Re: commendations for UK Endocrinologists
From: Lis (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu, 13 Dec 2001 09:00:38 -0600 (CST)
Maggy
I too am in the UK, over in East London. I see Mr. Baldwin (he is an
Ob Gyn) at Bupa Roding hospital (private) but he also has an NHS
practice at Whipp Cross Hospital - maybe too far for you?
He has prescribed Metformin for me, even though I am a "mild" case of
PCOS - so far! I have the cysts, enlarged ovaries, LH/FSH ratio is
slightly out of whack, low SHBG, but luckily my testosterone level is in
normal range, so I haven't as yet had any of the problems with hair /
skin. I am a little overweight - about 30lbs.
Even so, he has prescribed Met, 1000mg per day so far, which I have
taken for 2 1/2 months - I am going for a follow up appointment on
Monday to repeat my blood tests. Simultaneously with starting Met, I
stopped taking Dianette.
My GP is happy to provide repeat prescriptions for Met on the
recommendation of the specialist.
It is so frustrating for all of us to find that the treatment options
are limited according to the preference of the Doctor you are seeing. I
think it would definitely be worth writing or phoning the consultant's
secretary to find out if he/she is at least prepared to consider
Metformin if they consider it appropriate for you, rather than wait for
an appointment only to find they won't prescribe it anyway.
--
Lis
At Thu, 13 Dec 2001, Melanie wrote:
>
>Hi I am a fellow UK sufferer. I have been perscribed Met by my GP, as
>he feels that it is now a STANDARD treatment for pcos, if you have a
>supportive gp try this route. My specialist, who i no longer see,
>refused to perscribe Met as he also felt that the tests were
>inconclusive. However as my GP pointed out it must work to be used in
>the USA because of the legal implications of sueing, he words not mine!
>I have lost heaps of weight, i am far less erm irrational, my facial
>haior growth seems to have slowed down, i have only been taking it for 3
>1/2 months and i have a regular cycle for the first time in 4 years.
>Push you GP as it is avaialble on the NHS, my doc is based in West End
>in Woking, please feel free to mail me direct for his name if it will
>help. Be forcefull as the specialists over here are so steadfast in
>their retrospective approach.
>Good luck and take care
>Mel
>
>At Thu, 13 Dec 2001, Maggi wrote:
>>
>>Hi Debbie - I'm so excited I've got a reply from a fellow UK person! My
>>current Endo. at the Whittington is Dr. Moult. My GP initally
>>referred me to a dermatologist at the same hospital because of skin
>>problems before I was diagnosed with PCOS. As soon as I'd had the
>>bloodwork and ultrasound to diagnose PCOS, my dermo. passed me onto Dr.
>>Moult in Endo. instead so it wasn't a direct referral as such by my GP.
>>I find Dr. Moult quite patronising and set in his ways when it comes to
>>treatment. As I said in my previous e-mail, with him, I've gone down
>>the more conventional routes of first trying Dianette for 18 months
>>which did very little for me and gave me intolerble side effects. I was
>>then on 100mg per day of Spironolactone for 18 months with no major side
>>effects but again, very little change and I know people have mixed
>>results with this - it works well for some but not at all for others.
>>
>>At this point, I was desperate to try Metformin and at my last 2
>>consultations with Dr. Moult I pressed for this and took in lots of
>>research articles from the net about it to him, but he was having none
>>of it, stating that the research is not conclusive, and because I'm not
>>overweight, it wouldn't work for me. I disagree and would at least like
>>to try it out - I can't resign myself to living with PCOS that is
>>getting worse until I've exhausted all my treatment options. Because
>>I'm now 34 and have lived with this for a few years, I want to get to
>>the root of the problem - I have all the classic cosmetic symptoms [acne
>>over various parts of my body, excess body and face/chin hair, hair
>>shedding and thinning at the front, mood swings/depression, excessive
>>exhaustion and awful ingrowing hairs on my chin, face, lower legs, pubic
>>hair area that causes horrible scarring and cysts because the terminal
>>hairs are now so thick - I feel like virtually all the hair on my body
>>has gradually all changed to terninal and sexual type hair]. My other
>>big worry also is the fertility side of things - I haven't started
>>trying for a family so don't know if I am affected by this so that'll be
>>the next big hurdle.
>>
>>Doctor Moult now put my on low eostregen BCP and Cyproterone Acetate
>>50mg [4 tablets to be taken every 3rd day for 1st 12 days of my cycle],
>>but this hasn't done anything so far apart from make my skin extremely
>>dry but I will stick with it for a while because I've only been on this
>>for 3 months so far.
>>
>>I'd really appreciate any more details about the consultants you're
>>seeing either at the Portland or Middlesex and your experience. D'you
>>think it's possible to write to these people directly to see if they're
>>prepared to take me on as a patient or at least have an initial
>>consultation? Or do I have to get my GP or current Endo. to refer me
>>there. I anticipate that neither of them are willingly going to want to
>>do this and will be resistant .........and I can't afford to go
>>private........
>>
>>Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated - thanks for your
>>help so far.........
>>
>>At Wed, 12 Dec 2001, patrick wrote:
>>>
>>> --- Maggi <anonymous@obgyn.net> wrote: > Dear all
>>>
>>>Dear Maggie,
>>>
>>>It is so like reading my own story, except that i am
>>>overweight as well.
>>>
>>>I was also under the whittington, which consultant did
>>>you have, as i was under two, i am now using the
>>>portland hospital and also the middlesex, if you email
>>>me i can give you more info i was under the
>>>whittington for ten years.
>>>
>>>debby
>>>
>>>quyrichards@cs.com
>>>or
>>>patanddebbyoshea@yahoo.co.uk
>>>or
>>>debbyquyrichards@yahoo.co.uk
>>>
>>>from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts
>>>http://uk.my.yahoo.com
>>
>>--
>>MAGGI
>>
![[ PCOS Discussion Forums ]](../../images/pcos_at_obgyn.gif)