Fiona Phillips, 62, has revealed she has Alzheimer’s, despite previously believing her symptoms were the result of the menopause.
Last year, the journalist and former GMTV host wrote in her Mirror column that ‘the change’ had left her “racked with anxiety, a tearful, fearful, anxious wreck, a shadow of myself.”
She also added: “I’ve cried a thousand rivers in the past few weeks and I’ve got nothing to be sad about. I’ve been fearing for my sanity and am scared to do things I’ve been doing with ease for years.”
However, in an exclusive interview with The Mirror alongside her husband, This Morning boss Martin Frizell, it has been revealed that Alzheimer’s was sadly the true reason for these symptoms.
Martin, 64, explained, ‘‘We thought maybe it was the menopause because all the symptoms were there; brain fog, anxiety and confusion.
"We got in touch with a menopause specialist who took her under their wing and put her on HRT but while that improved some symptoms, the brain fog remained.”
The menopause specialists recommended she seek help for her memory loss and after months of tests the diagnosis Fiona had dreaded was revealed.
Both Fiona’s parents also had Alzheimer’s, with her mother Amy developing the illness at just 54-years-old.
However, Fiona also wrote about how menopause was a difficult time for her mum too.
“It [the menopause] slaughtered my mum and turned her from a warm, smiley, busy lady who loved life into a tearful, fearful wreck of the woman she was, and now it seems to be doing its very best to see me off too,” she wrote. “It has left me feeling so dark, day in and day out.”
Although this may too have been a result of Alzheimer’s the two conditions can often have similar symptoms.
This is because menopause often affects women’s cognitive function.
The Menopause Charity explains, “Brain fog is a very common symptom of the menopause, and many women say that their brains feel like 'cotton wool'.”
Women are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s - the most common form of dementia - than men, but some researchers believe this is down to the fact that women live longer.
