Breaking the Bias of the Menopause for International Women’s Day 2022 

I am 62, so I passed the "window of opportunity" because though I complained of severe hot flashes in my early 50s, (the only symptom I knew about that was associated with menopause) doctors NEVER offered me systemic HRT. Granted, one somewhat savvy gyno put me on vaginal estrogen during my mid-50s, which was life-changing, but never was it suggested that I take HRT systemically. Well, here in America, hot flashes are one of the only symptoms that the FDA approves hormones to treat and I still have them after all these years, and they still wake me up at night. So I went out of my insurance network, at great cost to me, and found a provider who would prescribe a low-dose skin patch with micronized progesterone. I've been on this combo for about 2 months and little by little, I'm feeling better. I don't know that the dose is spot on yet, but at least I've started. I know I have missed out on some key preventive actions that taking hormones at a younger age would have offered, but alas, all women my age have really been screwed by the medical community on this issue. In my non-expert layperson's opinion, I predict that this estrogen fear-mongering will turn out to be the biggest medical calamity of the century.

I feel we need to change the terminology to hormonal deficiency, rather than menopause. There is such stigma attached to that word. Dr Louise, you are wonderful and I am so grateful that you are championing this for all of us women. Bikini medicine has damaged women's health. This should be criminal bc it is a systemic deprivation of hormones during a phase of deficiency. I've been on my HRTs for about 17 days and I can say I've started feeling back to my own self! I intend to tell every woman! Your comment about how the world would look is a huge question! This is systemic suppression of women!!!

At 50 I was already in menopause for a year but that ended up with me getting tachycardia in the middle of the night that sent me to the ambulance a few times, and insomnia,, hair thinning, breast atrophy, panic attacks, anxiety, fatigue, joint pain in my whole right side where I couldn't sleep on my right side. I had no libido and I no longer felt feminine. What the heck did that make me? I didn't feel like myself at all. After the third tachycardia event my cousin told me that I must have no estrogen at all and after getting tested I did not. It was very minute. A year in with a transdermal estradiol and transdermal progesterone via the Wiley protocol which is a biorhythmic protocol which ebbs and flows with estrogen peaking and dipping and then progesterone peeking and dipping which causes each one to stay in check. It's important to have both because each keeps each other in track. Also as estrogen peaks to a healthy level it preps the progesterone receptors for reception and vice versa. And a year in all my symptoms were gone. And my skin greatly improved as well. You have estrogen receptors throughout your body. And you're just going through hormonal starvation when you hit menopause. And there's no need to. We should be able to do this for the rest of our lives and be fabulous. I feel fabulous, female mystique is back, breasts are back, sleep is amazing, energy's great, mood is exceptional, hair is coming back. I will never ever ever go without. You all need to buy the book "sex, lies & menopause" because it's a quite the eye opener. And half the book of the studies that the author sites so it's well documented and supported by the studies.

I spoke with a friend and she was resistant to being called menopausal, so I asked her if she'd ever been iron deficient. She said yes. I asked if she felt bad about being diagnosed with that deficiency. She said absolutely not. I told her to then refer to it as hormonal deficiency, and to bypass the stigma! Women need to encourage other women to tell 2 friends... and keep telling them to encourage them to get onto the HRTs.

I'm sick of hearing HRT referred to as "anti-aging" or anti-aging clinics instead of hormonal wellness clinics I was refused to be seen because I had to be at least 35. I just turned 30 and had a partial hysterectomy at 27 that threw me into perimenopause and now I'm completely hormonal deficient.

you have done a lot for me and for many women I am grateful to you Doctor to spread these detailed information , please keep spreading to avoid women's not useful suffering. You have my greatest esteem , again thanks you , and god bless you and family and friends Madam

Thank you for talking about surgical menopause. I'm in New Zealand and I can confirm that getting the appropriate dosage is hard. I've been dealing with this for 11 months and it's exhausting. I'm still not at a dose that is sufficient. There is a lot of outdated information amongst doctors and it's incredibly frustrating, particularly given the poor quality of life those symptoms provoke and the long term risks we are exposed to.

Well done to Karina for sharing her story 💛, and explaining how she's still facing some resistance to optimizing the doses of hormones that she really needs. It was great that Louise asked what the world would be like if all women had their hormones, oh my goodness 💛. Denying women is really disabling them, instead of enabling them, and that's a travesty. Things can happen so much faster, look how quickly Covid vaccines were produced and administered. Women's health and wellbeing, in particular post-reproductive women, just isn't a priority. Why not? I'm fortunate to live in Scotland, where a Women's Health Plan is being introduced into legislation. Our First Minister is 50, maybe she will be able to open some eyes to ensure that doctors, and actually everyone, has a better understanding about how women's bodies work. Fingers crossed. I heard Karina say that in Italy it's difficult, and that's probably true globally. Keep going with everything you are doing. So that we are enabled, and not held back, from being as healthy and functional as possible 💜💚xx

Excellent information. So appreciate all Dr. Louise Newsome and her team is doing for us women suffering. Thank you Dr. Louise Newsome

Fantastic information,truly is.Thank God for Louise . Wonderful Gift to women xxx

Hot flashes in my late twenties and my gyno refused to test my hormones chuckling saying it was too young for that. This should be by default. The moment you start menstruating and you have hormones in your body you should be getting them checked for optimal balance in ratio. She wanted to put me on birth control which I can't take because it makes me depressed. So I've always struggled with hormone balancing had to rely on over the counter creams which abated PMS but ultimately my perimenopausal nightmare of incredibly horrible heavy clot filled. Lasted for about a year. We just do a disservice to women in Western medicine.

Thank you both so very much. ❤️

I've been talking to friends about this and most of them don't seem interested in listening at all even though most of them are exhibiting classic symptoms.

I would like your thoughts on rhythmic dosing.

P.s I have since perimenopause and still post menopause developed facial hair what is the cause of that? I spend my life plucking and shaving.

Please Dr Louise can you help me I am 52 now recovering from breast cancer had 2 operations radiotherapy and on hormone therapy for 10 years and try to hold down a part job and struggling with side effects. I do had underactive thyroid not had periods for coming up nearly 2 years. Have other health problems which I feel hormone therapy as contributed to back problems now bladder/bowel which was given MRI for also having sessions with cancer psychologist at moment for my anxiety, previous to all this was on Hrt Aug 2019 for 2/3 months had to stop taking as my skin came out in purple marks all over my body referred to skin specialist one said it was lichen platus another inflammation pigmentation also been on conception then received test results from mammogram of breast cancer its been many problems since.

im waiting for more information ,

Please doctor help me because my hormone imbalance what can i do Please Please tell me

My symtoms increases my blood pressure too. Can I still get HRT with my bp meds?

Why cant i find your website . Keep typing it in and google asking if ive mispelt it etc as site cant be reached . Can domeone help please ? Or provide a link as i cant find one . Thanks x

I hear you but how to deal with the risks? The doctors who are against hrt really scared me.

When was the last time you slept 7/8 hours straight?? Very little improvement on HRT, and see doctors talking about sleep hygiene and supplements. It is pathetic! We need more research!!