Sex, myths and the menopause - channel 4 tonight

[Theeyeballsinthesky]

Looking forward to this. Clips I’ve seen look good and there’s lots of focus on how women as a class have bern ignored and let down over this issue

As a 43 year old I was a bit shocked by this. I've been having night sweats, but put them down to being tired, or too much heating.

I'm a highly successful woman in a career I love. No wonder women drop off at bloody board level.

I'm surprised this hasn't gained more traction.

I think I went straight into peri after my daughter was born when I was 44. Raging pmt, anxiety, sweats, palpitations etc and I was fobbed off many times by my GP. I eventually saw a private Dr who immediately said it was peri and started me on HRT. If this was a male problem it would be fixed. There would be clinics, consultants, and treatments galore. It makes me so angry I could cry. Well done Davina.

I have an appointment at the Newson Clinic next month. Thank god I can afford it at the moment.

My GP has been half-hearted about the whole thing. I'm taking oestrogen but there's been no mention of progesterone.

It definitely affected my career. I suffered from terrible anxiety and just couldn't do the job any more.

My libido has vanished. I'm hoping that I might get some testosterone...which isn't even licenced for women in this country. We really are second class citizens aren't we.

I pretty much hate my life. I had breast cancer so had the usual slash/burn/poison treatment, but didn't get much warning that the treatment would send me directly to menopause. So straight from feeling pretty much warning at 47 to a sweaty, anxious overweight lump.

It was only after issues with my bladder and asking on here that I managed to get estradiol. My oncologist put me on venlaflaxin and then gabapentin for flushes, which has done feck all,apart from get me addicted.

I've pretty much given up going to the gp now, as they say they can't suggest anything. Sex life is over as libido is gone. Diabetes type 2 from being overweight, so I'm now doing 800 vlcd in the hopes that will help.

NHS pretty much discounts women once they're over 40.

Oh, and I also have osteoporosis in my spine as a nice side effect of the aromasin to prevent reoccurrence of cancer but can't gave anything apart from calcium as I'm having treatment for gum disease and apparently the treatment for osteoporosis might cause necrosis of my jaw.

Nice!

Babyshark

@SirVixofVixHall my GP. he told me that I can only take HRT for a really short time, because of increased breast cancer risk, so I should wait till I’m desperate, probably 50 plus. Obviously I now know that’s bollocks, but I didn’t at the time. You assume the doctors know about this stuff.

Oh and I have no risk factors for cancer, anymore than anyone else. All the women on my mothers side lived to ripe old ages, my g grandmother was 99 when she died.

(((Hugs))) Babyshark

I started peri age 39 after a few rounds of unsuccessful IVF. Suffered for years and ended up with VA. If I persevered with intercourse it was horrendously painful and I'd bleed so we just stopped. GP suggested an IUD but couldn't insert it so sent me for a hysteroscopy without sedation or GA. It was horrific and unsuccessful so they tried again with GA. Again they couldn't get into my womb but offered no solution and because they didn't get into my womb, refused me HRT.

I had no hope of feeling better, was anxious, lost my confidence and just wanted to stop living.

I went private, had a successful hysteroscopy under GA which showed no cancer so was finally given HRT. It changed my life, I feel so much better in myself.

It's terrible having to fight for support when you feel so bad physically and mentally, this has to change.

'You assume the doctors know about this stuff.'

Well, indeed. How disgraceful that menopause training is nothing more than an optional e-learning module for doctors, and according to Davina's documentary there are no plans to change this. It really does feel like no one gives a shit about women's healthcare

Women are speaking up about this more and more. It is well past time. A few years ago, I found out I'm a breast cancer gene carrier, so I've had surgery to reduce my risk of estrogen-triggered cancers (a double mastectomy so far).

I'm still dithering over the oophorectomy. My oncologist is very keen for me to go ahead with it, but NO-ONE seems to be interested in discussing what surgical menopause will do to me. Instead, I'm told that "some people find it absolutely fine." And what if I don't? Everyone just looks at me. So for the moment I'm hoping my ovarian cancer risk isn't too high.

I'm worried that even if I go through menopause naturally, I will not be able to get any kind of treatment because of my BRCA gene.

I'm so sorry so many have really struggled. It makes me so sad, I've still not been able to watch the rest of the documentary.

The rcgp's response has been appalling. Continuing cpd can be in any area. Something that affects 51% of the population should be mandatory.

My libido has vanished. I'm hoping that I might get some testosterone...which isn't even licenced for women in this country. We really are second class citizens aren't we.

Well, it is, but not for peri women.

'Something that affects 51% of the population should be mandatory.'

Most definitely. Their position is really indefensible

[quote stonecat]Haven't read the full thread so sorry if this has already been posted

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1392787734050361344.html[/quote]
Very interesting to compare, isn’t it!!

[quote stonecat]Haven't read the full thread so sorry if this has already been posted

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1392787734050361344.html[/quote]

Quite the difference and yet no link made that tbe pbs push girls into an early menopause.

I read about the programme in an guardian article which was inclusive to trans men, pointing out they too suffer.

A really informative programme, and I was pleased to see there was no shying away from the use of the word women

@beguilingeyes

I have an appointment at the Newson Clinic next month. Thank god I can afford it at the moment.

My GP has been half-hearted about the whole thing. I'm taking oestrogen but there's been no mention of progesterone.

It definitely affected my career. I suffered from terrible anxiety and just couldn't do the job any more.

My libido has vanished. I'm hoping that I might get some testosterone...which isn't even licenced for women in this country. We really are second class citizens aren't we.

They can prescribe testosterone off licence that ugh, so do push. My mum's on it and it has made such a difference for her - her levels were incredibly low though.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about HRT though. I felt this programme was overly pushing it. I was on patches from 48-55 but then stopped. The 2002 study did show that breast cancer risk increased with HRT duration. Yes definitely go on HRT if you are in your late 40s or early 50s but when do you stop? Do you stay on it until 60, 70, 80? I also felt it exaggerated how effective HRT was at helping with mood problems around the menopause. It's great for reducing hot flushes but less great at improving weepiness and irritability.

It's also not true that GPs do very little training on the menopause. Most GPs do a 6 month junior doc job in obstetrics and gynaecology and most of my generation did a postgrad diploma in O&G. We also have to do 50 hours post grad work every year for appraisal once we are GPs and most GPs include stuff like the menopause and contraception in that as well as other stuff.
It seemed like an hour of pro big pharma GP bashing

I’ll be staying on it as long as possible even if I have to get it privately

@2Rebecca

It's also not true that GPs do very little training on the menopause. Most GPs do a 6 month junior doc job in obstetrics and gynaecology and most of my generation did a postgrad diploma in O&G. We also have to do 50 hours post grad work every year for appraisal once we are GPs and most GPs include stuff like the menopause and contraception in that as well as other stuff. It seemed like an hour of pro big pharma GP bashing

So if that is true why do so many women get prescribed antidepressants first (I was) get told it's normal for your age what do you expect (I was) get sent for a blood test at age 49 contrary to NICE guidelines ( I was) get told they can't have hrt ( I was) all by different gps within the same practice. All women too! This experience seems to be nationwide according to the documentary. So either gps are getting poor training, not getting training, or not applying what they have learnt. I'm not sure the programme was promoting big pharma as much as informing women that they have treatment options, and what they were, because there doesn't seem to be much confidence that they will be offered these options.

I saw my GP about menopause about 5 years ago. She didn't seem to know much about it and wasn't at all helpful. She mentioned HRT then said it was only for hot flushes so not much use if I wasn't having them.

My memory has completely disappeared, which is both worrying and frustrating. Nothing offered.

My former GP surgery gave me HRT, although they did ask first if I wanted to try anti depressants. I wasn't depressed, I was just running out of steam and sleeping badly, eating badly which is known to happen if you haven't slept well, and generally getting weaker. I was given oestrogen with a high dose of progesterone because I'd had one period in about 18 months which immediately started up 8 day heavy bleeds and horrendous cramps. I went back after two cycles of that and got them to move me onto oestrogen only which was fantastic. I got myself back.

I then moved area a few years later and stopped using the patches when I ran out. A year later feeling like I was running on empty I went to see a new GP who refused me as I was "too old" . I was 57.

I have now gone private. The private clinic did blood tests and I WAS pretty much running on empty, hormone wise. I have now had three 6 monthly blood tests and the dose tweaked up each time, I'm on DHEA, oestrogen, progesterone and a very low testosterone. My last test showed I was still low on oestrogen so that's just been tweaked up again.

I don't believe I have to naturally slow down, I have to work for another 8 plus years before I am pension age and so I need a full normal hormone complement to do this.

It's a shame I've had to go private, it costs about 2,000 a year with the blood tests. I will stay on this until I reach an age where doing nothing is an option. I weight train and swim too so I am not just relying on medication. My poor old mother seems to break a bone every year now as she gets older. She is otherwise fit and healthy, but fragile.

I do hope we can push for better risk management around HRT. I have mammograms and smears and self check. I know what I am doing.

I can afford to pay but surely the cost benefit of women staying fit and strong is obvious to the NHS.

They must rethink this.