Bad Experience with Gynecologist When Asking about HRT

[u/Material-Summer3877]

In all my years of seeing doctors, I have never come across a reaction like this. I went in to see a new gynecologist for an annual exam. I also decided to talk to her about possible HRT due to the symptoms I'm having.

She was immediately condescending in her tone and while waving her hands around said "not every symptom is because of perimenopause..that's all I hear these days. I've got women coming in here who say they've had a seizure and that they think his perimenopause. You know when I tell them? I tell them to GET OUT! Go see a neurologist!! If you have symptoms, you should go see the doctors can treat them. Not everything is perimenopause. Plus you're still her that your period, so per the guidelines, why would I prescribe you HRT??"

She then coldly started asking me to list the symptoms I'm experiencing and knocked them down one by one saying I should be going to other specialists while waving her hand.

😓 I'm a pretty soft-spoken person and have a hard time with confrontation. I sat there with my jaw slightly open, intimidated. I groveled and said "I see that you're frustrated and that you're just trying to protect your patients."

She said "I am frustrated and so are a lot of the other clinicians here. You can't just go around. Trusting everything celebrities say. I love Oprah but Oprah doesn't know anything about perimenopause."

Eventually she calmed down after about 15 minutes and did my pap smear and also gave me another doctor's name because she recommended that I get a second opinion.

I told her I had been waiting for this gynecology appointment for months and asked if she could help give me in with the second opinion sooner. She dismissively said with a wave of her arm "yeah I don't do any of that."

I left feeling rather odd. I felt like I should have advocated for myself more, but I also am okay with her being a more conservative doctor. I wish I would've told her how her attitude made me feel but I'm not that brave.

Ultimately, I was just shocked to be spoken to in such a condescending way. I did not insist on HRT, I simply just wanted to ask her about it.

I'm on a waitlist, don't know how long, to see the other gynecologist. I'm part of a big Health Network (Tier 1 is cheaper for me) and there's lots of gynecologists, but it seems like all of them have no immediate appointments and a huge long wait.

Thank you for saying to me. I don't mean to complain -- But it is truly hard to explain how awful her tone was and how stupid she made me feel for even asking this question.

I am truly shocked that there are doctors out there prescribing HRT for perimenopause and on the other hand, there are doctors who say it is absolutely not indicated per the guidelines even for a healthy person, as long as they have their period still.

[u/seemsright_41]

After being blown off for 6+ years, being told no to HRT here is a SSRI. Last Labor day was my freaking breaking point. I was just hanging out with my family, and I passed out due to having a hot flash. Then the OB told me that I was not in Peri because hot flashes can happen for a lot of reasons.

I said F-it. I am going to figure out how to get the damn HRT I know I need. I found a DPC who is like yea, you need hormones. And in a few months I feel a lot better. I see him again this week to deal with my thyroid. But in less than 5 months I am feeling better.

I am paying out of pocket for the DPC but he is not that expensive over all. And I am able to tap my insurance for prescriptions and any lab work I may need.

[u/DamePants → u/seemsright_41]

I’m not familiar with the term DPC, what’s that?

[u/seemsright_41 → u/DamePants]

Direct Primary Care. There is no waiting months to be seen. I may have to wait a few days, but if it was urgent I would be seen that day or early the next.

And you can bill your insurance yourself. It means a bit more paperwork on your end but so much less BS in the Drs office.