Don't mess with "hormonal women" who are still in early recovery!! DUH!!!

Ok, so here's the deal. I had to call the pharmasist to refill my estrogen troche today. I was told that after a month they will do a saliva test to see where my hormones are. Needless to say he was ignorant, rude and abrassive when I told him why I wasn't taking the testosterone and progesterone, then proceded to tell me that if I didn't then fine but that I would experience this or that, when I told him how great I felt just taking the estrogen, he said "well see how that goes in a month"! Then told me that there is NO reason to do the saliva test for another month! WHAT!!! Ok, hold the phone! You are supposed to be helping me, not ridiculing me or being a condesending (sp?) jerk!
Nor can you just sit her and spit junk at me like I am some kind of moron that doesn't know the "statistics" as well as he does right about now! Of course seeing no other option right now other than to bite my tounge (at this point I am surprised I still have one..lol) because I need my "happy hormonal pills" I kept my mouth shut, but believe you me...when I go wednesday to my doc for my 6 week check up...he is getting a wake up call from this "happy camper". I will NOT see that pharmasist ever again so he better find a new one for me. Actually I was IN/OUT when I went to get my estrogen as to keep myself from walking behind the counter and putting my foot in his...mouth...yeah that's it...lol This is the same moron I have been arguing with since DAY ONE about the hormones. Ok, yes I may be somewhat hormonal, but don't treat me like an idiot that doesn't know what is going on with my own body. Just because I had a hysterectomy 5 weeks ago doesn't mean EVERYTHING that comes out of my mouth about what I am experiencing is because of my HORMONES adjusting! I had a hysterectomy, not a BRAINECTOMY! Geezzz
I am so mad at him I could spit nails! And yes, I took my hormones today...LOL
Anyone else feel like this???

A freaking pharmacist dictates this to you? Where in the free world do these people exist? Someone with a 4 year degree tells you, a woman who has menstruated, cramped and endured for YEARS what you need to do to feel comfortable with your hormones? Have we survived tampons, mini pads, ruined underware, not being able to wear white pants during an emergency airplane landing while wrapping a sweater around our midsections only to be told that we need to spit onto a peice of litmus paper? Are my hormones dictating my emotions or has Ben and Jerry ice cream become the new drug of choice? Show of hands....

I love you!!!! You are great Haunted!

Find a female Pharmasist!! I love mine, she totally takes care of my whole family. And I've got a big brother who's one, and yes I've told him he's a jerk when it comes to the whole 'female' thing. One of my favorite sayings "If it's got tires or testosterone, it's gonna give you problems!"
Love ya all
Amy lou

I am SO on board with this - especially the "ruined underwear" comment! I buy myself the CUTEST underwear I can find, because what I have on that nobody else sees makes me feel a sense of "power". I do not have the "sexy" undies, but the "cutsie" undies, with Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Strawberry Shortcake, and (my personal favorite during all of this surgery stuff) SUPERGIRL. Several pairs of Supergirl, by the way. I can't TELL you how happy I am that I will never have to worry about ruining them again.

But, I digress...

My dad was a pharmacist, and, bless his soul, he always seemed to have an opinion. UNLESS it was about birth control stuff - he worked for a Catholic hospital. I have found the BEST pharmacists are ones that will double check to make sure your meds aren't interfering with any other meds, and make sure that THEY don't interfere with MY LIFE!!!

My General Practitioner questions my every decision about MY OWN BODY! For example, she told me that having my tubes tied was "stupid". THEN, when I told her that my OB/GYN doc and I opted for a hysterectomy, she FLIPPED OUT!!! A week after the surgery, my OB/GYN informed me that I had made the best decision because they found a very aggressive cancer in my uterus (thank God it was only stage 1a), and that he would have been calling me to schedule my hysterectomy immediately!

So - just because they have the schooling does NOT mean that they are BETTER than you, or that they have the right to question what YOU wish to do with YOUR OWN BODY - hormones or otherwise. After all, you are PAYING for the Rx. You wouldn't want to pay for something you have no intention of using!

I vote for finding a new Pharmacist, then going back to this ***hole and telling him off!

At least, that's what I plan on doing with my GP when I find a new one I like!

Best of luck to you and your fluctuating hormones!

Mellybug

(((snowpea77))), I'm sorry that your pharmacist spoke to you in a way you found condescending. If you don't have a good working relationship with your pharmacist I agree it would be best to find another one.

Pharmacists, especially those who do compounding, undergo years of training and can be a wealth of valuable information. It's not unusual for them to have much more knowledge in the area of hormone therapy than doctors. How that knowledge is passed along does matter, so if you don't like how he has communicated with you, of course you will want to find someone else. There's a compounding pharmacy locator link on this site: www.iacprx.org, or your doctor may have someone else to recommend.

From my experiences finding my own hormone balance and from years of reading the message boards on this site and working in the Hormone Jungle, I can tell you that starting off on just estrogen alone isn't such a bad idea, which of course is contrary to what your pharmacist has told you. There are exceptions, of course (such as with women who have endometriosis) but generally starting out on estrogen only is a good way to go. By introducing one hormone at a time it's easier to know how we react to it. Once the estrogen is balanced we can access our symptoms and decide if progesterone would help balance, and then finally testosterone is considered. Testosterone should not, in my opinion, be prescribed unless the free and total levels are tested first. There are causes for low libido other than low testosterone so it's important to treat the cause properly.

It is helpful to keep a journal during the hormone balancing process. Jot down any symptoms you are having noting how severe or mild they are. Also write down the hormone therapy you are using along with the time of day it is used/taken. It's also smart to note any medications and supplements you are taking. That journal can be shared with your doctor at followup appointments to help him/her decide what changes, if any, are needed.

Hormone needs can change over time. What is working for you now may continue to be right for you, but it's also possible that at some point you may need the strength of your estrogen changed, or that you may need to add progesterone and/or testosterone to your therapy. By keeping track of your symptoms you will better be able to tell which hormone(s) to tweak. There's a link to a symptom list I post in many of my replies to women working to find balance. It's a wonderful reference worth printing so you can refer to it while working on your hormone balance. Here's that link: Too Much/Too Little.

Hormone testing can be useful, but early in recovery when hormone levels are fluctuating it's like trying to hit a moving target. It makes more sense to wait for things to settle down and give yourself time to fully adjust to the estrogen you were prescribed. Often saliva testing isn't covered by insurance and it can be very costly. If you can make adjustments based on your symptoms (other than testosterone as previously mentioned), so much the better! It's cheaper and accurate. No test knows better than you how you are feeling, and how you feel is much more important than what your estrogen level number is.

(((Ladies)))) Early recovery can be tough. It can be an emotional and frustrating time. It sure can be therapeutic to vent a little to let off steam. I would like to give a gentle reminder that it's important that we each remember the site Guidelines when making our replies. When registering we each agreed to abide by these Guidelines. Posting with a tone of kindness and posting without bashing are just two of the important Guidelines that need to be remembered. It's okay to vent, but please do so appropriately.

I'm sending s!