GP who specialises in women's health explodes the most common menopause myths

Menopause has long been a taboo subject, but that's changing - fast.  

Only recently I presented a report for BBC's Inside out, which debunked some of the most common menopause myths.  

I also regularly appear on BBC Radio London to try and correct the countless non-truths around women's health.

Yet, despite all this, I still hear from patients who are (understandably) confused by the amount of misinformation that persists.    

So, in my continued bid to separate fact from fiction, here are the top myths that I hear constantly...

MENOPAUSE ONLY AFFECTS WOMEN 

Whilst menopause as a process certainly affects only women, men are affected by it massively! And this is another reason that we all need to talk about it. 

Men are affected as they see their partner/sister/mother suffer the symptoms. These relationships become difficult or different or breakdown. 

The women around them can no longer function as mothers/carers/partners and lose their jobs and household finances suffer. 

So, this is actually an issue that will affect every single person at some point!

MENOPAUSE STARTS AT 50 AND OVER 

The average age of menopause in the UK is 51. But it’s an average, meaning there are younger and older women in the mix, too. 

Also, bear in mind that this figure is the point at which women’s periods stop completely. Peri-menopause (the time leading up to periods stopping for good) can last for 10 years before this. 

So women can be peri-menopausal with symptoms throughout their entire 40’s!

Then there are women who go through premature ovarian failure or surgical menopause (removal of ovaries), plunging them into early menopause as young as 20. They then potentially have decades of symptoms.

This means women may be seeing their GP for menopause symptoms which are not being recognized because the assumption is that she is too young.  

HOT FLUSHES ARE THE FIRST SIGN 

Hot flushes and night sweats are common but many women don’t have either. 

My experience is that anxiety, mood changes and depression are probably the earliest symptoms and these often go unrecognised as menopause symptoms. 

So if you have never previously suffered from anxiety/low mood and suddenly the world is a dark place, see your GP and ask if its peri-menopause.

BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES ARE  NOT AVAILABLE ON NHS 

The expensive and private BHRT clinics would love you to believe this but it just isn’t true. 

Body identical and bio-identical mean the same thing; hormones made from plants (usually Yam) that mimic your own hormones exactly and they are definitely available on the NHS.

Ask your GP for Oestrogel and utrogestan which is a totally bioidentical combination and can be tailored to suit you.

And don’t forget, there are so many ways to have HRT; tablets, patches, gels or a combination of these 

YOU CAN'T HAVE HRT

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