Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
I thought perimenopause was just the run-up to the menopause and not a treacherous passage in itself. I had no idea it would make me so furious – or give me surprise periods like tsunamis. In the kitchen at various times during my deranged perimenopausal mood swings I threw: 1) a butternut squash, 2) Nigella Christmas, 3) broccoli, 4) a full butter dish, and 5) blue poster paint at the wall. No one was injured. Indeed, the missiles actually released family tension – and at least the dog began to treat me with more respect. I had no idea that progesterone and oestrogen drained erratically but inexorably away over the course of years in perimenopause, and that symptoms could be mental as well as physical. Those tests were clear, thankfully, but I dumped the compounded HRT and went cold turkey until a friend recommended Dr Louise Newson, a campaigning menopause specialist with a clinic in Stratford-upon-Avon employing 40 doctors and there’s still a three-month waiting list – most of the patients are women who have been refused HRT by their GPs. Dr Newson solved my problems in an instant and prescribed plant-based body-identical hormones, made from yams. These are also available on the NHS – micronised progesterone and transdermal oestrogen gel or patches – which the British Menopause Society says have “no or lower risk of breast cancer” compared to the old oral combined pills. I just wish my GP had told me about body-identical HRT in the first place. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The health secretary has been clear he will leave no stone unturned to ensure women can get the HRT they need.
I really appreciate Davina McCall's dedication to breaking the silence surrounding perimenopause and menopause. She has made a significant contribution to raising awareness and inspiring women to understand their bodies better. However, while the book offers valuable insights, it fell short in a few critical areas for me. Menopausing is more than just a book, it’s a movement. An uprising. Menopause affects every woman, and yet so many approach it with shame, fear, misinformation or silence. Everyone’s skin reacts differently – you might have no issues at all, but for many women, perimenopause means being prone to redness and spotty skin. When I turned forty, I developed adult acne out of nowhere. I had what I would call the ‘heavy-duty’ spots that never come to a head and linger like a volcano that just wouldn’t erupt, especially around the chin area. Find out how taking HRT can help you cope better at work in perimenopause and menopause by helping banish symptoms from hot flushes to brain fog and joint pain – as well as improving sleep. Also, how to talk to your employer about menopause.The menopause gave me my voice’: designer and campaigner Karen Arthur. Photograph: Claire Pepper/That's Not My Age Nevertheless, Menopausing does serve a crucial purpose in dispelling the isolation that women often feel when grappling with the myriad of symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause. The book provided me with valuable information and a sense of relief about the numerous symptoms that I was unaware were associated with my perimenopause. The book not only assisted me in identifying the symptoms directly linked to my perimenopause, but it also aided me in untangling the intricate connection between hormonal changes and the impact of my past trauma on my overall well-being. Monday 8th March 2021: Channel 4 is to challenge our reluctance to talk about the menopause in Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and The Menopause. With startling honesty, Davina McCall will describe her own menopause journey, busting the myths surrounding the transition, and dispelling the shame and fear around hormone replacement therapy. That’s how this book has come about. We are going to tell you the truth, so you can make an informed decision about your life and your body. Imagine if over half the UK population was to experience the same life-changing health condition, which if disregarded would contribute to an increase in disease and illness, an increase in mental health issues, and the likelihood of losing jobs and marriages. Wouldn’t we want to do something about that?
McCall is part of a wider menopause movement that is challenging the notion of “keep calm and carry on and shut up”. She added. “Women themselves until recently somehow felt they didn’t deserve this [HRT] and they felt ashamed of it and ashamed to ask for it. They felt it was a sign of weakness. And now it’s a sign of strength.” That’s how this book has come about. We are going to tell you the truth, so you can make an informed decision about your life and your body … mic drop.Things are going to come up in that documentary that people are not going to believe. And we’ll have more and more women rushing to their doctor to get on HRT,” she told the Observer. “The more we find out about what happens to your body when you lose the hormones, the more we recognise that menopause does a huge amount of damage to a woman. But it’s very repairable damage.” For too long, women have had to keep quiet about menopause – its onset, its symptoms, its treatments – and what it means for us. Menopausing will build an empowered, supportive community to break this terrible silence once and for all. By exploring and explaining the science, debunking damaging myths, and smashing the taboos around perimenopause and menopause, this book will equip women to make the most informed decisions about their health… and their lives. Find out more about how perimenopause and menopause affect your brain, memory and mood, and how HRT can help: Unless you’ve done medical training and you understand, it’s easy to take a superficial approach,” she said, adding that some women felt pressured to take HRT when it might be better to try lifestyle changes first. Paula Briggs, chair of the British Menopause Society, has warned of “evangelistic” misinformation shared on social media based on “a selective interpretation of clinical research papers”, which has included recommending higher doses of HRT or saying it’s safe for women with a history of breast cancer in their family.
The compounded oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone worked brilliantly at first – within four days my hot flushes and palpitations disappeared forever, my memory returned and – unexpectedly – my mood lifted and my joints became supple. Oestrogen was the oil I needed in my engine, but a year later, I got a bad batch of the compounded hormone lozenges, which turned out to be from an unregulated pharmacy, and ended up having bleeding and then cervical and uterine biopsies. One further thing to note is that parts of this book refer specifically to dealing with the menopause in the UK, for example how it is treated by the NHS and the types of treatments that are available in the different parts of the UK. These sections will obviously be less useful to those living outside of the UK. But, there is still plenty of information in there that would apply to any person interested in learning more about the menopause. Women are “very stressed, very anxious and a lot of them are desperate so they’re using half the amount [of HRT]”.New research has shown that women who took transdermal, body-identical estrogen and progesterone were 73% less likely to get dementia and other brain-degenerating diseases Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said there had been an “exponential rise in demand” for transdermal oestrogen products in recent years, but the rise in women being prescribed HRT was “testament to GPs wanting to do their best for their patients”. Inequality is coupled with medical sexism, which fails to take account of the latest science, and leaves women to keep calm and carry on. While researching my book, I discovered the grim toll of oestrogen deficiency in the second half of every woman’s life, and the latest research on HRT’s extraordinary long-term health benefits for osteoporosis, diabetes and dementia, which women are twice as likely to get as men.
Katie Taylor, founder of the Latte Lounge, an online platform about midlife and the menopause, said demand had increased rapidly over the past six years. For many women, the McCall documentary could be “their first lightbulb moment”, she said. Unless it’s come on prescription from a medical professional, save your money and giave a wide berth to products that promise to stop hot flushes or that will ‘fix’ your menopausal skin. The start of a movement: to get everyone talking about the menopause in every home, GP surgery and workspace This audiobook has been very useful for learning about the wide range of menopausal symptoms and the treatments available. I have definitely taken away useful information for when the time comes. For example, personally, it is useful for me to know that hypothyroidism can trigger early peri menopause. And, I knew very little about HRT. Harris, who is a member of the campaign group Menopause Mandate along with McCall and fellow broadcasters Mariella Frostrup and Penny Lancaster, called for a national formulary to increase availability.Katie Lander, Executive Producer at Finestripe Productions said: “The menopause can be so much more than the occasional hot flush and it can last for years. Unless women can access help and support, so many will be suffering through no fault of their own. Davina and our contributors reveal the truth about their symptoms and their strategies.” For too long, women have had to keep quiet about the menopause – its onset, its symptoms, its treatments – and what it means for us. Menopausing will build an empowered, supportive community to break this terrible silence once and for all. By exploring and explaining the science, debunking damaging myths, and smashing the taboos around the perimenopause and menopause, this book will equip women to make the most informed decisions about their health… and their lives.
Great Deal 
New Comment