menopause

10 Comments Posted on August 5, 2014August 5, 2014 Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Pain Management, Patient Talk, Women's Health

The menopause and chronic illness – What effect did the menopause and pre-menopause have on your main medical condition?

The menopause and chronic illness

A few weeks ago we ran a short blog post on Multiple Sclerosis Heat Intolerance or Uthoff’s Phenomenon. While there has been some interest in the subject there were no comments on the blog until yesterday.

A lady kindly commented “Now add pre-menopause hot flashes, which in PREmenopuase means I get hot hours!! This sucks so bad. It only gets harder.”

The comment really hit home. What really is the impact of the menopause and pre-menopause on the symptoms of a chronic medical condition? Not just multiple sclerosis, of course, but also other related chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis.

Not just that what do women do to help with any exacerbations of their symptoms caused by the onset of menopause? This is the aim of this blog post.

Firstly would it be possible for you to take the poll below so we can assess the percentages of our readers who symptoms are changed (or not) by the meno pause.

Finally it would be great if you could share a bit more in the comments section below. You may wish to consuder the following questions:-

a) What is your main medical condition?
b) What is the impact of the menopause on that medical condition?
c) How did you deal with these new symptoms? How successful were these treatment?
d) What one bit of advice would you give to a women with your medical condition who have just started the menopause?

Many thanks in advance!

Leave a comment Posted on December 4, 2013February 28, 2014 Patient Talk

Osteoporosis. An interview with an older patient about her new treatment options, exercise and use of dietary supplements!

Welcome to the latest in our ongoing series of PatientTalk.Org interviews. Today we are

Osteoporosis

interviewing Elizabeth a 75 year old woman living in London, England who has been lucky enough to get a wide range of treatments which allow her to live a full life with Osteoporosis. It is also worth mentioning that she suffers from Osteoarthritis.

We hope this interview will give you an idea about some of the options which are becoming more and more available to osteoporosis sufferers.

PatientTalk.Org:- How long have you had osteoporosis and what are your main symptoms?

Elizabeth: In fact I can’t give a clear answer. Twenty years ago when I was going through the menopause I was told that I was on the cusp of being diagnosed with osteoporosis. Ten years later I tripped and broke my wrist. A second scan revealed that my bone density appeared to be still in the range of normal for my peer group. However at this stage I was given calcium and vitamin D tablets on a daily basis (which I still take). Another ten years passed and I tripped once again running up some stairs and fractured the other wrist. At this time I was told that there was no point in another scan as two low-impact fractures at my age equalled osteoporosis. I had been told that walking would help to maintain and strengthen my lower body bone density. So I try and walk for at least one hour every day.

PatientTalk.Org: So apart from the calcium and vitamin supplements what other treatments have you been offered?

Elizabeth: Because I was aware that I’d lost a lot of upper body strength, for example undoing jars became a real chore, due to the broken wrists and open heart surgery which took place 25 years ago, I wanted some form of exercise which would improve my situation. I was told by a friend that she was following a course of Nordic walking and this seemed to be the answer.

I contacted the local health service who were very helpful and invited me to a set of tests and check-ups to ascertain my suitability for a Nordic walking course.

They were happy for me to start the course but beforehand they wanted me to do a course of bone density exercises. These took place at a course of eight weekly sessions. They consisted of a warm up, a series of about 10 different exercises each of 2 minutes, followed by a cooling down session. They were supervised by exercise specialists who were extremely supportive.

During this course I learned of another 8 week course in Gold Zumba. That is a type of Zumba more suitable for older people. I’ve now been on the course for around 4 weeks. And enjoy it.

PatientTalk.Org: So what actually is Zumba?

Elizabeth: I think it can be described as some form of dance which can be used as a fitness programme as well. We are taught by a qualified instructor who specialises in Zumba as a therapy. For me the combination of exercise with music means that I’m pushed just a little bit harder than other types of exercise. This is good for co-ordination of the body and, in fact, my brain. Zumba is great for balance as well.

PatientTalk.Org: So have you noticed any improvements?

Elizabeth: This is difficult to say. In fact it is not my main objective. I am really looking to maintain my current body strength and flexibility. I notice that as each session goes on that I’m more flexible and my balance is much better.

And I’m now in a position to start Nordic walking.

PatientTalk.Org: Are you using any other treatments?

Elizabeth: I have now started a 3 year course of biannual subcutaneous injections for my osteoporosis. There are other treatments but it was felt that my digestive system was not suitable for them.

PatientTalk.Org: What sort of medical education / advice were you give?

I was invited to a series of talks at either the hospital or local health centres by osteoporosis experts in

a) General information about osteoporosis

b) Exercise and osteoporosis

c) Diet and osteoporosis

PatientTalk.Org:What did you learn about diet and osteoporosis?

Elizabeth: Apart from information about foods and drink which are particularly good for sufferers of osteoporosis which include dairy, lentils, fish and some vegetables, we were advised that there were certain circumstances in which it was more efficacious to take the supplements. These were not explained to me by my normal Doctor. Indeed the supplements documentation contains only limited advice. The lectures I attended however provided me with far clearer advice. What concerns me is that many other people with osteoporosis are not getting the full benefits of the supplements they are taking.

PatientTalk.Org:Thanks very much for this. Very useful for us and our readers.

So over to you. What do you think of Elizabeth’s story? It would be great if you could share your thoughts in the comments box below. You might want to think in terms of the following questions:-

1) How long have you been diagnosed with Osteoporosis?

2) What sort of treatments have you had and how effective have they been?

3) What sort of support did you receive in terms of education about the condition?

4) Do you feel you have been well advised regarding the use of supplements?

5) What sorts of exercise do you take for your osteoporosis?

Many thanks in advance!

2 Comments Posted on October 2, 2013November 1, 2016 Women's Health

The Menopause. Have you ever treated the menopause with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) or other treatment?

Over the last week or so my wife and I have started to watch the US TV series “House of Cards”. If you have any interest in politics and the goings on of the US Congress I’d really recommend it. But TV reviewing is not really part of the remit of this blog. The reason I bring the subject up is that Claire Underwood (brilliantly played by Robin Wright) is portrayed as going through the menopause.

Now this really interested both of us. While the menopause is a reality for so many women it does not seem to feature much in dramas and books. It is almost seems to be intentionally ignored. Which is odd for an event which almost all women will experience and is referred to by some as the “change in life”.

This leads me to the point of this blog. We are asking our readers to share their experiences of the menopause and how it has affected their lives.

In a nutshell the menopause is when a woman stops menstruating. This means that she no longer produces eggs and thus ceases to be able to have children. According to the UK’s NHS web site “The menopause is caused by a change in the balance of the body’s sex hormones. In the lead up to the menopause (perimenopause) oestrogen levels decrease, this causes the ovaries to stop producing an egg each month (ovulation). Oestrogen is the female sex hormone that regulates a woman’s periods.”

In practice this can mean:-

Heart palpitations i.e. a change in heart rate
Mood swings
Night sweats
Insomnia
Hot flushes
Loss of sexual desire
Urinary tract infections

So how is the menopause treated? In fact for many women no treatment is necessary as symptoms can be very mild. But for those women who have stronger symptoms there are a number of treatments. Most notable is Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT. This is where the oestrogen produced by the women’s body is replaced by an artificial source. This could be in the form of a patch, tablet or even an implant. Other women can be treated with a synthetic hormone called Tibolone which acts in a very similar fashion to HRT.

Some women have tried herbal treatments and vitamin supplements to deal with the symptoms of the menopause.

So over to you. We are very interested in your views and experiences in and around the menopause. Anything you wish to share will be of great interest to our other readers. But it would be great if you could consider some of the following questions.

1) Why does such a major event as the menopause seem to be brushed under the carpet by the mass media?

2) What symptoms of the menopause have you had?

3) How did the menopause affect your lifestyle?

4) What treatments did you use and how successful were they?

5) What one piece of advice would you give to a woman who has just started the menopause?

Thanks very much in advance.

1 Comment Posted on June 18, 2013November 10, 2014 Patient Talk

Spotlight on the Menopause What are the symptoms and how can you beat them?

Dr Heather Currie

Even today, many symptoms of the menopause remain taboo subjects, which leads to many women suffering in silence. In our live webTV show we’ll be talking about the menopause, its symptoms and how you can get help to treat them.

While many women take menopause in their stride, for many others it can be an isolating time and come completely out of the blue. Simply put, many women struggle with the thought that they will no longer be able to have children and are going through a natural phase of life that they feel is irreversible.

There are many symptoms commonly associated with menopause that women expect, such as hot flushes and night sweats, but there are many others of an intimate nature that are talked about less often. Vaginal health problems, such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and associated complications like incontinence, are perhaps less expected and women may not realise that they are caused by menopause and can be treated.

In this live and interactive health show, expert gynaecologist and founder of Menopause Matters, Dr Heather Currie, will discuss how to spot the symptoms and talk through the many treatments that are available. We also have Kathryn Colas joining us, who had a life-changing experience of menopause and has since re-invented herself as a women’s health ambassador focusing on raising awareness of menopause and how women can get through it.

In the show we’ll also be discussing the results of the CLOSER study, which gives a fascinating insight into the impact of menopause on the intimate lives of British women and their partners, as well as the psychological impact.

So whether you are someone suffering through menopause in silence, or know someone that is, join our live show and send in your questions to Dr Currie and Kathryn now.

Website: www.menopausematters.co.uk www.simplyhormones.com