The Menopause BBC1 9pm 26/11/18

[marvelmum]

I'm not sure if this has been posted but next Monday on BBC1 this programme is airing, definitely worth a watch...

The Menopause, The Truth About...

The menopause currently affects 13 million women in the UK. And yet it's shrouded in secrecy and wildly misunderstood.

In this frank and intimate film, broadcaster and journalist Mariella Frostrup shares her own personal experience of the menopause and brings this great taboo out into the open. Mariella investigates how the latest science can explain what it is, and what can be done about it. She meets the scientists who have uncovered the cause of hot flushes and developed a brand new drug to treat them, finds out if taking hormone replacement therapy is dangerous, discovers if men also have a menopause and witnesses a cutting-edge procedure that could actually reverse the menopause.

Whatever your age or your gender, the menopause will affect you or someone close to you. It's time we all understood it better.

[AutumnCrow]

Depends how it's written, filmed and edited, I guess. For example, the human endocrine system is definitely sexually dimophic, not a gender attribute.

And keeping telling millions of women (and their families) that something they daily experience and openly discuss on eg Mumsnet, Menopause Matters, HysterSisters, etc, is still a 'secret' and 'taboo' isn't accurate or helpful.

The programme could more usefully be directed at GPs, CCGs and NHS Trusts, to educate them about NICE guidelines on HRT and VA.

[dustowl]

Depends how it's written, filmed and edited, I guess. For example, the human endocrine system is definitely sexually dimophic, not a gender attribute.

for sure (off to google all the words in that sentence)

[AutumnCrow]

Sorry if I've been obtuse or snippy. Really not meant that way.

Tbh I thought loads of posters would have posted before me and I'd be joining in a conversation about how it's pretty normal now for discussion of menopause.

The points of concern arising from sites like MN often seem to be around medical care and GP knowledge.

[QueenoftheNights]

I'd not get too excited about it to be honest.

I think it's going to be about her own menopause experience (she uses HRT- she's written about it in the media already.) There seems to be a rash of middle aged presenters who want to talk about 'their' menopause.

I think it's also going to include ovarian stem cell treatment. This, again is not new. It's been researched for some time and been reported in the media.

www.endocrine.org/news-room/2018/stem-cell-therapy-may-help-reverse-effects-of-premature-menopause-restore-fertility


It's being looked at as a means of treatment for women who have had a premature menopause/ surgical menopause, but may in time be able to prevent the menopause altogether in healthy women.

[ragged]

" shrouded in secrecy and wildly misunderstood."

I'm struggling with that claim. There's buckets of info out there. There's this board & others to go to. I know women who talk openly about their experiences. I knew from a young age that this point when come in my life eventually. It's a normal part of ageing. I don't see secrecy.

"misunderstood" seems to be said by people who have had a load of problems & didn't easily get help. "Misunderstood" is what I expect someone to say when they adore HRT and feel angry at any message that might discourage using HRT. Meanwhile, many women get thru menop without huge issues (you don't hear their voices because they don't have anything to complain about). Are those without problems equally 'misunderstood', I wonder.

[QueenoftheNights]

Just a reminder that this is on tonight.

It won't say much new- there is a preview of it with an interview with Mariella in today's Mail online.

Basically she is reiterating the fact that the old research on HRT is flawed, she's using Oestrogel and Utrogestan and (according to article) didn't link her symptoms at 51 to the menopause .

The benefits I see of the programme are that it will help dispel the old info about HRT and it also looks at other options.

[whynot93]

Watching 😉 anyone else?

[Chewbecca]

I am. Not learned anything new yet.

[thenightsky]

Yes, watching. Not surprised about the runners having the best bone density. I've been a runner for decades, but had to give up at the age of 58 due to arthritis of the hip. Programme suggests dancing as an alternative. Impossible with arthritis of my hip.

Interesting that obesity causes such a big jump in cancer whilst on HRT though. I'm struggling with my weight since having to stop running and this has scared me a lot.

[whynot93]

I've started running more interestingly totally unrelated but felt it might help me release some stress. I've always done some sort of exercise it running is a new found love.. and long may it continue!!

[SpongeBobJudgeyPants]

And now we're talking about the Menz Menopause. Can't even have one programme about it without the men being involved :(

[thenightsky]

God yes... I though that too. Can't have one bloody programme without a 'what about the menz' thing!

[SpongeBobJudgeyPants]

If they want the menopause, they can have mine sky, it aint that much fun!

[Sheitgeist]

What bollocks about the "shrouded in secrecy" thing. It happens to half the population of the world! At my last workplace, the majority of staff were middle aged women and the staff room was non stop menopause. No embarrassment at all.

[thenightsky]

Why is this thread not showing up in 'threads I am on'? And its not in active convos either.

I have to keep going through advanced search to find it for updates

[QueenoftheNights]

As usual it skirted over some important issues like the different types of HRT and the progestogens available- some of which are more likely to cause mood swings and even breast cancer. I wanted to ask the poor woman who had 30 flushes a day if she'd only ever used Norethisterone which is known to cause low mood in some women if taken continuously!

The cycling/ walking stuff on bones is decades old and I can't see why they need another study on that unless there is more to it they aren't telling us.

I think on balance it was okay, but it did skirt over a lot of issues, touching on all of them a bit, but not in huge depth.

[WatchThisThread]

I watched this and was disappointed. As I think I'm about to reach this stage in my life I was hoping for more facts. What is it? What are the range of symptoms? What should expect to feel? How long will it last? What happens when it's over? Is it ever over?I don't feel I learned much at all really

[Chewbecca]

The run/cycle/no exercise 'study' really bugged me as the number of women involved was so small!

[QueenoftheNights]

The run/cycle/no exercise 'study' really bugged me as the number of women involved was so small!

It's been known for decades that weight bearing exercise helps bones. I don't know why this new 'study' is going on at a uni.

There are masses and masses of research papers on it and advice on the National Osteoporosis Society website.

Most research shows cycling doesn't help that much as weight is supported. I guess if you cycle hard and stand up on the pedals it might work a bit.

[Pinkruler]

It was ok but I didn't really learn anything new. Like others I knew about the impact exercises being good for bone density, but doesn't help me with my bad knees.

I watched one with Kirsty Wark - and she seemed to cover the same ground - had a bone density scan for example.

Also I suspect it was showing the private healthcare experience of MF, rather than the experience of women trying to go through their GPs.

[QueenoftheNights]

I think the point of the programme was to at least get people being more aware of the menopause rather than like the Les Dawson clip referring to it coyly as 'The Change' and all the ageing/ negative stuff that goes with that.

There has been some criticism of her private health care, but private health care is probably within reach of far more women than we think. Mariella says she had annual check up and that would cost her something like £170 .Her bone scan was once every few years so that's around £100-£200.
I think a lot of people would gladly stump up that kind of money for expert care, and if necessary forgo meals out, holidays or new clothes.

[whynot93]

I thought it was ok and there wasn't as much emphasis on the stem cell stuff I'd originally thought. As PP has said anything has to be better than the 'change'. A tiny step forward to raising the subject but interestingly one I've only discussed on here to be fair! Something that did resonate with me was the stigma attached to actually talking about it to others.. I've not really had that discussion in RL with anyone apart from my husband (who's convinced I'm mad anyway so sod him).!

[LellyM]

Well, if nothing else it has pushed me firmly into the "must lose weight" category.

I found it interesting but didn't learn anything new. As for CBT, well I am not convinced,. It has been waved around as the cure for so many things! I also find that how people react is directly proportional to how you act. If you have a hot flush, so what. I just tell my work colleagues (all male!), "sorry guys, having a hot flush. Women of a certain age eh?" and they just accept it and carry on (mind you they are of an age where their wives will have been through it so....),.

But I have booked a check up at the GPs as I have some annoying symptoms that maybe Meno related but could equally be thyroid. so lets see.......

[sunglasses123]

I really don't think its shrouded in secrecy. When I started I paid out to go to the top menopause Doctor in the UK. It cost me £250 and he put me on medication that really suited me. He has a waiting list a mile long but I said I would take a cancellation as I was in London a lot and his secretary was as good as her word and called me the day before.

I wasn't a difficult case and I appreciate that not everyone can afford to shell out for a private appointment but I didn't want to be messing around with my GP who initially told me she would start me on the cheapest medication to see how that went! The consultant wrote to my GP and as he is well known they didn't dare argue with him.

Sorry - I don't mean to dismiss this but sometimes you just need to get on with it and manage the best you can. If that means spending some money then so be it (IMHO!)


My friend though - well every time I speak to her she moans and complains but says she doesn't want to take HRT but pays ££ to get vitamins. They clearly don't work!

[QueenoftheNights]

I think what IS an issue though is that many women and their drs do not link symptoms to the menopause so women are sent to numerous consultants and have tests for what is basically menopause.

I've posted a Youtube video which is brilliant. if you are short of time, skip to 40 mins or so in.