"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?

I think you need to read your own posts back - oh wait you can't can you as some have been removed? Please stop with your little vindictive campaign against me just because I said it is each person's responsibility to google and educate themselves to the best of their abilities. That is all I said so just stop.

Are you even remembering this thread?

I asked why people were so certain re dementia and what they were basing it on. A completely normal and useful question.

Do you remember your response?

it was derision and go away and Google etc

You said it. At least own your posts.

Ok thanks

I’ll ask again re training, I think the receptionist looked at biographies but maybe training will get a different name

Personally I hope these threads can move on from the types of responses (accusations of agenda etc which also occurred) which are designed to provoke and attack and are not needed.

No one asking a question re long term health is taking away from HRT provision, or usefulness to many.

Posts can encompass all symptoms from low to difficult. That is accepted, I think 75% are suffering symptoms iirc (not sure of severity) but that still leaves 25% who can be part of the conversation and should not be subject to derision due to a question.

I will say again, I hope everyone feels they can share their story no matter how hard it was, it might help someone else.

Why are the 25% without symptoms on these threads? Worried about prevention of future issues?

Personally I have low symptoms and I am deciding what to do.

Part of that decision is long term health implications, so it’s interesting to me.

If I had bad symptoms like many pp I’d just take it. Especially if it included insomnia I’m fine wrt so far, my symptoms aren’t bad.

Can I ask in return Newgirls do you work in the industry or just interested due to personal situation?

Both in a way. I’m early 50s and work in a related area.

it’s a fascinating time of new info and openness coupled with the cultural expectations of women. I know older women who hate talking about this in case it’s another stick to beat women by. Yet we all need more information so there is such a desire to discuss it. It’s very interesting!

I agree I find it fascinating and very relevant as I’m 47 and just at start of peri

I really hope we get more research but I know it takes ages

I just read op again which says Anyone had an easy menopause? so I think it’s fine for the women who have to answer that. It does seem to be a theme that they can’t, but hopefully that’s changing now.

Ditto any thread which is broad questions on HRT as it could be a good idea for all women or not, still being discussed

I wouldn’t expect low symptoms on a thread about commiserating re difficult menopause

Although I'd consider myself to have had an easy menopause, I also work in a related field and have been interested in the epidemiological research and clinical studies for the last 10 years or more. Even though I'm based in the UK, I'm particularly interested in the findings we're seeing from SWAN.

It’s far easier to prescribe HRT for women of menopause age for symptoms you can’t link to a disease process ( or perhaps don’t have the time to research).
I am certain a number of my symptoms including palpitations, fatigue and insomnia were probably due to breast cancer since they disappeared after surgery. I discontinued HRT at diagnosis so was expecting them to get worse.
A close friend of my sisters was being treated for menopause symptoms, heavy periods, joint and muscle pain until the pain needed morphine. Unfortunately they eventually diagnosed her with stage 4 uterine cancer and died within 6 mnths.
What worries me is that there is such a diverse range of menopause symptoms we may overlook obvious serious disease when women present with what they perceive to be the menopause.
As for menopause specialists, I suspect that may evolve in a future NHS that isn’t struggling to treat the missed cancers and the chronic disease that has not been adequately monitored for the last 2 yrs.
After years of endocrine problems I can report that hormone balance is complex and time consuming to get right. Endocrinologists are bogged down by the more life threatening disorders and funding for a very large percentage of patients to have regular hormone tests to make sure they are achieving optimal results with the dosage they are using just isn’t available.
I fully understand the OP’s fears but not everyone has a difficult menopause, not everyone sees improvement, not everyone’s symptoms are down to the menopause and not everyone will be advised to take it.
The menopause is not a life limiting or life long disease, it is a natural phase of life. Stringent screening should be undertaken to assess the benefit for every woman who requests it. This should include a full family history to look at risk of osteoporosis and a bone scan carried out to measure bone density at the point HRT starts. Further testing after five years will indicate whether it is effective for each woman. If not, other medication is available.
Women should be aware of the increased risk of certain cancers when extending exposure to oestrogen and also the fact that the risk does not necessarily reduce if you stop HRT.

@Angrymum22 do you think that the NICE guidelines do not incorporate those things you talk about in your last paragraph with the possible exception of a bone scan? It is certainly laid out in there .I had a bone scan but was in a private system elsewhere than the UK so can't comment on that aspect.

@MarshaBradyo I’ll ask again re training, I think the receptionist looked at biographies but maybe training will get a different name

I know all practices will do things differently but mine has a website with all sorts of info including a "Meet the Staff" section which has a photo and some details like where they qualified and if they have an area they specialise in. It might be worth a look. Sorry if that information isn't useful but I just thought it might be worth a mention.

Just to add some doctors at our surgery to have specialities, like one who is a bit of an expert on skin conditions so when I had some dodgy lesions I saw him and he immediately referred me to get them removed. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be one who specialises in menopause.

As MarshaBradyo mentions the OP included "Anyone had an easy menopause." I have so I posted as I could say yes and I hope being positive has made the OP a bit less worried about it.

I don't normally look at threads about HRT or meopause but it came up on trending so I had a look.

Goodness me. Do you just grab words at random and rearrange them in your head?! The very first line of the quoted and bolded paragraph states that HRT was developed for osteoporosis prevention and for women with premature menopause. It was not.

Many decades later, 50 years in fact, a massive study was mounted to test its benefits for osteoporosis and so on... But it was not originally developed or marketed for that.

The generally reported breakdown is approximately 50% with some symptoms, 20-25% with severe and/or ongoing symptoms, and 25% with no particular symptoms. The latter would be the ones the OP asked about, also, in her OP.

And I appreciate the input.

It’s a minefield

Isnt it 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer? A horribly high number. And we know some oestrogen products add to that risk (though vastly less risky than alcohol).

oh for a day when women can take medication that helps them without being scared of risking their health in other ways - is it asking for too much?!

You’ve misunderstood me

i mean HRT is used to help with osteo today. I’m not sure all women know that.

it might help women perhaps with family history to be aware that there might be preventative reasons to take hrt rather than wait until bones are in bad health

That's nice to know. I hope you will be fine, fingers crossed.

theros.org.uk/information-and-support/osteoporosis/treatment/hormone-replacement-therapy/

the osteo society and hrt ^

I have no idea why you quoted my post then.

Thanks for AncientGran will take a look

That break down of symptoms is interesting Milkyaqua

I’ve seen a few threads where a few seem to guard who can post, another one was who is not taking HRT, so like this one directed to the low symptom proportion and I’m wondering why that’s the case. The same accusation of why are you here or go away etc

I initially thought it was income related off mn, but not sure. Whichever way if it’s a generic menopause thread or one aimed at low symptoms the percentage of women that applies to should be able to respond without vitriol

imo anyone can respond, but the women who are asked the question should be part of the conversation