’re likely already experiencing and it can become overwhelming. These steps below are a great way to prepare yourself and give yourself more confidence to advocate for your health.
- Log symptoms: Ideally at least a few weeks before you’re considering approaching your doctor, start tracking your symptoms as comprehensively as you can. There are several App’s out there which can be useful, like the Balance App, or simply keep a clear record in a notebook or diary. This is terrific evidence for the doctor, as well as giving you something to refer to if you’re nervous and might struggle to articulate how you have been feeling.
- Seek a specialist: Some doctors offices have doctors who have a background in women’s health, or perhaps serve as the specialist for their team. Even if they don’t have anyone in the field, you may be more comfortable speaking to a female doctor. When you book your appointment, try to arrange it with the most appropriate doctor and don’t be afraid to ask – this will support you in feeling empowered and could really increase the chances of a constructive and helpful appointment.
- Take a companion: Often it can help simply to have someone else with you – a trusted friend, sister, even partner. Even subconsciously, doctors or anyone in authority can feel intimidating and so having someone with you can help give you confidence. You could also ask them to take notes for you, so you don’t forget anything.
- Seek a second opinion: If you feel you haven’t been listened to, or you have been dismissed, or even that the doctor you saw simply doesn’t have enough knowledge on menopause, find another one. It is vitally important to advocate for your own health, and not to give up. Don’t settle if you are not satisfied that you have been given a fully educated and informed answer.
Educate and Support Yourself
There are so many amazing menopause resources available to you nowadays. It can be a great way to give yourself more confidence, educate yourself on all the options, but also to hear the experiences of other women. Tracy has compiled some brilliant and helpful options for you to explore. They include the book “Menopausing” by Davina McCall – an insightful, pragmatic and at times heart-warmingly funny look at menopause and navigating it positively.
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