"Doctors warn against over-medicalising menopause"

[flashbac]

"Writing in the British Medical Journal they said there was an urgent need for a more realistic and balanced narrative which actively challenges the idea that menopause is synonymous with an inevitable decline in women’s health and wellbeing..."

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/15/doctors-warn-against-over-medicalising-menopause-after-uk-criticism

I must admit, the raising awareness of how shit the menopause can be has created some worry about my impending menopause, so much so that I've decided against a career change in my 40s.

Are we making too much of a big deal and being overly negative? Or are these doctors just being patronising? Anyone had an easy menopause?

This.

If someone suffered medical malpractice and this caused unnecessary suffering it does not then mean that all menopause experiences will be awful, for everyone, and nobody can say otherwise.

www.survivingbreastcancer.org/post/estrogen-depletion

seemingly lack of oestrogen might cause you to snore as well 😂

"The only thing I would suggest is to be clear at the GPs, no long monologues about every twinge and sweat, just 'I am menopausal I am suffering from insomnia, overheating and joint pain I want to try hrt' ."

You are assuming that every woman knows what menopause symptoms are and that those symptoms are just a twinge and a sweat. I didn't go to my Dr for 6mths because they were busy with Covid and I avoid the Dr.
When I did get there with my long list of symptoms and feeling like my body had just fallen apart, I had no idea it was anything to do with menopause because like you say I thought it would be the odd hot flush.
In fact I get freezing cold right to the absolute core of me. I cant' get warmed up and I feel my body almost shutting down. I can really feel my heart rate increase in response. It's weird .

Two people mention getting to post menopause and how great it is or will be. That's what I believed would happen - go through all the horrible symptoms and then reach Narnia! But my understanding now, as advised by my Dr, is that Narnia will never be attainable for me and presumably other women as well. That's the same Dr who encouraged everything else first before HRT so they didn't tell me that to get me onto HRT.

It's sad that "just hormones" is used at all. Such a dismissive phrase. I now know how important these hormones are and yep probably resentful so little research has been done on it.......
except of course the research quoted implying it is social pressure etc etc.
You know allergies/immune systems, gut problems, asthma, and generally non infectious diseases are all inexplicably rising in the West. Hormones have interaction with all of these. Even parasite infection - I was right down the rabbit hole with that as some parasites mimic sex hormones to get past the immune system.

There is so much unknown so yes I do find it frustrating about some of the implications about why menopause symptoms are worse in one part of the globe to another.

What if someone can't work because of menopausal symptoms? Do they not get disability allowance because it's not a disease, its just natural aging?

Two people mention getting to post menopause and how great it is or will be.

I think a few people have pointed out that they have found post-menopause great for them. Not anybody else. In their own personal experience.

Margaret Mead (who I understand was on HRT, not sure where I read that...) coined the phrase "Post-menopausal zest".

I have felt post-menopausal zest, despite not being on HRT.

We're all individual.

This is interesting and hopefully won’t cause a torrent of rage and vitriol to be poured onto me.

high50.com/health/ready-post-menopausal-zest-creativity-sexual-energy-confidence

So just collating the long, long list:
It's trendy
It's all in their heads
They should have had heavier periods then they'd have enjoyed it
They should have been busier
lol [yes so funny]
They go to the wrong doctors [like there are a plethora of doctors that you can chop and change in villages in the midlands]
It's their own fault they didn't explain properly
It's their own fault they didn't force the doctor to test them [not sure how we can force people to send you for tests]. Then if the results came back and I've read this before - they aren't reliable anyway.

I've had 13 years of people telling me it is all my own fault that I got osteoporosis even though I went to the doctor, explained the issue, explained the history, explained the background, explained the symptoms, explained everything time and again, and the only time they would listen is if I proved it with a fitbit. My word and symptoms were not enough. Women's symptoms are not enough.

The reason that I rage is that sure, if you have a great time of it that is fantastic for you. BUT this thread is about the thing that they did to me. Not giving HRT when it was needed. But you don't want that, you want us to shut up and not point out that you are parroting the very excuses that women of the future are still going to get, because the government does not want women to get HRT as it costs them money. And yet they force women to work until they are 67 if they can't take early retirement. It just all puts women at a bigger disadvantage than men. Of all the drugs they can save money on, they know women are soft touches and they will get away with this. They have been for years.

But carry on insulting me and my rage. Again, if you aren't angry about this, then that's your choice.

that’s your choice

part of the post that applies

yes discussing menopause and whether to take HRT is my choice and all the aggressive responses haven’t managed to shut this thread down like they usually do. Good

Tough if people rail against that, I still want to discuss HRT and the benefits and downsides.

Also I welcome everyone’s story, it is all useful

That link is really interesting and actually quite inspiring @Blossomtoes!

Obviously fine if some women need medication, but great to know it isn't a foregone conclusion and that many women do live full active lives without.

BUT this thread is about the thing that they did to me

It didn’t start that way but you’ve made it all about you. I wonder how many women interested in an interesting and informative discussion you’ve turned off.

I came back in after someone accused women on HRT of being angry.

My perspective is that I have every reason to be angry.

And then I picked some people up on their ridiculous reasons as to why we may have had bad menopauses as they were coming out of the woodwork.

The reason we have bad menopauses is due to the lack of hormones. Not because we are trying to be trendy. Or didn't have bad enough periods. Or we should have been busier [lol]. Or any of the other reasons stated.

That's why HRT has helped us.

The government are trying to take this option away. I do not even live in the UK any more, but many of my female family do. I am allowed to be angry about this and the ridiculous reasons for bad menopauses that have been given in this thread.

The article is in The Guardian not really in cohorts with government and focuses on an Australian - Martha Hickey, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues.

I’m sure where the fear HRT is being taken away is coming from, the demand spiked due to TV programme I’m sure supply will occur as there is plenty of £ to be made.

And then I picked some people up on their ridiculous reasons as to why we may have had bad menopauses as they were coming out of the woodwork.

You really have twisted what people have actually said, cherry-picking sentences and phrases and then turned their meaning into something else. Quite bizarre.

You might also note, the OP asks:

Anyone had an easy menopause?

This thread is not about 'what they did" to you, although you have tried to make it about that.

'I’m sure where the fear HRT is being taken away is coming from, the demand spiked due to TV programme'

I know I would say the complete opposite, it is becoming much more the norm, more readily available which is great for those that need it.

'The government are trying to take this option away.'

The same Government who appointed a HRT zsar to sort out the supply problem?!

Cherry picking or just you know, selecting words they actually said?

I mean, if you'd gone through hell and someone has said that you should just have been busier and you wouldn't have noticed the crippling pain - with a lol...I'd expect you to be fucking furious as well.

I mean, if you'd gone through hell and someone has said that you should just have been busier and you wouldn't have noticed the crippling pain - with a lol...I'd expect you to be fucking furious as well.

That poster didn't say that, or mean that, and apologized for any offence she had unwittingly caused when she made a comment about her own experience. She didn't say anyone 'should just be busier'. That's a very good example of your twisting of words and meaning.

Just weeks ago they put someone in place as so many women were feeling suicidal.

But we're not allowed to be angry. Got it.

If you think the UK government has got your back - oh my god.

Literally no one said that to you. You’ve taken every post from a woman talking about her own experience as of it were a personal attack on you. When it wasn’t.

AlisonDonut that particular post wasn’t at you or even to you. No one was lol-ing at you.

'If you think the UK government has got your back - oh my god.'

You said 'they are trying to take the hrt option away!' I pointed out, no they aren't they have appointed people to help improve supply which is the very opposite of taking hrt away.

This of course does not negate your own specific very negative experience but it isn't the norm. Perhaps some counselling or cbt might help?

I know it wasn't aimed at me

It is aimed at every women who had a horrendous time. It's all our own faults for not forcing doctors to do our will and we deserve all we get.

Honestly enough now. I get it - you all want women who didn't have a grand old time to shut the fuck up about it. You want to think that the UK government will sort all this business out and is fully committed to your health and well being.

I agree with you - there have been various digs and derogatory comments at women on HRT on here because they are seen as pro HRT ( I assume) There have been assertions that we are linked with MN in some way and also "invested" in what is described as a huge money making venture especially by some doctors and even Davina McCall herself. It makes me wonder what is going on really. Some are very vocal on this thread but meek little lambs on another current one. The thing is that they fail to answer the answers that are supplied to them eg the feel positive and you will have a better menopause issue. I have said time and time over on this thread that menopause is not a one size fits all. It's so sad when other women are making the digs that would historically have come from men in a mysognistic way.

I’ve said in nearly every post I welcome all stories

As long as I can talk about my concerns

I prefer a mix as let’s face it we are a mix in the way we react

No one should stop posting their own personal story as long as they let others do the same - can you let others post theirs?