Many of you will know I started this year reading “Menopausing” by Davina McCall and Dr Naomi Potter, and was stunned by how little information is out there on menopause. Given that it is something that ALL women will go through in their lifetime, (assuming they live past their 40’s) there is so little research, information and understanding on it.

It is still not a compulsory part of GP training in the UK, despite various campaigns to change that, and many GP’s mistake menopausal symptoms for depression, so women all over the place are being prescribed anti-depressants instead of oestrogen. The symptoms are so vague and wide-ranging that it is hard to pin-point what’s one thing or another. The tests are irritatingly inconclusive. Almost a million women in the UK alone have had to leave the workforce prematurely because of menopausal symptoms being untreated and unrecognised in the workplace.

I heard a lot of “Don’t be ridiculous, you’re far too young for menopause” (1 in 100 women will go into menopause under 45), but it’s just so hard to KNOW for sure. Think about the symptoms for a minute:

Dry skin? Yes, but I always have dry skin…

Tiredness? Yes but hello, I’m a single mother who works, I’m always tired….

Trouble sleeping? Yes – but lots of people have trouble sleeping…. I’m just so busy and have so much to do my brain wakes me up at night to go through the old to-do list at 4am…

Dry eyes? Yes but I have blepharitis…

Sudden onset rage and increased anger/mood swings? Yes but I refer you to my aforementioned children…

Brain fog? Yes but I’m so tired it’s probably just that…

Aching joints? Yes but you know, I’m old and fat and don’t exercise much…

Gout? Yes but that only tends to affect women post-menopau…… oh

It wasn’t until I really sat down and thought things through that I realised I needed to talk it through with a professional. And after reading Menopausing, I went in prepared. And sure enough, after specifically booking a double-appointment to have time and space to TALK about it, my doctor agreed that peri-menopause was a likely culprit.

I’m 42 years old, and I believe I am peri-menopausal.

She prescribed me a low-dose combined HRT pill (oestrogen + progesterone – Elleste Duet in case you care) and suggested we try it for 3 months.

It’s been 2 months. And I feel a LOT better.

Yes I still have dry eyes and dry skin, but I am sleeping a million times better than I was. I’m no longer waking up at 3am to run through my endless list of things to do in my head for hours (it would NEVER have occurred to me to classify this as “anxiety” even though that’s also another very common symptom of menopause). I am sleeping MUCH better, and as a result, I am a lot less tired and irritable! I hadn’t realised just how tired I was until it went away! I feel like a new woman, I have actual energy again! My brain feels clearer and less fuzzy! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not running marathons or anything, but I have certainly noticed a change in my energy levels and sleep since taking the HRT.

Now, this could all be the placebo effect, but frankly if it is, WHO CARES?

I am writing this for the benefit of the many, many women who might be thinking “what’s wrong with me? I don’t quite feel right and I don’t know why?”. Or for the men out there wondering if their partner is ok and if there is anything they can do to help. I highly recommend both men and women reading this book, or other books on the subject.