Sex, myths and the menopause - channel 4 tonight

I think all GPs would benefit from training by this amazing woman

My Menopause Doctor
@mymenopausedr
GP and menopause expert. Founder of Newson Health Menopause & Wellbeing Centre, the free 'balance' menopause support app and The Menopause Charity.
Warwickshire, UKmenopausedoctor.co.uk

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My Menopause Doctor
@mymenopausedr
After the #davinamenopause documentary, I received criticism from medical colleagues for talking negatively about current #Menopause care. Only a small minority of women receive #HRT when guidelines are clear that most would benefit from it

twitter.com/mymenopausedr/status/1396741961025871875

I will watch this, I’m 41 and think I’m peri-menopausal: very irregular periods and bladder issues.

I booked an appointment on Tuesday and she prescribed patches and vaginal pessary.

I was so pleased.

For me, the complete loss of ability to have sex AT 47 was the clincher.

I booked a 9am Monday appointment with one of the female GPs at the practice and walked out with a prescription before she'd woken up. I remember the trepidation before I took the first pill that night - would it help? Would there be foul side effects?
I sh1t you not ladies, the cloud lifted and I felt normal and human again within half an hour, before I was even in bed. A working sex life within weeks. Madness and depression gone.

My regular (male) GP started muttering about how long (OR NOT) I might stay on it, though, so I see
the new female GP at the practice, who is more pragmatic, to renew my prescription.

The last few years I had a senior job, I had both parents die and other elderly relatives have had health problems. Thank god I didn't have to go through that without HRT (i.e. without sex or sanity!).

I don't dismiss breast cancer; I had a friend who died of it, and others who have had it and had to stop HRT. But I drink very little and there's evidence suggesting that reduces the risk...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1049386799000262

I am now in the "you'll take it from my cold dead hands" crowd and hope to stay on it until DH & I are both too infirm to care about sex (hopefully v v old!).

When men are facing complete impotence in their 40s & 50s we know it's treated differently...

Delirium, I will do. I've got some 'menopause support' pills from Vogel herbal thingys. I went and asked for whatever would help for when you feel like you're going mad.

I also have the 'happy menopause' book which had various info on diet - more protein, less crap, more fibre, was the gist as far as I can recall. Exercise and lots and lots of water. And sleep. I will update when I have read more!

I just can't countenance hormones, not after the pill.

There's some pod casts by Rupy of the doctors kitchen that discusses dietary changes, Lisa Mosconi's the xx brain is brilliant. And a Gp who went through early menopause.

Both recommend hrt too, as body identical is actually very natural but they also discuss how diet, gentle exercise, weight training, yoga and a few supplements can help.

Lara Briden is another good author on hormonal health, diet, supplements but also hrt.

Certainly I've noticed more symptoms of my thyroxine isn't just right, and sleeeeep is so important! But also hard....

I’m in peri menopause (I’m 48) and i went from having a baby at 40 to the coil for 5 years to a pit of despair. I’ve been on antidepressants twice in the last 4 years that have been utterly useless. Now I realise it’s more likely menopausal symptoms but I didn’t realise that low mood and anxiety were connected. It’s been miserable and only having a chat with someone at work about this program last week has made me realise why.

They developed and use a free app called FitrWoman

That's interesting Glen, thanks. I believe Chelsea womens fc use cycle based training regimes.

instagram.com/thewell_hq?utm_medium=copy_link

I am on Everol patches but a low dose , it doesn’t completely eliminate the symptoms but it does enough. I have a fabulous GP who worked with me to experiment with doses and delivery methods until we found the right balance. I look back now and realise that I was completely mad for a couple of years but at that time I was prescribed anti depressants

If anyone is interested she is also involved in something called The well Hq which has an Instagram account and free webinars etc and is all
About women’s health and excercise etc for example they did a campaign on the how training schedules for female athletes should take into account hormone changes and they cover the whole age range from teenagers onwards and how little coaches even at elite level know about women’s health. It’s shocking.

I've been on it for over ten years, and have told the GP that I have no intention of coming off it. Their response: fine, as long as I am aware of the risks and monitor my health.

I am also aware of how lucky I am, compared with the way many women have been treated. (Though there was one male GP who insisted that I was depressed, not menopausal.)

There's a great fb group called the menopause support group run by menopause matters; women there seem to be being allowed to remain on it indefinitely.

Watching now.

Shocking how little is known. But I would like alternatives to HRT.

Trying supplements, exercise and diet, first.

[quote Kit19]The new menopuase charity in the UK is offering free training from Dr Louise Newson to every GP practice in the country :D

www.themenopausecharity.org/training/[/quote]
I'm tempted to email that link to my GP practice

When I've asked the GPs at my surgery about this, they are adamant that it's 'because of the cancer link'. I've also been told estradiol patches cause strokes

I was told if I took it for more than 5 years I'd be at HUGE risk of a heart attack!

The new menopuase charity in the UK is offering free training from Dr Louise Newson to every GP practice in the country :D

www.themenopausecharity.org/training/

Redundant "over 50 ".

And as women in their 50s are more likely to use HRT than women in any other age group, it's likely that far more than 1 in 6 women use HRT while going through the menopause.

And as women in their 50s are more likely to use HRT than women in any other age group, it's likely that far more than 1 in 6 women over 50 use HRT while going through the menopause.

About 60% of the adult population of the UK is over 50. Which means that if 1 in 6 women over 50 use HRT, 10% of women use it.

This was an interesting programme. I assume "10% of women take HRT" is 10% of menopausal women, not 10% of all?