‘Don’t despair – there’s light at the end of the tunnel’
When Karen, 56, from London, started to experience brain fog, palpitations and insomnia, she put it down to being an older mum and stress at work. Then her GP dropped a bombshell…
“Menopause symptoms creep up on you and they can get muddled in with whatever’s going on in your life. I had my second child at 38 and it was hard to untangle being exhausted due to small kids from what was menopause.
“The first real symptom was insomnia, but when my daughter started sleeping well it didn’t go away. Then came mood swings, irritability and heart palpitations, which I now know were down to hormonal changes. But at the time I was working in a publishing company and I’d also get stressed out and overwhelmed by deadlines.
“As I had the Mirena coil for birth control, I wasn’t having periods, so I didn’t see any change there. And I didn’t get hot flushes until later, so it didn’t occur to me that brain fog and poor concentration were symptoms of an early menopause. At times, I felt like it was all in my head.
“When I was 43, I was experiencing hot flushes, and after tests, I was diagnosed as postmenopausal. The GP suggested HRT, but
I went off and tried all sorts of things to manage it myself, such as herbal supplements and acupuncture. They all helped a little, but I still didn’t feel right.
“So, aged 50, I went back to the GP practice. I took a list of my symptoms and I’d researched what was available, so I had an idea of what I wanted. The doctor was really good and I came away with HRT that is just like the hormones lost during the menopause. It felt like the missing piece.
“Now I work as a health and wellness coach, helping women understand menopause and what they can do to feel better, including good sleep, nutrition and exercise.
“If your symptoms are bothering you, don’t despair. It might take a lot of tweaks and patience, but consulting your GP practice and looking after your lifestyle can help you feel well again. If HRT isn’t right for you, your GP can advise you on the best course of action. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
It didn’t occur to me these were symptoms of an early menopause