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Is Your Doctor Dismissing You? Medical Red Flags To Watch For
Dr. Angela McCool-Pearson and Dr. Christy James Guepet share signs it may be time to find a new menopause provider and how to seek qualified, informed care.
00:00:00:03 - 00:00:20:10
Sara Michael
They’re saying, “Oh, this is just getting older.” “This is part of aging.” “Your hormone levels are normal.” “You’re fine.” What are some of these, like flags, red flags that you would kind of tell a woman to keep an eye out for, to know that this is not the provider for them. They need to look for someone else who’s going to really take their symptoms seriously.
00:00:20:11 - 00:00:24:12
Dr. Angela McCool-Pearson
Everything you just said.
00:00:24:14 - 00:00:41:20
Dr. Angela McCool-Pearson
And I also want women to understand that sometimes they say that because they don’t know what to say. You know, it’s not something that they spend their time learning. And we spend a lot of time reading about HRT and the nuances of HRT. All those things that you just said, just that means, OK, I might need to ask somebody else.
00:00:41:20 - 00:01:09:10
Dr. Angela McCool-Pearson
So don’t just take that and walk away and go, “Well, I guess I'm just going to have to deal with this.”
Dr. Christy James Guepet
And there is a significant difference in training between M.D.s and D.O.s and provider extenders, like nurse practitioners and PAs. There are excellent extenders in this realm, but look at their their credentials too and look at the doctor who’s overseeing that
00:01:09:10 - 00:01:34:18
Dr. Christy James Guepet
care to make sure that it’s safely done. If you do a web search, you can look and find interest of physicians and their bios. So you want to look for training and credentialing. And all of that should be readily available now with searches.
Dr. Angela McCool-Pearson
So, a word of caution. Be aware of hormone clinics that kind of pop up overnight, because a lot of these places don’t have a lot of oversight.
00:01:34:19 - 00:01:57:07
Dr. Angela McCool-Pearson
Sometimes they don’t have the clinical experience, and so, we want patients to be cautious and wary of that. The other thing too, and we’ve touched on this before, about not waiting until your annual visit to talk to your primary care or your OB-GYN about this, because this is a whole separate thing, and they just do wellness check. And so, I think we really want patients, women, to understand that this is a separate scenario.
00:01:57:07 - 00:02:14:03
Dr. Angela McCool-Pearson
And so, if you're sidebarring that in on the top of a wellness visit, whether it’s with one of us or your primary care provider, first of all, they’re not going to be prepared for that, and you’re probably not going to get the time that that question needs.
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Learn more and connect at ThisIsMenopause.com.
You walk into your gynecologist’s office feeling stressed about symptoms like weight gain, poor sleep, brain fog, low libido, and more.
You’re at your wit’s end, and you need some support. Instead you hear: “This is normal aging. You’re fine.”
You feel dismissed and discouraged. You’ve just encountered red flags that your healthcare provider isn’t the right person to help you through perimenopause. And it’s not your fault.
OB-GYNs and certified menopause specialists Dr. Angela McCool-Pearson and Dr. Christy James Guepet started their medical practice precisely to support women in the menopause transition.
Their message is clear: You don’t have to settle for a provider who doesn’t understand menopause. And you don’t have to settle for not feeling your best.
If you hear any of these statements from your healthcare provider, it’s probably time to find someone new:
Dr. Pearson explained that many physicians, even women’s health providers, aren’t menopause experts. “It’s not something they spend their time learning,” she said.
In contrast, menopause specialists stay up to date on the latest research on treatments and how menopause impacts women.
Another important red flag is a hormone clinic without strong credentials. “Be aware of hormone clinics that kind of pop up overnight,” Dr. Pearson cautioned. “Sometimes they don’t have clinical experience. And so we want patients to be cautious and wary of that.”
Dr. Guepet recommended looking for a provider with special interest and training in menopause care.
Here are some things she suggested you look for:
Dr. Guepet noted that advanced practice providers like nurses and physician assistants can be a great resource for menopause care. However, she cautioned that you should learn more about physician supervision for advanced practice providers.
The Menopause Society offers a directory of providers that allows you to find menopause experts in your area.
You can also do a web search for providers in your area and review bios to check for interest in menopause care. If you can’t find someone in your area, you may want to look into telehealth options.
“Word of mouth can be helpful,” Dr. Guepet added, “but even with word of mouth you’ve got to check the credentials, education, and training.”
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