Peri & Post Menopause Symptoms
Mid-life is stressful enough but women could be facing additional pressures from symptoms that they don’t immediately realise are actually peri-menopause. The list of symptoms is a long one and you could have one or plenty of these:
Heavier or irregular periods (similar to when you first started), anxiety, depression, low moods, brain fog, insomnia (either finding it hard to fall asleep or waking in the middle of the night and not being able to easily go back to sleep), vaginal dryness, low libido, stomach issues, GI distress, itchy skin, heart palpitations, night sweats, hot flushes, restless legs, tinnitus, muscle and joint pain
Often, women who have gone to the doctor and explained that they’ve been feeling low have been prescribed anti-depressants when they may have been better of with HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy).
HRT has had a terrible rap for years, which was based on a study in the early 2000’s linking HRT with an increased risk of breast cancer. Women and doctors were then terrified of either taking it or prescribing it. However, the results were shown to be skewed and not accurate.
HRT has also moved on in recent years and is now plant based (normally made from yams). It is usually taken through the skin (less risk of blood clots) now via a stick-on plaster or a gel you rub in. There are still risks but much lower than previously thought (4 in a 1,000 women will develop breast cancer) and less risk than drinking two glasses of white wine a night.
It’s now thought the menopause should be seen as a hormone deficiency. You wouldn’t just say “oh well” if you were suffering from another deficiency. You’d do something to treat it and bring your body back into balance. That deficiency can mean other health risks. HRT can drastically reduce your chances of suffering a heart attack, cardiovascular disease and dementia!
Davina's programme on the menopause was on last week. It's still on All 4 on Demand for a few weeks if you didn't get a chance to see it.
It covered a lot of ground so skimmed over quite a lot of information. I found it validating in terms of "you're not alone" but it was really like a gateway programme to make women aware of what they could be or are facing right now. Lots of symptoms and lots of unsympathetic GP's who don't know their arse from their elbow when it comes to prescribing HRT.
Here are a few more resources if you want to do some further reading:
Dr Louise Newson was featured in the programme. She is a specialist menopause doctor. She's on Instagram and has her own site which has loads of useful info including fact sheets on all sorts of topics regarding peri and post menopause including information for women who've had breast cancer. Well worth a look.
Noon is another good resource for middle-aged women. Kate Muir writesabout her story of menopause and how she's pushed through the Davina McCall programme.
Dr Nick Panay was also featured on the programme. He has a private women's clinic but also lots of resources on the site.
NICE guidelines for doctors prescribing HRT
Another good TV programme with Mariella Frostrup: The Truth About The Menopause