Aches, pains, heart palpitations, anxiety, depression, reduced confidence, lack of energy, hot flashes, even suicidal thoughts… the list goes on.
These are symptoms that many menopausal women in Britain are needlessly suffering from right now due to a shortage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which helps alleviate the challenges of “the change.”
The number of people relying on this treatment has doubled in the last five years, and there are now 500,000 HRT prescriptions a month in England alone.
However, it seems that supply cannot keep up with demand as women across the country are being forced to leave pharmacies empty-handed.
Currently, the shortages are around Oestrogel and a few other types of HRT such as FemSeven Sequi patches.
However, for those who are worried about the lack of supplies - which MP Carolyn Harris attributed to the government’s “bad planning” - Dr Juliet Balfour answers the vital questions…
What should you do if you cannot get access to HRT?
If somebody can’t get their prescription, Dr Balfour recommends talking to a GP. However, the good news is not all types of HRT are in short supply, and the Women’s Health Concern’s website has a “really useful” conversion chart showing equivalent doses across HRT products.
She adds that it is “worth patients looking at this before they contact the doctor.”
Should people get HRT off a friend if they have run out?
“People shouldn’t be swapping doses, brands, types,” says Dr Balfour. There are many variables that might make this dangerous and it is therefore important to seek medical advice.
For instance, “oestrogen tablets can slightly raise the risk of blood clots so there are certain people who can’t have the tablets — if you’re very overweight, have high blood pressure, have migraine headaches.”
She also warns that taking someone else’s medication could result in a person having “a much lower dose, something of a much higher dose, something that doesn’t suit you.”
What lifestyle changes can help people cope with the shortage?
Dr Balfour explains that “lifestyle is really important. So, healthy eating, not smoking, reducing alcohol, getting outside, exercise, all the of those things.”
As for hot flashes, these can be helped by avoiding triggers, which include “alcohol, smoking, spicy food, and getting stressed.”
Additionally, cognitive behavioural therapy [CBT] is effective in “teaching people how to calm it down.”
Will antidepressants work instead of HRT?
There are two types of antidepressants which can lessen hot flashes and night sweats, says the menopause specialist.
The first is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs] which increase the amount of serotonin to your brain, and the second is Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) which increase both serotonin and norepinephrine.
However, she says they “don’t really help with other symptoms and they don’t really help with anxiety and depression.
“This is a big problem with lots of women in their 40s being given antidepressants when they come in with symptoms of menopause. In fact, they need oestrogen, not antidepressants.”
Are there any natural remedies?
There are many natural remedies which are claimed to help with menopause. Some use wildflower St John’s Wort to lift their mood, while others rely on red clover to reduce their hot flashes or magnesium to sleep better.
However, Dr Balfour admits that there isn’t anything that has “definitively been proven.” She adds: “The symptoms are due to lack of oestrogen and what sorts them out is giving people back their oestrogen.”
