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I went through the devastating effects of menopause when I was 40 and postmenopausal at 48, so I know what menopause is all about. However, I was lucky that after several attempts my GP finally gave me HRT.
The brain fog was horrendous, it was like a withdrawal from addiction, if that makes sense, and there were deep sweats during the day and night. I could no longer wear makeup because my skin was so damp and my showers had to be cold to cool me down.
Even then, the soaking sweats were so strong that the salt from my sweat used to drip into my eyes. Winter was like any other day, just to wear a shirt. I couldn’t tolerate wool or anything around my neck as it would feel like I was suffocating.
While going through this, he was working as a senior medical officer at the HSE and was implementing the swine flu vaccine in Kildare and West Wicklow. That meant he had morning meetings with management at 8am in a sweat-soaked t-shirt and pants. It is not an experience that does much for one’s confidence!
I needed to see a gynecologist due to severe bleeding caused by adenomyosis in my uterus that was being fueled by my estrogen. She told me that as she was postmenopausal she needed to stop the HRT that was fueling the bleeding, but if she still had her period and had just finished having a family, the only treatment was a hysterectomy.
However, he refused to perform a hysterectomy and I had to seek a second opinion to have the surgery. I established our clinic in December 2019 having identified that there was no service to treat menopausal women in the Midlands. I founded Ceile Medical, based on the ‘Together for Women’ message, and based it on Athlone to facilitate access for women traveling from all over the country.
My take on menopause
Menopause, I must say, is one of the scourges of women’s lives when their reproductive years are over. Your hormones simply run out and you are left with the devastating consequences of a lack of estrogen, progesterone, and even a small amount of testosterone.
Men also have hormonal depletion, but it is only one hormone, testosterone, and it is depleted at a rate of 10% after 30 years. It is gradual until age 90.
Women’s hormones start to get out of balance at first (perimenopause), but at that point, they are still having periods and when they go to their GP with paralyzing anxiety and perhaps poor concentration, they fear they have early dementia or a health problem mental.
Peri means ‘around’, so perimenopause means the years before menstruation finally stops. When they haven’t had periods for 12 months, it means that the ovarian production of estrogen has decreased.
Progesterone and testosterone have finally calmed down and haven’t fluctuated in a big hormone roller coaster. It does not mean that all the symptoms are gone, it just means that they are calming down a bit.
The women i know
In less enlightened times, menopausal women were literally seen as crazy. It was terrible. They were locked up, locked up, and often even burned at the stake, accused of being witches!
Now that we’ve fortunately evolved from that, there is still a huge misunderstanding surrounding menopause and the great shock it can cause in a woman’s life.
Untreated menopause is seismic; mood swings can be absolutely horrendous and can make even the gentlest woman break down. What is basically a hormonal imbalance can wreak havoc on a woman’s personality.
She is navigating her path perhaps through a combination of hot flashes, weight gain, anxiety, thinning hair, dry skin, fatigue, loss of libido, or any of the 34 unpleasant symptoms that can be an integral part of this stage. of the life.
Also, menopause usually occurs at a time when a woman may be flying in her career, she could have significant responsibilities at work and in the family, as she may be caring for older relatives and young adults, so she is dealing with a lot of pressure at a time when untreated menopause makes you feel like you can’t cope. It really is a perfect storm.
The partners also suffer because they have no idea what is happening. Recently, a husband sat down for a video consultation to inform you of the devastating effects of what his wife was going through when he told me that their marriage was “falling apart.” I spent 20 minutes chatting with him and I firmly believe that this is the way to go. LGBT women also need to understand their partner’s menopause; They may not know why their loved one is so grumpy and out of shape.
My offices are well stocked with tissues, as women just scream when they come to see me. I think this is because they have so many pent-up emotions, it’s like a pressure cooker, and it’s like a relief to them that they sit quietly with me and have someone who totally understands what they’re going through.
I am determined to inform the people of Ireland and open up conversations about menopause, as I hate to see unnecessary suffering, and with the right treatment, women who go through all stages can flourish. It can be a wonderful moment of freedom for them.
From peri to postmenopause
Perimenopause into postmenopause is like starting at the top of the stairs, finding a few landings along the way to negotiate before going down the steps (each step can take months) to the bottom step.
In the medical approach, we do not stop her menopause, but help her move through each step as her hormones fluctuate. We’d all love for it to slide off the railing, but it doesn’t happen that way.
Perimenopause is the initial stage where hormones rise and fall and symptoms are particularly severe. Women can still experience normal periods, but anxiety begins with hot flashes and perhaps mental confusion.
As this phase progresses, a woman’s periods are more erratic and maybe nothing for three months and then start again. Symptoms get worse without HRT: mental confusion; crying for no reason; anxiety; overwhelm; considering quitting your job; humor changes; relationship difficulties; Urinary infections; skin itch; soggy night sweats; no libido.
When a woman has not had periods for 12 months, she is postmenopausal. You are probably now on the middle landing of the stairs analogy. As your natural hormones drop lower, you are probably in the middle landing and could be fine for months. Every time he drops to another level, his symptoms skyrocket.
What role does HRT play?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as hormone replacement therapy, is exactly that. Replace the hormones you have lost. These are bioidentical products that are available in tablets, patches, or gel.
The tablets are taken daily as are the gels that are applied to the skin. The patches are changed every 3.5 days and placed on the skin below the navel.
Progesterone is necessary if the woman still has a uterus and is taken at night as it is a calming hormone and makes sleep much better. The job of progesterone is to protect the lining of the uterus from becoming thick and risking changes in its consistency.
Estrogen will eliminate other symptoms. Estrogen is estradiol and progesterone is utrogestan. Localized estrogen is also available for vaginal dryness and is inserted vaginally overnight. It will aid in lubrication and reduce bladder leaks and urinary tract infections. HRT will relieve all of these symptoms; giving you your hormones back but you are still progressing through menopause.
To be clear, HRT doesn’t stop menopause, it just relieves the terrible effects of hormonal depletion. The therapy benefits women by protecting them from osteoporosis, heart disease, and early dementia.
There are contraindications to this, so if a woman has hormone-receptive breast cancer, she cannot undergo HRT. Women who have a history of blood clots may receive HRT in patch or gel form. It is transdermal, so it bypasses the liver without the risk of clots. In my practice, I also inform women that they must stay on THS.
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There help
Sleep and exercise are our friends, but I realize that menopause is the great sleep thief. I am a big fan of exercise, it is related to serotonin, our happy hormone, it is great for our minds, our bones and our calm nature.
Also, it can help you sleep. However, if you can’t sleep, practice mindfulness, get up, read a book, catch up on some tasks; do what you like to help him. Omega 3 and Magnesium are vital supplements, water is powerful since 90% of our body is made up of water, so it helps the skin, hair and gives it energy. Talk to other women and realize that you will get over this and flourish!
Due to Covid-19 restrictions in March, I started remote consultations by phone or video. I am passionate about helping women going through all stages of menopause; you don’t have to suffer alone and I urge you to seek help.
In Japan, menopause is known as “second spring,” which I think is beautiful; It evokes renewal, regeneration and revitalization and that is what I really hope for our menopausal women in Ireland.
Dr. Deirdre Forde, MB BCH BAO is Founder of Ceile Medical in Athlone, County Westmeath., Member of the British Menopause Society, Member of the Irish College of General Practitioners, Master of Child Health, Diploma in Child Health, Master of Public Health, Direct Medical Aesthetics Training (Harley Street, London). She is on the Irish Medical Council Register of Specialists. For more information, see CeileMedical.ie, call 090 6479748 or send a text message to 085 2143509.
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