[beverley.rose]

I'm pretty sure my doctor won't like the self-med aspect, and will want me to see a "specialist" to deal with my underlying issues. I don't want to get steamrollered into pharm hormones or anti-androgens (which I wouldn't).

Bryony, no one will force you on to HRT. The worst that will happen is that you will be referred to the community mental health team who can only ASK you if you want to be referred to a GIC. No one can make you go.

Only a GIC can prescribe hormones or anti-androgens and even when they do so, you can hear the squeals of your practice manager when he/she finds out that decapeptyl or goserelin is £200 a shot. Estradiol, OTOH is way, way cheaper than PM, about 1/3 the cost.

but equally I don't want to get labelled as someone who indulges in risky behaviour.

But you ARE indulging in risky behaviour. There are no clinical studies that show PM is harmless although there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that it is harmless. The big danger with HRT is blood clots. What evidence is there that PM does not produce clots or has some other side effect that does not show up for some years?

How can anyone trust the manufacturing process out in Thailand? How does anyone know that there is PM in those capsules? They could just be grinding up Progynova and mixing it with rice powder for all we know. That would produce feminising effects....

Lastly I don't want to lose the opportunity for a health check, being 60 and reliant on the UK NHS.

Your doctor may not like you self medding but they cannot refuse you treatment for any health conditions, not even self inflicted ones.