I started HRT!
And other menopause news you can actually use...
Kia ora meno whanau… I hope your week has started well. Mine has. I kicked it off with a visit to the GP.
My HRT Diary
Or to be more accurate, MHT diary. The time has come - after two years or more of researching/writing/talking about it - to seek the help of HRT/MHT for myself. I thought it might be interesting to share my experience with it here; with you all.
I think it’s worth starting at the beginning with a note about the consultation, because so many women have reported to me that they’ve had bad experiences with their GPs. What seems sadly too common is that some doctors are not quite up with the latest intel on menopause/perimenopause and HRT, and so women are coming away from appointments having been told no, we don’t prescribe HRT - it gives you breast cancer (incorrect); OR no, you are too young to be in perimenopause (again, could well be incorrect since we know perimenopause happens often in our 40s) OR OK, let’s just test your hormones and we will see if you are in perimenopause (again, not useful; this won’t tell you much at all). It’s frustrating and exhausting.
My own experience was happily free from misinformation. I was, I admit, a little nervous, even with all my knowledge. But I did not need to worry; my doctor asked all the right questions and had all the right information to share. I fronted up with a range of ‘symptoms’: brain fog and memory issues; flushes, mostly at night; joint pain all over; sexual function waning. Some of the Menopause Greatest Hits, you might say.
I am otherwise very healthy; I have no risk factors for cancer or clots and no family history of heart disease. I have normal blood pressure and am fit and a non-smoker and a very moderate drinker. So we agreed that the best place to start is with oestrogen patches and an oral progesterone pill. As I’m still having periods - if very erratically - I need to be on a ‘cyclical’ regimen where the progesterone (Utrogestan) is taken on twelve days of the cycle. As my body gets to the point of no longer having periods at all, I’ll move to continuous progesterone. I’ve started with the lowest oestrogen dose, 25mcg.
So - today is DAY 1! Watch this space…
Do you want to take part in perimenopause research?
I’m a fan of any and all research into menopause, because frankly there’s a lot more we don’t know about this compared to what we do know. If you are a perimenopausal woman and would like to make a contribution to research, and maybe learn something along the way, there’s a study looking for participants.
Diane Harwood got in touch with me recently to ask if I could help spread the word about her Masters research. Here’s what she said:
“Hello Niki, I am getting in touch with you because I am firstly, a perimenopausal woman and secondly because I am in the process of doing my Masters in Science (Health Psychology) in which I am preparing a research project WITH (not on) perimenopausal women and their understandings of themselves and their bodies through the use of digital health apps… I am looking to recruit two groups of up to 6 women to help me with this topic that is under-researched in both the areas of perimenopause and the use of apps… My thesis supervisor is Professor Sarah Riley whose expertise is in postfeminism and health, gender studies, body image and is also working with an international group on a larger similar project.”
Here’s more info on the project - scan the code if you are keen.
Good news for women on Utrogestan
By now you’ve hopefully heard the news: For people taking HRT/MHT - it’s going to cost you less from December. Up until now the best and safest form of progesterone - what’s known as micronised progesterone, brand name Utrogestan (which I am now also on), and which anyone with a uterus needs to take when also taking oestrogen - was - oddly - not funded in NZ. This meant a cost of at least $30 per month for those wanting to take it. Clearly this created an access and equity issue. Pharmac recently announced it will be funding this important medicine. It's a reason to celebrate for the many doctors and menopause advocates who have been lobbying for this change for a long time. And it means more women who need it - and who could not afford it before - will be able to access it as part of managing their menopause and perimenopause. Woohoo! It’s a small but important win, I reckon.
Interesting Menopause news:
Can music ease menopause symptoms?
Seems like it might take a bit more than a Spotify playlist to sort our menopause symptoms (right?) but maybe taking time to listen to music can help…? I came across this interesting study, which was a randomised control trial (RCT) on 48 postmenopausal women, looking at whether music affected their depression and their menopause symptoms.
I can’t get access to the full study to find out what the music was or how long the women listened to it, but the results were a ‘significant decrease’ in both depression scores and menopausal symptoms amongst the participants. So - there you go; maybe popping on the headphones and pumping up the tunes is something to add to the self-care routine.
NASA brings space-tech down to earth to help menopausal hot flushes
Fancy fabric to regulate body temperature comes to the market.
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/spinoff/nasa_funded_technology_helps_relieve_symptoms_of_menopause
Why we need a proper women’s health strategy
Orna McGinn writes movingly in NZ Doctor about some of the problems in women’s health treatment - and what she calls the ‘pitiful’ history of women’s health - and why we need a proper Women’s Health Strategy right now, today.
https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/opinion/pitiful-history-womens-health-no-strategy-no-sense-no-wonder-its-shambles
Vaginal oestrogen is available over the counter in the UK!
https://www.mygina.co.uk
My recent appearances…
I spent a lovely hour with Petra Bagust on her Grey Areas podcast recently.. have a listen here (or on your podcast app of choice):
https://www.rova.nz/home/podcasts/grey-areas-with-petra-bagust.html
And we did a fun Instagram Live as well, which you can find here:
And lastly….
Not strictly menopause related, but since she’s often cited as a celebrity ‘embracing’ perimenopause…Did you see that Gwyneth turned 50? She also inexplicably got naked and painted herself gold. Bless…
Until next time… you know where to find me. Please feel free to share this newsletter and help spread the word amongst our perimenpausal and menopausal sisters.