Meno Madness
I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts about menopause lately and I have to say it’s all pretty depressing. I mean, us women are going to spend a third of our lives dealing with depleting hormones and the physical and mental implications of that, and yet doctors aren’t being taught all that much about it.
It doesn’t help that a study in the 1990s declared an increased risk of breast cancer in women that used HRT (a report that has since been declared as FALSE). This meant one of the leading treatments in menopause was largely ignored for years, and its reputation left in tatters. So where does that leave those of us struggling with side effects?
For me, it’s meant burying myself in research, trying to find things that will help me feel more like myself and a little less frustrated. If you go online, there are a mountain of people sprouting different concoctions that will do everything from reducing hot flushes to getting rid of your newly developed middle-age spread. Once you’ve given a few of these a go, you’ll probably still be on the hunt for more support.
Often this is when you turn to modern medicine, but here again you can be met with anything from complete dismissal to being prescribed anti-depressants (as low mood is often a symptom). In fact, more menopausal women will be offered anti-depressants than those helped to identify the hormonal changes that are actually causing the issue.
Thankfully there are a number of women spear-heading the call for more research into menopause and better education for practitioners. A leading voice on this topic is Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a certified menopause specialist who shines a light on the causes, symptoms and treatments to consider, to help you through the meno-years. Along with other key specialists in the field, they’re holding an event at the Sydney Opera House next month called ‘So Hot Right Now - Redefining Menopause.’ Hopefully this means the tide is turning and more knowledge will become available for all.
If you’re being affected by hormone changes, don’t suffer in silence. Educate yourself, follow leading voices and find out how to support yourself through these years. And remember, if you have a GP who won’t listen to you, find someone who will.
