Anyone watching Davina: sex, mind and menopauseon c4

[Meltinthemiddle]

Really interesting and relatable.

There’s some information on thyroid and HRT here www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/thyroid-function-and-menopause/

@Tempnamelady Ive tried to get an appointment but our useless surgery never answers their bloody phones They have been in special measures three times. And three seems to be the magic number. They have written to me three times about getting a Covid booster. No trouble with communication there.

@Tempnamelady thankyou I should have said that first.

thank you for posting that article. Glad to see I can still have patches/ gel.

Mine was a phone call with my GP as there's still no face to face unless necessary.

It is a little trial and error with type/dose, although there are some hard and fast rules: if you have a womb and still menstruate, for example, you will need oestrogen and progesterone in combination to ensure you still shed your womb lining.

But other than those rules, it's been a bit of trial and error for first few months.

My first phone call I had written down all my symptoms because I didn't want to cry/panic/freeze and not be able to explain myself. I did cry and the GP was really understanding and the first thing he said was "I believe you". I think the last thing he said was something like "we'll get you back", because I said I didn't feel like myself anymore. GP suggested patches, which I tried. And they've worked well now I'm used to them. But I had monthly conversations to review the medication, and I'd asked for gel as well as the patches, which they agreed to prescribe (as a top up, for days when I feel i need it). It's been very much a discussion and coming to an agreement with my GP. He's taken on board all my suggestions and requests, and I have spent some time looking at the different types of HRT and thinking what might suit me, it's in my to do list to speak to GP again this week to ask to you the strength of my patches as some of the symptoms seem to be coming back and I'm using the gel every day. Think my internal oestrogen is dropping.

I've heard of women going to private specialist menopause consultants and perhaps they do lots of blood tests to work out more precisely what is needed. But blood tests would have to be repeated really regularly over a cycle to see the real picture, and can change cycle to cycle too, so not really accurate indication of what's happening. It's been a case of working out what stops my symptoms. I was told it was like a switch. Mine wasn't like a switch (although honestly some symptoms vanished within 48 hours). But my life did significantly improve over a couple of months.

Love her. She's really helped me. I love that she's able to put it into perspective - the risks and the benefits.

The main problem I’m having is my hair thinning quite dramatically. Would HRT help improve that?

@NancyDrooo if the thinning is because of low oestrogen, then yes!

I'd recommend to every woman to look at the Balance app's symptom checker (balance app is the one run by Louise Newsam - menopause doctor). I could not believe how many symptoms there were which I was suffering from. I had been told all my life menopause was getting hot flushes and losing your temper a bit. But there's so many symptoms cause by lack of oestrogen. Dry eyes, achey joints, rage, anxiety, migraines, headaches, itchy vulva, hair thinning, insomnia, waking in the night, more frequent urination (esp at night), low mood.

I heard GPs could be reluctant to give HRT but after two years of fairly debilitating peri symptoms , I did my research and rang the surgery to ask for an appointment with whoever was their 'expert' in menopause.
She was really well informed so I guess I was lucky but it shouldn't be a lottery should it?

No it absolutely shouldn’t be, and we also shouldn’t count ourselves lucky either, although you and I know the reality.

That said, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about menopause too, none of us are going to escape it!

Oh good the millions of symptoms! My most random one, which I mentioned in passing on a thread here once, was itching inside my ears! Honestly I have to take a cotton bud to my ears 2 or 3 times a day (sometimes more if its bad) to relieve the itching.

When I mentioned it I was hit with a chorus of “I get that too!” which blew my mind. Of course it makes sense as the fall in oestrogen affects all mucous membranes including the vagina, the eyes, nose, ears, etc, but like @KarmaComma says we’re all told Menopause is hot flushes and irritability, so we miss the signs.

I hope this bloody government get the HRT shortage sorted quickly, it’s a scandal that it’s not available to more women when the benefits of it are so obvious.

My gp surgery still has a preamble on their answer machine saying due to covid staff shortages they are using a triage system and only assigning appointments to urgent cases.

I found it disappointing.

I thought she tried to cover far too much and skimmed over a lot of issues, without any real science.

I only watched it for the 'new' research on the brain and found that part very lacking in detail. The scientists didn't give any stats, they didn't talk about a trial or results, they simply said that there were differences in the brain in peri meno.

That could / should have been a whole programme in itself.

I had thought this was going to be ground-breaking new research that would confirm once and for all that HRT prevented dementia etc.

Itching!!! All round my vagina and bottom. Again I wasn’t told about this but it’s everything drying out, the tissues thinning etc. Along with my sore eyes. Just miserable and I take HRT.

Just want to add for all pp, there's also the menopause support network charity and v good Facebook group of same name. Diane who runs them has done a lot of campaigning. She also has an excellent YouTube channel with lots of interviews with leading consultants etc.

I found it invaluable for information and working out symptoms. And then starting hrt. I did also find info on dr newsons website really helpful too.

This board is also really fab too, and jingling especially.

Ask for Vagifam which is a pessary (and was featured in the documentary). It’s life changing stuff and will sort out any issues with vaginal dryness and atrophy. You use it daily for a fortnight then twice weekly thereafter. IME, it’s better than a topical cream.

For hot flushes, you will need HRT. Vagifam (and other topical oestrogens) are incredibly low doses, only work locally and do not tackle other issues.

Regrettably this is symbiotic of the fact your HRT dosage isn’t right. You need more oestrogen. Talk to your doctor.

Yes, I do. The mirena forms the progesterone element. I take oestrogel for the oestrogen.

Excellent programme.

Coincidentally, I'm seeing a gynacologist today as a follow up to fibroid surgery I had recently. Previously, she advised against HRT as the oestrogen could encourage the fibroids to grow back. Will mention again, hopefully she saw the programme.

GP had given me anti depressants for anxiety which I'm sure is at least partly due to peri. Had to come off them as ended up in a&e with sudden, unexplained bruising which almost certainly a reaction to the drugs. Definitely want to have a HRT conversation, especially as my mum has alzeimhers.......

Same here - have had a Mirena for years for endometriosis, so just needed the oestrogen. Discussed patches/gel with doctor and decided on the gel as it's easier to tweak the dose. Had testosterone added in later as was still a bit foggy.

@Worriedoncemore It is true that estrogen can promote fibroid growth. But it's something that should be monitored, rather than HRT being refused.

Also, the part of the programme about dementia was very sketchy.

I do believe that estrogen helps the brain in many ways BUT the interview with those US drs was sadly lacking in any real information. They didn't discuss a trial, numbers of women, brain changes that might show a reduction in dementia- nothing. I found them rather annoying TBH as they seemed rather short on real science AND they also mentioned that they were developing a pill ( a supplement) so that raised my suspicions of their intentions.

I think if you raise it with your GP they are likely to say the jury is still out on the benefits to dementia, and maybe even quote the latest Finnish study which I think was a meta analysis and showed nothing conclusive.

Yes I agree, and they haven't looked at vaginal atrophy in more depth.

At the same time I wonder if it's the low level entry into that needs to get out to as many as possible. (Though stock levels aren't going to cope.) we need pop programmes to be reaching the widest audiences, though nhs Gps need to step up.

I've read Lisa mosconi's book, "the XX brain" and I'm not sure there's actually been a huge amount of rigorous research as yet that they can actually draw on. A lot is observational. They're not 100% sure (when I read the book) that hrt protects against dementia for example which is the route Lisa went in research wise.

However, we do know that exercise etc can help and so if hrt helps women to keep doing that, it must be good. Mosconi also talks about the types of exercises and regular gentle exercise such as walking is positive, doesn't need to be all out there. Regular is key. Her book is also around the research linked to diet and she has some v good advice there.

There is evidence for positive effects on heart and bones though.

I know Elaine Miller Aka Gussie Grippers said she had contacted the team to ask that they include the info around vaginal atrophy and the long term impact that has on women vaginal and urinary health (especially urgency and the links to falls which can result in death) but they weren't interested.

If anyone is interested, this is the funniest fanny talk you'll ever watch! And the most important imo.

I found it did with me. I have hypothyroidism so wobbles can affect it and I think iron and b12 has in the past, but I started growing and extra layer of hair when I started hrt and it just stopped falling out. I've been used to that for years!

Thanks for info is that kind of trial in process right now?

I agree it would be good to know but I think we’d hear it outside the programme first as it would be a big deal

Then I wondered if we were kind of part of it in that in a few decades people will look at numbers and say HRT rose by X percent and this happened wrt dementia and other

unless established trials and already in progress

got distracted there the thanks for info was to pp talking about GP process will look later properly as very useful