JUST DAYS AFTER TAKING DRUG, I FELT THAT I WAS BACK TO NORMAL
GYNAECOLOGIST Dr Heather Currie followed the same advice she gives to patients and started taking HRT at the age of 53.
The mother-of-two, who lives near Dumfries, said: ‘I started because I wasn’t sleeping properly and I was getting night sweats. I would wake up shattered and soaking.
‘Many women suffer from the symptoms of menopause because they are concerned about the risks. I wasn’t prepared to suffer unnecessarily in my own case. My life is very busy and I needed to be able to get a proper night’s sleep.’
Dr Currie, chairman of the British Menopause Society and managing director of Menopause Matters, was convinced by research showing HRT can protect from heart disease and osteoporosis.
She said: ‘I can see why women would be scared when they hear about all these possible risks.
‘It is different for different women but for me, a few days after I started with HRT, I felt as if I was back to normal. I expect to be taking it for as long as I need it.’
The married gynaecologist, whose children have grown up, has welcomed the new research, despite noting that it is based on a small sample.
She said: ‘This adds to the strength of evidence that HRT is not harmful, while it can also be good for your heart and for your bones.
‘I want women like me to make their decision based on the evidence, and not exaggerated risks.’