In most cases this is a matter of personal preference based on experience. I sometimes feel that it is a little like a conductor arranging his orchestra. On occasion, the requirements may be obvious. For example, a pianist is needed for a piano concerto. One instrument may be quite inappropriate ? bagpipes may be wonderful at Edinburgh Castle but out of place in an orchestra. If one part of the orchestra, such as the percussion, plays louder, the other sections will sound relatively quiet even if individually they make no changes. So it is with hormone therapy. There are more hormones in the body than there are instruments in a symphony orchestra. When introducing one hormone treatment, there will inevitably be a knock-on effect on the others. Frequently, the treatment may involve more than one additional hormone; the combined oral contraceptive pill has oestrogen and progestogen. Several hormones must be given in se quence for in vitro fertilisation, (Figure 10.3). Finally, one expert will prefer an arrangement by one conductor to that of another. This is a matter of personal preference. So it will be with hormone treatment one patient may feel happier on one pill than another but that choice may not suit everyone.
Please click on the required question.
- 1 Which doctor should I see?
- 2 What are symptoms and signs?
- 3 How can we be certain whether an abnormality that my doctor has found is the cause of my problem or an incidental finding?
- 4 How do doctors arrive at a diagnosis?
- 5 What does a gynaecologist do during a consultation?
- 6 What is the purpose of the pelvic examination?
- 7 Will a blood test to assess a hormone level provide a guide to treatment.
- 8 I have a phobia about blood tests. What should I do?
- 9 What is pelvic ultrasound?
- 10 What are CAT and MRI scans?
- 11 Will my general practitioner receive information from my specialist gynaecologist?
- 12 Will I see the same specialist every time I attend the out-patients clinic?
- 13 What is known about emotion. Information?
- 14 Could my emotional problems be of hormonal origin?
- 15 Does my doctor understand my anxieties and concerns about my gynaecological problem?
- 16 How much information do patients want about their condition?
- 17 Will the doctor listen to my views on how my problems should be managed?
- 18 How do doctors decide on the best treatment?
- 19 How do doctors decide on the best hormone treatment?
- 20 How long will my hormone treatment be effective?
- 21 What are the risks of surgery?
- 22 How long do gynaecological operations take?
- 23 Have there been advances in gynaecological surgical treatment?
- 24 I have been offered a choice of treatments. How can I decide which will be best for me?
- 25 What is the place of support groups?
- 26 Where can I obtain more information?
- 27 Are there any dangers in acquiring health information on the internet?
- 28 Support Groups.
Thank you for choosing to visit us.
This is the personal website of David A Viniker MD FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whipps Cross University Hospital, London - Specialist Interests - Reproductive Medicine including Infertility, PCOS, PMS, Menopause and HRT.
I do hope that you find the answers to your women's health questions in the patient information and medical advice provided.
