Anyone watching Davina: sex, mind and menopauseon c4

[Meltinthemiddle]

Really interesting and relatable.

Agree the programme was a great jumping off point.

The best thing about it was that my OH sat and watched it with me and got educated too. Probably listens more to the TV than to me, so quite useful!

Id definitely look for more menopause related programming. We just don’t know enough about it and I’m mid 40s with some symptoms and hadn’t thought they were ‘bad enough’ to warrant taking medication. But when I add them all up…!! Well it’s worth a chat with my GP to see what the options are.

thank you the PP who said to ask for the menopause specialist …I’ll be doing the same.

This is heart breaking and the shocking thing if you are not alone. When GPs get reactive saying they are being criticised THIS is why.

I had lots of this and was sent for numerous blood tests and heart scans. I’m grateful for those but no one mentioned peri menopause. Not one GP or heart specialist. Heart was fine. Palpitations stopped when I started hrt.

Vaginal atrophy was covered very briefly in this one too with the young woman. They managed to pack a lot in a short show - but yes more needed.

Newgirls that’s interesting, my sister has been getting a lot of heart palpitations the last few months and she is not getting far with GP. She is 47, I’m sure she is peri too, again her GP has never mentioned it to her either. I think the government need to start a program and put all GPs on menopause awareness courses, not just those who volunteer to go on it, it should be mandatory.

Can someone tell me (link?) where I can find this to watch later please?

Its very telling that instead of saying "what can we do to help, what can we do to change this" GPs are attacking Davina instead. Im getting bloody fed up of the attitude that they must not be criticised,

I bet NHS Procurement are swearing today too.

@Whippet it was on Channel 4 so you’ll be able catch up via the All4 app or streaming on a Smart TV.

The original episode from last year is still up there too.

@Whippet you can also watch it online, you just need to sign up for an All4 account.

Last night's episode here: www.channel4.com/programmes/davina-mccall-sex-mind-and-the-menopause

The original episode here: www.channel4.com/programmes/davina-mccall-sex-myths-and-the-menopause

I rewatched the first one on Sunday night to refresh my memory.

Dr Louise Newson is very good as well and she has videos on YouTube

Heart palpitations are a classic peri symptom due to fluctuating and falling oestrogen. It’s good to get tests to rule other things out but yes very likely to be hormone related. Hrt might well protect the heart. Maybe she can mention this to her gp.

Agree. I thought the program didn’t attack GPs and in fact featured a few! Those feeling criticised perhaps feel embarrassed that they haven’t got this right?

Another person to follow is Cynthia Thurlow. She’s based in the US (so comes at a lot from a US health system point of view) but she has a very good general “wellness” podcast which focuses on women’s health and intermittent fasting but she’s done several episodes purely on menopause and interviewed many experts including Dr Avrum Bluming (who has done a lot of work on HRT for women with a history of breast cancer) and Dr Carol Tavris who have written a book together called Estrogen Matters.

She’s very big on gut health and trying to rebalance things through diet but she’s equally vocal about using HRT too.

I have found many G.Ps to be woefully ignorant about hrt. l've been on it for 13 years and have had to argue my case for staying on it many times. The NICE guidelines state that there is no cut off point, which makes sense as women are in menopause for life. Many G.Ps still try to persuade you to come off it at 60 though, which is ridiculous when the benefits outweigh the risks. So far l have managed to continue to stay on it but get fed up with it being a battle.

I didn't know that about palpitations- I am definitely experiencing those. Thanks to some of the threads I've read on MN since last night, the list of symptoms I now know or suspect to be peri-menopause is growing. This is great and just shows how powerful those programmes are for kick starting discussions.

The British Menopause Society has responded to the programme with some good comments. Of note:

Re dementia - "Women should be reassured that HRT is unlikely to increase the risk of dementia or to have a detrimental effect on cognitive function in women initiating HRT before the age of 65. However, HRT should not be initiated for the purpose of reducing the risk of dementia in postmenopausal women and at this time, there is not enough evidence to support prescribing HRT for prevention of dementia."

Re Testosterone: "Regarding the role of testosterone, the current indication is for persistent low sexual desire after other contributory factors have been addressed. There is not enough evidence available to support it being prescribed for improving cognitive function, musculoskeletal health or improving bone density."

This is also highlighted with the need:

"To provide adequate resources on the menopausal transition to support women in primary and secondary care.
To support the training of all healthcare professionals in menopause management, by official organisations such as the BMS, RCOG and FSRH.
Raise menopause awareness in the workplace including among all managers and staff.
To facilitate further research into the effects of menopause and HRT on cognition, mood and dementia, and the wider role of androgens such as testosterone in women."

thebms.org.uk/2022/05/bms-comment-on-channel-4-programme-davina-mccall-sex-myths-and-the-menopause/?fbclid=IwAR2WqjJTcdgJ4krdEpf381PlD4zK7yLbbNZEpw-aKO-9BQigyj1yQHd4KaU

In other news I'm now reading that (along with Oestrogel HRT) Ovestin (a local estrogen cream for vaginal atrophy) might be in short supply till July 😒. This will not doubt cause a knock-on effect to other VA treatments www.gov.uk/government/news/three-month-limit-for-three-hrt-products-to-ensure-continued-access

If anyone is suffering with VA and is struggling to get Ovestin I can send them a tube.

Will trade for wine gums.

The last programme didn't help those who can't take HRT. Does this second one go into that? If not there is no point in me watching it. I was fed up after the first programme that it was all about HRT and ignored those who cannot take it. Thx

@brieandbacon YES it does.

There was mention of a non hormonal option that might be available from next year. Treatment and care does need to be inclusive and not just about HRT - as the BMS article stated:
“There should be an individualised approach in assessing menopausal women, with particular reference to lifestyle advice, diet modification as well as discussion of the role of interventions including HRT.”

I'm in East Anglia too and had to pay for a private prescription before my gp would prescribe utrogestan😡 utrogestan is the gold standard hrt treatment along with estrogel but apparently our area won't prescribe. So that's useful 🙄

Not too old.
I've just been prescribed it at the same age as you are.

I find that a bit depressing to be honest.

sounds like there isn’t enough evidence in the UK. There clearly is growing evidence elsewhere. So we get stuck behind other countries. And this is an organisation meant to help women?!

Yes it does. They talk to a GP and author who had breast cancer and what she does

@Newgirls I find that a bit depressing to be honest.

sounds like there isn’t enough evidence in the UK. There clearly is growing evidence elsewhere. So we get stuck behind other countries. And this is an organisation meant to help women?!

The women I know of who are using it say they need it for libido. (How can that be proved or disproved?)

Just because the BMS says there is not absolute proof it helps other things, doesn't mean it can't be prescribed. It's usually the US that is way behind with these things- look at how they still use CEE (Prempak etc.)