GP diagnosed depression but I knew it was something more
Karen Kenning, 50, of Elgin, Moray, believes she suffered unnecessarily with menopause symptoms, including low moods and anxiety, for 16 years.
It was after the birth of her second child in 2003, that the mum was required to have a hysterectomy.
She was left with her ovaries intact but was unaware that they could fail and lead to early menopause.
However, within weeks, Karen was experiencing a wide range of health issues.
She said: “My symptoms included severe sweating, which was so bad doctors diagnosed and treated me for what they thought was hyperhidrosis.
“I also had sore joints and palpitations. I started to feel anxious, I couldn’t sleep and I felt like I was losing my mind.
“I would get times when this led to a total crash in my mood and I would burst into tears, which was unlike me. The moods came and went in peaks and troughs.”
In the end, her GP diagnosed depression, but Karen was convinced this was incorrect.
She said: “I had previously suffered with depression and taken anti-depressants for that.
“What I was feeling after the hysterectomy wasn’t the same. It wasn’t a constant depression, rather a cycle of low moods and anxiety.”
Finally, after doing her own research on-line, Karen began to connect her symptoms with menopause.
She said: “I came across a menopause community website and I read about all the symptoms I had been dealing with. It was like a light bulb went on.”
In 2019, Karen, who is married and now has a son aged 17 and another aged 20, started HRT.
She said: “The difference the HRT patches have made is incredible. The extra dose of oestrogen makes a real difference to how I feel.
“It took years to make the connection between my symptoms and the menopause, though I don’t blame the doctors.
“I think there needs to be far greater awareness of symptoms and appropriate treatments, not only amongst medics, but also women themselves.”