Women who eat healthily do not suffer with the menopause!

[RedPandaWanda]

This is what I was told by a naturopath.
I went to her for help with my awful Perimenopause symptoms and ongoing digestive issues.
I have been going round and round in circles with the GPs at my practice, endless telephone appointments to only be told to take antidepressants. I am told I am not in peri as I have a regular cycle and no day time hot sweats although they totally disregard all of my other peri symptoms (I am almost 49 have ongoing anxiety, anger, depression, no libido and vaginal dryness, broken sleep, itchy skin, exhaustion, awful heavy periods, night sweats before period, awful pmt, breast tenderness...........)
So I found this naturopath online, she said she specialised in gut issues and hormonal problems.
She had said she will take onboard all of my health issues and devise a bespoke plan for me.
Said ‘plan’ is basically warm lemon water in the morning, eggs for breakfast and I am to eat at least 7 vegetables per day. Epsom salt baths too. She also wants me to purchase £100 worth of various supplements. If I do this within 4 weeks I will feel like a different woman apparently.
She then went on to say that women who eat like this do not suffer from the menopause at all.
I already eat fairly well, I don’t drink or smoke, I exercise every day, have a bmi of 20 etc and still have all of these peri symptoms even after being on the ‘plan’ for over a month.
Of course it goes without saying the healthier your lifestyle the healthier you will feel. Obviously living off takeaways and junk food won’t help peri symptoms but surely it’s just not as simplistic as eating like this, is it?
I feel like a complete mug with £200 down the drain which I couldn’t really afford in the first place, urgh!

At least you’ve realised and won’t spunk up another £200. I would get a copy of the NICE guidelines and go back to (a different) the gp.

You need to see a different GP. Eating well can help, but it probably won’t deliver the step change you need.

You’ve tried it, doesn’t work and you tried. That’s fine. I’m peri, still having periods although not regularly but still every 4/6 weeks. quite honestly they will peel my hrt patch off my cold dead ass. Get back to gp, ask if they have a gp who specialises in women health and demand answers . It angers me that your overall symptoms are minimised . You can find private menopause specialists who can assess you then your drugs can de done on nhs. Good luck op

She hasn’t got a clue about the endocrine system if she thinks healthy eating is all it takes. I smell a charlatan.

Use the money to see a private gynaecologist and have HRT. I had symptoms similar to you and had regular cycles, no hot flushes. Obviously eating healthier is always good but it won’t solve perimenopause.

I think it's true to say that some diets have an effect, for instance my Japanese friend says that menopause isn't as big a deal there as it is here. Possibly some of that is due to genetics but also the diet is different, soy products like tofu/soy milk/soy sauce, lots of leafy veg, low sugar, green tea, low alcohol, more fish less red meat. The soy has an oestrogen like substance, the leafy greens have good calcium content. There are a lot of articles about the difference in menopause symptoms if you Google.

You've paid now, and you're not getting that money back, so pick apart her suggestions to see what might work for you and check out the supplement recommendations to see if they are also recommended by people who have used them. You can almost certainly buy the supplements cheaper elsewhere if you do decide to use them. The seven vegetables a day is a good recommendation for anyone, not just the perimenopausal.

You could also say you're not happy with the results and ask for a refund.

Worth a try. Most women have to ask for HRT an average if 3 or 4 times. It's infuriating.

Babylon have menopause specialists now so you might be able to book an appointment with them to get proper support

That's such a shame OP.

For a little bit more than what you paid, you could have seen a very good consultant who would also have advised you on what to eat. (interestingly I always start the day with hot water and an egg and eat at least 7 portions of fruit and veg a day but my dr agreed I still needed HRT for my symptoms!)

I hope you find someone to help.

@Botherfreedays

Use the money to see a private gynaecologist and have HRT. I had symptoms similar to you and had regular cycles, no hot flushes. Obviously eating healthier is always good but it won’t solve perimenopause.

This. ^ Spend the money on going private.

Your GP is ignoring NICE guidelines, btw. I’d make a written complaint to the surgery pointing that out.

That is just dripping with internalised misogyny! What absolute hogwash. Makes it sound like women who have a hard time with menopause bring it on themselves.
You need to go back to the GP with the NICE guidelines - you absolutely can be diagnosed as menopausal/perimenopausal and prescribed HRT. Antidepressants aren't the recommended treatment.
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/chapter/Recommendations

She's selling snake oil. Don't waste the money.

Look for a GP who has some actual understanding of menopause.

Erm...and what is healthy for each individual to eat is straightforward?

Yes, food can affect hormone levels. So can hormones in HRT. The body can also respond to either. The devil is in the detail though. Who do you believe has the most accurate diagnostics in terms of what would be best for you?

I’ve spent the best part of a year trying to organise private HRT and am not entirely happy with the result. Someone on mumsnet then pointed me towards the British Menopause Society website. They have a list of private GPS and consultants who can help if your GP is being obstructive. Sorry I don’t have a link to hand but Google will.
The NICE guidelines say that over the age of 45 you can get HRT based on symptoms alone, so your GP needs a refresher course!
I used to do all the things your naturopath suggested and it didn’t make the slightest difference to my peri symptoms. She sounds misguided and/or a charlatan, and I say that as someone who uses alternative medicine myself.

I was very fit, healthy with an excellent diet. Most symptoms were manageable but the night sweats were intolerable.
Healthy living didn’t prevent cancer, either.
I’m sure most of these people mean well but they are just wrong.

I agree with @BlackAmericanoNoSugar - diet including more soya and leafy greens had a small positive effect for me. I also find ginseng helpful for energy levels. But that’s me personally, we are all individuals.

I also agree with @MrsSkylerWhite - it can slide almost into victim blaming to make people feel that their symptoms are due to them not eating right. Unless your diet is terrible it’s going to be due to the natural drop in hormones, which for a lot of us come with symptoms that need to be managed.

Honestly, I have had a little weep I truly believed she could help (is that another peri symptom? Irrational thinking lol). I have spoken to several GPs at my surgery, they are all dismissive.
I just can’t afford to see anyone else privately, this money was a gift from my dad for Christmas, feel so sad I have wasted it and now I look and see that for not much more I could have had a consultation with one of Louise Newson’s associates. Could kick myself, I really could.
I do have a follow up with the naturopath end of the month (part of the package), I will say I feel no better see what she says (she’ll probably push for more supplements). And the 7 veg a day certainly doesn’t help an IBS sufferer, believe me.
In the meantime I have a GP appointment on Monday, I’ll push at them, AGAIN!

Pendolino she was kind of passive/aggressive during the consultation, certainly did leave me feeling that all of my health issues are brought on by myself. I really don’t have a poor diet or lifestyle at all, genuinely thought she could help but her advice was very mediocre.

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar

I think it's true to say that some diets have an effect, for instance my Japanese friend says that menopause isn't as big a deal there as it is here. Possibly some of that is due to genetics but also the diet is different, soy products like tofu/soy milk/soy sauce, lots of leafy veg, low sugar, green tea, low alcohol, more fish less red meat. The soy has an oestrogen like substance, the leafy greens have good calcium content. There are a lot of articles about the difference in menopause symptoms if you Google.

You've paid now, and you're not getting that money back, so pick apart her suggestions to see what might work for you and check out the supplement recommendations to see if they are also recommended by people who have used them. You can almost certainly buy the supplements cheaper elsewhere if you do decide to use them. The seven vegetables a day is a good recommendation for anyone, not just the perimenopausal.

I always want to have a pick at the Japanese example though. Is it culturally OK to report menopause symptoms when culturally you're supposed to sail through it with a sense of renewed purpose? We know symptoms aren't taken seriously in the UK where they are a 'big deal', how seriously would symptoms be taken there, do many women just not bother?

(Not getting at you @BlackAmericanoNoSugar, just musing. Japan is pretty sexist and I just wonder if this isn't more sexism...)

@RedPandaWanda

Pendolino she was kind of passive/aggressive during the consultation, certainly did leave me feeling that all of my health issues are brought on by myself. I really don’t have a poor diet or lifestyle at all, genuinely thought she could help but her advice was very mediocre.

I honestly wouldn't bother with the follow-up, she's just going to make you feel worse and try to sell you more snake oil.

Not menopausal here quote yet, but this is misogynistic hogwash and outs this provider as an utter quack. Ask for your money back and take your business elsewhere.

Oh, and, feel free to tell the quack she's a quack!

Not a naturopath but: the closest I ever came to committing manslaughter may have been when my then boss mansplained to me that my excruciating period pain could be relieved if only I "fully embraced and accepted my womanhood". I have endometriosis and, at that moment, felt sorely tempted to permanently relieve him of his "manhood".

Honestly, I have had a little weep I truly believed she could help (is that another peri symptom? Irrational thinking lol)

There is nothing irrational at being desperate for a solution to a health condition having failed to get help through the usual channels. It is precisely what they exploit and profit from.

I would seriously consider changing GP if they think lack of daytime sweats means you don't have a problem and they are ignoring all the other symptoms. Are they generally poor on women's health in the practice or is this more of a blind spot?

It may well be that another GP would find a different root cause or may even suggest anti depressants as a short term part of an overall solution but I'd struggle with a GP wanting to prescribe anti depressants for vaginal dryness, itchy skin and heavy periods (have they offered tranexamic acid for these?).

Not true. I am suffering and and I eat more than 7 veggies and fruits per day, do not smoke or drink, don't eat sugar etc etc. This is nonsense.

Pish I'm a vegan and have been for years and my menopause was horrific. Its to do with genetics.

I did a wholeot of research about it for my msc a few years back and diet plays very little part in it. The people whose symptoms are improved slightly are those who do a lot of exercise regularly.