Menopause revisited

In May 2021, I wrote about my Menopause journey. It was a premature onset, occurring at age 36 soon after Sam was born. The surge of hormones reduced to a trickle over a space of 2 years until my periods eventually stopped. HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) gave me my life back, and I have been on it for over 50 years. The experience was devastating at first – but it in fact left me much healthier and in far better shape than if it had occurred at the usual time.

I was warned about osteoporosis. I had calcium-rich foods and walked 2–3km every morning before work; I also managed to fit in some Pilates after work. I paid closer attention to diets prescribed by Dr Norman Walker, whom I often write about – eating more raw fruit and salads, eliminating sugar, white bread, biscuits, and soft drinks. I became better at preparing my own meals and cooking in general. I eventually moved away from buying take-outs, and eating processed and fast foods (processed meats especially). 

My HRT also included a small dose of testosterone, which raised mood and energy. I had to watch my weight though, and gradually lost the 5kg I’d gained when first on HRT through diet and exercise.

In 2002, when work colleagues were showing signs of ‘change of life’ – with little battery-operated ‘menopausal fans’ on their desks! – I had already been on HRT for over 15 years. Most knew what was to come but none prepared for it. Unfortunately, also in 2002, HRT trial results from the Women’s Health Initiative in the US were released. It warned of a heightened risk of breast cancer, strokes, heart attacks and blood clots for women on HRT.

So for the next 15 years, HRT was demonised. Doctors stopped prescribing it and my workmates were given antidepressants and sleeping pills while they desperately searched for ‘natural’ alternatives. Of course, the supplement industry thrived. Vitamins B12 and D3, magnesium and calcium were added to preparations of Wild Yam, Black Cohosh, Dong Quai and Red Clover to make them seem like solutions. But did they work? To those I asked, the answer was NO!

I remained sceptical of herbal and vitamin treatments. Although my gynaecologist begged me to stop HRT, I continued with it. I believed the media did not properly investigate the reports – and specialist clinicians I spoke to agreed with me. And wouldn’t you know – a few years later, further research and analysis suggested those initial findings lacked important context about patient risk profiles. The trial was deemed flawed and wildly misreported.

The Australian Menopause Society now advises HRT is “safe to use for most women in their 50s or for the first 10 years after the onset of menopause”. Menopause treatment is at last having its Eureka moment, and there’s even a new name for it: MHT (Menopause Hormone Therapy). MHT is now associated with reduced risk of heart attacks, endometrial and ovarian cancer, and small decreases in the risk of dementia.

Then there’s the latest addition, ‘PeriMenopause‘: the “reproductive phase in a woman’s life occurring before the final menstrual period, or menopause”. It’s when we’re nearly there, but not quite, with signs that our hormone-secreting glands are unwinding – when we should be getting help to help us carry on with our jobs and social lives.

In her article “Why Everyone is Talking about Menopause Again”, Penny Timms writes:

” … it is important women equip themselves with sound advice so they enter this new phase of life full of knowledge and empowerment rather than fear and misinformation … it is also a special time to focus on you and your own happiness.”

(The Australian, 2024, 21 December. Timms quotes Prof Susan Davis from Monash University.)

Many women seem to sail through menopause well into their 50s – and see no need getting a thorough health check. But without oestrogen, the ‘banker’ of calcium, we lose bone mass (most rapidly between 5–10 years following menopause). Our body shape changes, lean fat deteriorates and belly fat accumulates!

My Care & Maintenance Program

  • Blood tests
  • Bone density (also the bone mineral density test or DXA)
  • Mammograms
  • Bowel screening
  • Blood pressure

They should all now be a part of your regular health screening health program if they’re not already. Please also include the gym if you can!

I stopped taking MHT at age 60 on my doctor’s advice, with the risk of breast cancer after this age. I was given ‘Tibolone’ instead – a synthetic hormone that mimics the effects of both oestrogen and testosterone. However, now at age 75, my GP cautions that Tibolone could cause strokes, even though I don’t meet any of the risk factors. I’ve also noticed its beneficial effects have waned over time. But she knows I will never stop it; she shakes her head and smiles while writing my prescription: “Shirley you seem to know what you’re doing … keep enjoying your life … “

Useful websites

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