Anyone watching Davina: sex, mind and menopauseon c4

[Meltinthemiddle]

Really interesting and relatable.

Such an important show. Agree information should be sent to ALL women mid 40s. Whether they choose to take hrt or not everyone should know.

Shocking that the nhs website is so rubbish and that there is a postcode lottery on which hrt products are being subscribed. Is it our government?! What’s going on?

Davina is absolutely brilliant. Im on my first month of oestrogel and its life changing , no sweats and sleeping better. What’s really sad is that i had a failed reconciliation with my DH of nearly 25 years and when I mentioned the treatment i said you might want to read up on it and he said ‘why’? I said ‘because it’s happening to me’ and realised that he is a twat and always will be.

For anyone wobbling about speaking to GP, do it! Wish i had months ago.

@Newgirls depressing , like we don’t count.

I’d go further and say women should be constantly given messages about menopause, at any age! I’m almost 41 and like I said unthread think I’ve probably been Peri for a couple of years, so waiting till my mid 40s would mean years of suffering/confusion.

Hit post too soon! Teenagers should be taught about menopause because, let’s face it, the majority of them will probably have a menopausal woman in their household!

I had to give up work, then worked part time in an entry level job for two years before eventually working back to a senior role. It has taken 7 years. I Was given anti-depressants when I probably needed HRT.

I was always such a coper too. Why would I suddenly stop coping and suffer from anxiety & depression in my mid 40s?

I also found it very emotional. The things women have to endure, the way periods, menstrual cycle and menopause are talked about in hushed tones (not so much any longer thank god) and the lack of research and £ put behind improving treatment and support for something that impacts 50% of the population. Madness.
Someone else said if men were impacted by the menopause, HRT would be a standard ingredient in beer - bit daft but it'd definitely be taken more seriously.

I know right? Surely from a cost saving point of view this should be better. Looking after loads of oldies with dementia is expensive. Surely the nhs should be looking at preventative healthcare

If we all tell our teenagers that will be a good start

Why do the gp’s try to just give antidepressants? Does anyone know? Sorry I haven’t seen the programme yet but plan to soon

Usually because women will present saying they feel anxious/depressed. If the GP doesn’t think to look at the whole picture - is the woman of menopausal age, does she have any other symptoms, etc - then they just treat the single symptom.

it’s the same with women presenting with heart palpitations, joint pain, etc. They look to treat the one thing and not take an overview.

I’ve had the Mirena for 7yrs so no periods. I’m 52.
Main symptoms are thinning hair,low libido, low confidence and brain fog.
I suspect it’s peri or full menopause but no way of knowing. GP is vague and says they assume you are at my age. Should I be considering HRTor testosterone?

Ah thank you. I thought perhaps it was a cost cutting thing because antidepressants are cheaper than her (no idea if they are cheaper just wondered)

Aren't anti depressants the one size fits all for women our age?

*cheaper than hrt

@supercatlady I’d definitely have a chat with your GP. From listening to Dr Newson (I’m not being paid by her, honest!) the research suggests you get most of the benefits of HRT (protection against osteoporosis, heart disease, dementia, etc) if you start within 10 years of symptoms starting. The Mirena will have topped up your progesterone but not your oestrogen.

Because women are born mad?

God knows. My GP claimed there was no link between losing my ovaries and going into menopause. I though I was talking to an Amazon courier who's picked the phone up by accident at one point.

Anti depressants are cheaper and I think some GPs think hrt is risky (which apparently it isn’t for many) so are reluctant to prescribe. NICE guidelines say for women over 45 they shouldn’t go straight to anti depressants and should consider hrt products

I think if you have the coil you only need a simple version of HRT. If no coil you need the full HRT. Can’t remember if it was separated as progesterone and oestrogen but it was something like that.

Having been talked through the NICE guidelines I believe this was the starting point and I think they can be effective for hot flushes. I declined and am now on bio identical HRT.

its Probably cheaper than HRT or other medicine. Mummy’s little happy pills.

Coils have progesterone in them so my understanding is you might get offered just oestrogen gel. GPs can advise hopefully. Surely they all know?!

@Newgirls apparently there is hardly anything in GP training on the menopause! That’s why they’ve launched new training, which of course is optional 🙄

I have been on hrt for 3 years. I still have a womb so have oestrogen and progesterone tablet ( kliovance). I sleep. The panic attacks have gone. The hideous aches and pains have gone. Its fantastic stuff. Before Hrt I had very very heavy periods. I couldn't have the mirena coil because I have a heart murmur so I had the depo provera contraceptive injection. It stopped my periods completely and when I stopped having it my periods didn't return. You can try Hrt fir a few months and see how it makes you feel. If you don't like it you can try something else. It's fantastic. It has changed my life.

Yes! My amazing friend Stacy (woman with the green/blue hair who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30) was on it. I am so proud of her for tackling such a “taboo” subject in such an up front and straight forward manner.