‘We should talk to our mothers and our daughters’
Kim Jacob, 60, is a make-up artist and lives in London with her husband Simon, 60, and their two children, Oliver, 27, and Alice, 22.
I was 53 when I first started experiencing menopausal symptoms, although I didn’t know it then. Friends had mentioned hot flushes, and I’d never discussed it with my mum. I honestly thought I’d sail through it, so when I started experiencing feelings of anxiety, fear and depression, I was overwhelmed.
I’d always been confident and assertive, but now
I felt frazzled and nervous. I struggled with low moods and energy, but I put on a brave face for the sake of my family, when all I wanted to do was curl up in bed.
In March 2015, I hit the lowest point in my life, feeling suicidal. It came out of the blue as I stood on the platform waiting for the Tube, and in that moment, I knew something had to change.
The GP wanted to prescribe antidepressants, but I resisted. ‘I think I’m menopausal,’ I said, but she thrust the prescription in my hand, which I later threw away.
Instead, on a friend’s recommendation, I visited a doctor specialising in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
– a natural, plant-based alternative to traditional
‘I’d always been assertive, but now I felt nervous’
HRT – and within two weeks of starting treatment, I had more energy, my head felt less foggy and the anxiety eased. It wasn’t cheap – £500 every two months – and I stopped after six months, but within weeks, symptoms returned. I had panic attacks and my mood dipped.
In 2017, I focused on alternative medicine and treatment, like ashwagandha and CBD oil, meditation and Pilates. It helped at times, but
I was often tearful and had heart palpitations. In March 2020, I came across the Online Menopause Centre, offering bioidentical hormone therapy for half the price, and blood tests showed I had no oestrogen, progesterone or testosterone, so I was put on a plan for all three. Within weeks,
I felt the old me returning, as the feelings of depression and anxiety disappeared.
I’ve made sure to educate my 22-year-old daughter because it’s important she shouldn’t be embarrassed or frightened when it happens. If we’re armed with all the information, it doesn’t have to be a difficult journey.
✣ Visit onlinemenopause centre.com for more details.