Do you have questions about menopause? Ask Vira Health’s expert Dr Michelle Griffin - £200 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

Please note this Q&A is now closed for questions but you can see Dr Griffins answers here

Menopause can feel daunting and complicated. Maybe you’re perimenopausal; maybe your periods have stopped but you’re still having menopause-related symptoms. Maybe you’re going through an early menopause, or one brought on by medical treatment. Or maybe you’re just wondering what the next few years might hold for you and how you can best embrace (or at least get through) whatever may be heading your way. Vira Health is here to help, and their expert Dr Michelle Griffin will be answering your questions about everything to do with menopause from 18th to 27th Jan.

Here’s some more information about Dr Griffin: ‘Dr Michelle Griffin qualified as a doctor from University of Cambridge and specialised in Gynaecology, working in a number of hospitals in London and the East of England. She is a Member of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and has completed her training with the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. She has worked in the NHS for over a decade, as well as for the Department of Health, Public Health England and the World Health Organisation on women’s health projects. She is leading the clinical development of Stella, a new app to help you manage your menopausal symptoms'.

Here’s what Vira Health, the team behind Stella has to say: “Women spend on average 7-10 years in menopause, with symptoms changing and fluctuating all the time. Yet, in the UK, less than 7% of women are satisfied with the care they receive. That’s not ok. Stella offers women personalised plans to help manage menopause symptoms better with support from an expert coach. From insomnia to weight gain and anxiety to incontinence issues, Stella supports women to find relief backed by proven science. Plans are customised to your needs and you can track your progress quickly and easily.”

If you feel in the dark about the symptoms of menopause, you’re looking for advice on managing its effects in day to day life, or you have questions about treatment or care options, you’re in the right place. Share your questions for Dr Griffin below and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ
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[StressedTired]

If you are still taking questions, is it possible to have success with IVF using an egg donor if you are going through menopause? Does the menopause affect the ability to carry?

[Tenohfour]

Thank you for your advice!

[CeriMumsnet]

Thanks to everyone for sharing your questions with Dr Griffin, and to Dr Griffin for your answers! The winner of the prize draw is @BristolMum96

[CathBookworm]

Are wildly erratic periods for a year, at the age of 43 a sign of peri, and if so, would HRT be advised, even if few other symptoms, due to the health benefits (protecting against osteoporosis etc?)

[Chalalala90]

Can the menopause cause migraines to increase in severity and frequency? If so, what is the best treatment for this

[Kemosabeimalone]

I had an unexpected but lovely surprise baby girl last year at 48 - she is ebf and my periods haven’t returned yet - is there any chance that I’ll go straight into menopause and bypass all the hormonal turmoil? Before she came along I was experiencing lots of peri menopausal symptoms such as night sweats / fatigue / mood swings etc Pregnancy and breastfeeding seem to be acting like a kind of hrt as I don’t have these symptoms now. Will I have my menopause at the original age I would have had I not become pregnant or have I created a kind of holding patten till I stop feeding?

[Quietvoiceplease]

What's a good menopause look like? What should we be aiming for?

[Tray07]

Please can you help I seriously don’t know what to do next ? I’m 46 on 4 pumps of estradiol gel daily and take utrogestan 7 days in my cycle as when I take them with citalapram I’m more of a fatigue then I usually am . I take vagifem for constant urine symptoms and burning dry sensation of my vagina . Plus testosterone as I had nill in my body . Each doctor tells me a different solution . I’ve cannot cope with feeling like everyday is dragging through mud and the fatigued plus vagifem isn’t really helping urine problems .

[Lastfreakinglegs]

Can chest pain be linked to perimenopause? A couple of days a month or more I get left sided chest pain, left sided ovary pain and left ankle pain. It seems hormonally driven. I am scared to go to the docs but know I should

[Oblahdeeoblahdoe]

Is it ever too late to start HRT and can libido be increased without it?

[RSItooloud]

Has anyone asked about headaches yet?! Are these perimeno signs? Mine are so frequent - sometimes as much as 3 x a week and they can last a couple of hours or three days. I’m 44. Periods variable, might have a bit of weight gain but it’s slight say 2-3 lbs in recent years.

[DenisetheMenace]

Hello. At 56, not suitable for HRT, I was prescribed paroxetine around a year ago to deal with disabling hot sweats. Simply couldn’t function properly. It’s worked extremely well (though have had to gradually increase dose from 10 to 30mg daily).

No ill effects but I’ve never liked taking meds if I can help it.
How long can hot sweats (day and night) persist, please?

[SerafinaPekkala]

Could Mumsnet please hire Dr Griffin for a regular menopause clinic thread please!

[Sid98]

how to deal with cold sweats

[flowersanam]

How do you deal with heavy periods

[Honeyroar]

Thank you for all the time you’ve spent answering all our questions. Much appreciated and interesting reading.

[claza93]

What are the early signs? I am 41 and getting more and more ratty every month - is this a symptom? Or could it just be a result of kids at home, trying to work from home and home schooling!

[Bluntness100]

Thank you for the response.

[BabyMimzy]

I am 49, experiencing terrible night sweats, lack of energy, emotionally challenged, terrible memory loss & periods come and go every 2-3 months and are the worst they have ever been.
Am I perri menopausal? Is there anything I can take to help me?

[Bubblebu]

Ive had a medically induced menopause as a result of breast cancer (chemo, radiotherapy, and now ongoing zoldex and tamoxifen).

Terrible hot sweats, headaches and night sweats.

I have tried eliminating alcohol and coffee with limited success.
Ive been told by my oncologist i can never have HRT.

Are things like soya supplements and sage leaf supplements etc ok to take? What about Boots menopause relief mutivit supplements (with Red Clover etc) - are those ok to take?

I am 49 was 48 when i was diagnosed with cancer. thank you

[LoveMySituation]

I'm 42 and am in perimenopause. My symptoms thankfully, are much better now I'm five years in, which I'm glad about as I read they just get worse and worse until periods actually stop. Not on HRT. My question is after menopause, do oestrogen levels fall as low as they were before puberty started, and if so, why is HRT seen as having a protective effect on bones, heart etc, when we did without these hormones all through childhood?

[Whatapickle78]

Is frequent urination and dull, burning pain (in bladder area) a symptom of perimenopause? It’s much worse at night and is keeping me awake!

I have been for several UTI tests and all are negative. Recently had a vaginal ultrasound which was fine too.

I’m 42 and have been taking oestrodiol gel and urrogestan for 1 year.
Could the HRT be causing it?

Thanks!

[MiddleOfThePack]

I'm 57 and haven't had a period for about 20 years now [partly due to mirena coil but when I had a spell of a year or so without it, my periods did not come back. I've had breast cancer so can't use HRT.

The last couple of years I have started getting up to pee so often at night that I am now barely sleeping more than a couple of hours at a stretch. No discomfort and I can hold it in until I get to the loo, so not incontinent and daytime I'm fine.

I have tried a couple of drugs from the GP but they made no difference and I'm waiting to see a specialist in May.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[Ntinyn]

What is it really like to go through the menopause without hormones? How do you know you need them?