01Is it hormones?
Is it hormones, or something else?
The same symptoms can come from more than one cause. Three hormone changes can be behind them, and each has its own signs.
- Perimenopause and menopause
- In the perimenopause periods become irregular, often with hot flushes, poor sleep or low mood. You reach the menopause once you have had no period for 12 months. Some contraceptives stop periods too, so tell Dr. Rockhead if you use one. Our menopause care page covers it.
- Early menopause
- If periods stop before 45 it is called early menopause, and before 40 premature. It can follow surgery to remove the ovaries or treatment for cancer. Talk to a doctor if it happens to you.
- Low testosterone in men
- Low sex drive, loss of muscle, low mood and tiredness can point to it. The NHS says stress, depression, poor sleep, alcohol, smoking and diet can bring the same symptoms. Our low testosterone page covers it.
Keep in mind
Two things to know.
Any bleeding after your periods have stopped for good needs a doctor, even a small amount, even once.
The NHS calls "male menopause" an unhelpful term: testosterone falls slowly with age, and that alone is not usually a problem. A low level that causes symptoms is different, and that is what the tests look for.
02Medical Leadership
Who will you see?
Dr. Charles Rockhead, in person, at 9 Devon Road in Kingston. He goes through your symptoms, your periods if you have them, your medicines, and your own and your family's health, and examines you if that is needed.
Dr. Charles Rockhead, Medical Director — Oshun Cosmetic Services, Kingston.
Dr. Charles Rockhead
Medical Director · Board-Certified OB/GYN · 30+ years of practice
Dr. Charles Rockhead is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with more than thirty years of practice in Kingston. He is the Medical Director of Oshun Cosmetic Services and the founding physician of Amadeo Medical Group, the parent clinical practice.
Read the clinic story · View Dr. Rockhead's LinkedIn
03Your first visit
What happens at the first visit?
i.
Before you come
Note your symptoms for a week or two, your period dates if you have them, and every medicine and supplement you take.
ii.
The conversation
Dr. Rockhead asks about your symptoms, sleep, mood, sex drive and periods, and about your own and your family's health.
iii.
Tests, when they help
Women of 45 and over usually need no blood test, NICE says. For men, testosterone is checked in the morning, before breakfast, when it is highest, and a low level is confirmed with a second morning test, as the Endocrine Society advises.
v.
Your plan
You leave with a written plan: what to try first, any tests, and when you are seen again.
- Supplements and herbal remedies
- Tell Dr. Rockhead about any you take. NICE says the safety of some is uncertain, and some interact with other medicines.
04The three paths
HRT, menopause care or low testosterone?
- HRT
- If you want to know about hormone treatment for menopause symptoms: what it helps, its risks, and who should not take it. Read about HRT.
- Menopause care
- If you are not sure yet, or want choices with and without hormones: sleep, mood, bones and contraception. Read about menopause care.
- Something else
- Tiredness that will not lift needs a diagnosis, whatever the cause, so mention it at your consultation.
05When to act
When should you see a doctor?
- Book a visit
- If symptoms are getting in the way of work, sleep or relationships, or if your periods stop before 45.
- See a doctor promptly
- For any bleeding after the menopause, even once. For a lump or any change in a breast.
- Go to a hospital at once
- For chest pain with breathlessness, trouble speaking or moving an arm or leg, or a face that drops on one side.
- Erection problems
- They can be a sign of heart disease or diabetes, so they need their own check, whatever your testosterone level.
- Low mood
- Tell us if low mood does not lift. If you ever feel you might harm yourself, go to a hospital at once.
06Cost & booking
How much is a hormone consultation in Jamaica?
- What it costs
- The consultation with Dr. Rockhead starts at J$11,000. Any tests and any treatment are priced separately.
- Consultation times
- Monday and Wednesday, 1 to 6 PM, and Tuesday and Thursday, 1 to 4 PM.
- Paying
- Cash, debit card, credit card or approved financing. Whether a health plan pays depends on the plan.
If this sounds right
The next step is a conversation, not a commitment.
Start with a consultation, in person, with Dr. Rockhead. You do not need to pick a page first: one consultation covers all three, and he helps you choose. Nothing is prescribed until you have talked it through.
No obligation · Every consultation is in-person with Dr. Rockhead.
