Anne-Marie’s own story.
Personally I don’t know when I actually became menopausal. I can’t even remember how long ago my symptoms began or when I became peri- menopausal. I just know I felt awful and not myself for quite a few years. I have a Merina coil/IUD in situ and so do not know in reality when my periods stopped. Actual menopause is classed as when there’s been an absence of a period for 12 months.
I’ve been a nurse for over 30 years and have an advanced nurse practitioner degree. Yet I was never taught about the menopause. Sadly it clearly wasn’t given the time it deserved.
I put up with an abundance of symptoms for many years. I was given a Merina Coil/IUD which has some progesterone in it and then was prescribed Oestrogel. It stated take one pump per day. Some days I used 6-8 pumps as my symptoms such as feeling angry and anxious were so bad.
I was never offered a blood test to take even a snap shot of my hormone levels. I was never offered testosterone despite my low libido, feeling tired and anxious. I assume because it’s quite expensive and/or maybe my doctor didn’t really know how to treat my symptoms correctly.
I was on a course with another nurse who worked for Dr Martin Kinsella. She was telling us how she was using the Bio ID hormones and how much better she felt. Around this time I started to get ectopic (extra) heart beats and a feeling of anxiousness in my chest I’d never had before. Enough was enough and I knew I had to try something different.
In December 2022 I commenced on Bio ID hormones after my blood tests showed low testosterone levels and undetectable oestrogen and progesterone levels, despite being on HRT. I needed oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The lot basically.
Am I happy I’m having to pay for them? Absolutely not.
Am I happy to pay for them because I feel so much better now and they are safer than traditional HRT?
Absolutely.
My husband has also stated that they are well worth the money and he is still alive and doesn’t have to sleep with one eye open anymore.
From my consultation I learnt so much about symptoms I didn’t even realise were being caused by the menopause. Symptoms which have now resolved or at least diminished substantially.
I waited to see how these hormones worked for me before making the decision to start my own menopause clinic. I know from my own personal experience how well they can work and hope I can now help other women, and men, improve their health a quality of life.