Female GNer in the UK? Take this survey - NOW CLOSED

Difficult to answer all survey questions accurately, some are too generic. GPs are human and of varying abilities/persuasions so can't tar them all with the same brush. In my experience they have a non holistic approach, are too cautious to embrace alternatives so just follow the pharmaceutical tramlines. Menopause is not an illness.

I also found the family/household question ambiguous. I found the good/bad GPs ones difficult too, as original GP was patronising and useless, while the new one (I changed doctors) was wonderful. also the anti-depressants because I was on ADs before menopause for Chronic clinical depression.

I had bad experience of HRT was on it for 4 years and it was lovely as no menopause symptoms but after about 15 years stopping it had endometrial cancer and breast cancer and specialist said could be HRT that caused both cancers

Completed.

Done! Looking back makes me realise how shockingly uninformed most GPs were at the time of my peri and menopause. Also employers -I was the oldest female member of staff at the time, in my late fifties - most were in their 20s/30's and early 40s and management simply had no idea or interest in being supportive. Makes me angry, even now, when I recall how many times my immediate female line manager simply refused to acknowledge that I was struggling - never mind offer any support. Things need to change...maybe they have...for every womans sake, I hope so.

Done.

I went to the GP as I had experienced PCOS and wanted more advice about how the menopause might affect me. The male GP stated ' It's not an illness!' although he added that I would not be offered HRT due to the PCOS and the link to high blood pressure. I did not go back when the peri menopause and menopause finally hit - and it hit hard with haemorrhaging, depression and mood swings, hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep for 12 years. What did help was going to a female trainee GP who prescribed anti depressants when I was off work with depression. I left that place of work and found some lovely female work colleagues in my next job and mutually sharing, laughter and black cohosh. Although a bit late for me, I'm so pleased this solely female experience is now better recognised.

I don’t think I can do this one - hysterectomy at 41 and HRT ever since!

I've completed the survey. I'm not sure my answers will make much sense because 13 years ago when I went through the menopause my GP was very helpful and prescribed HRT. A couple of years later I was put under enormous pressure to give it up and since then I have had a private prescription from an on line GP.

As ever gave up because some of the questions were ambiguous - family and household are not the same thing, so when asked about children in family/household I wasn't sure whether that meant living with me in my house or just in the wider family.

Similarly, the vagueness about what was classified as menopausal symptoms, there are a huge range of symptoms of the menopause and very few people have them all and some have none at all. All I had was fibroids, dealt with by a minor op. This did not fit the questionnaire at all, so I gave up.

Done

This survey needs tweaking: some questions are not easily answered with a black/white response.

The survey also seems to be a little bit 'doctor-bashing' as with the gutter press.

done. badly planned survey, with no way to mention any unusual circumstances, or explain that I had no menopausal problems which is why I didn't consult my gp.

Done.

That's it done.

completed

All done and agree with some of the previous panelists, some of the questions a bit difficult to answer

completed

Survey completed. I was one of the lucky ones. My employer was brilliant. GP was amazing

completed. didn't account for people going through menopause after hysterectomy. have now got wonderful (female) GP who has helped so much

Done.

All done, Doctors need to find a better way to deal with menopause then to just making it easy on them and putting you on anti depressants, which doesn't help, makes you worse with other symptoms, and doesn't even get rid of your problem. It is worse than giving patients paracetamol by the box full, but this just seems to happen more and more in the UK...treat the symptoms not the cause.... Hence just causing more problems and extreme pain for the patients they are supposed to be making better.....

All done

I found the worst thing was GP's making you feel guilty for asking for repeat prescriptions of HRT, I got so fed up of being told 'shouldnt you be off those by now' being given reams of print outs about risks, I just went cold turkey off HRT as I could not stand the stress of getting repeat prescriptions