A woman who was suffering with the symptoms of perimenopause said it took her nine months to get a prescription for life-changing hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Emma Burns said she was dealing with sleepless nights, hot flushes, and emotional trauma for months and was even referred to a mental health nurse before she was finally prescribed HRT, which relieves the symptoms of the menopause.
As she was 38 at the time her symptoms started she was told it was very unlikely she was going through the menopause and her symptoms were likely related to the issues in her life at the time. Wales was just coming out of lockdown and she described her anxiety as "going through the roof".
Emma, now 40, said: "I was getting night sweats. And the insomnia – I have had more than enough experience with bad sleep after having three children – but this was on another level. When my children were younger and they would wake I'd have no trouble getting back to sleep. But it was impossible. I started waking earlier and earlier. I would wake up at 4am and I would be exhausted."
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According to the NHS just 5% of the population go through the menopause before the age of 45. Emma's periods remained, though became sporadic, and women aren't considered postmenopausal until they are 12 months after their last period.
Perimenopause is the term used to refer to women who begin the transition. According to NHS guidance you can begin HRT as soon as you start experiencing menopausal symptoms and will not usually need to have any tests first. However women aged between 40 and 45 may be offered a blood test to measure their hormone levels first.
Emma said because she was still having periods she believes the blood tests were giving inaccurate results as they were done at various points in her cycle when her hormones would have been abnormal anyway. "I was going back and forth to the doctors and I said: 'I am aware there is things going on in the past and present' but I could feel in my body that things were changing and I needed help with it. I am running a business – obviously it is not as if I can have long periods of time off. I was already on my own path of looking at ways to help my body but my brain chemistry needed something to regulate my hormones.
"They said: 'You don't tick the boxes for the menopause'. They wouldn't give me HRT. I don't think they should hand it out like sweets but it took over nine months for me to have it. It took a mental health nurse writing to my doctor to tell them it isn't a mental health problem and to give me HRT."
Emma's symptoms have completely eased since she started HRT. She said: "It does take time for your body to start taking it on board. I did notice a difference when I forgot to take it for about three or four days – I could not think clearly again. I am sleeping significantly better and my hot flushes have gone.
"Because I have regular periods I still have the ups and downs. I experience life – I am not immune to life. I feel that I have got more able to cope with the things that last year and the year before my head would be going into a spin about so quickly – I could be in a panic. I am helping myself – I have really worked hard on my business this year. At one point I was going to leave but I am really working on it again now I have the HRT and I feel better."
Emma is a reflexologist who runs her business from a bell tent near her hometown in Caerphilly. Through her work she helps other women through who are dealing with problems in their life. Reflexology is a type of massage that involves applying different amounts of pressure to the feet, hands, and ears. It is based on a theory that these body parts are connected to certain organs and body systems.
"I do what I do to help people alongside hyper-joinery through perimenopause and menopause alongside conventional treatment. It has helped so many of my clients."
Due to her knowledge in reflexology Emma was already looking for natural ways she could help her body and has also learnt how to manage her anxiety better. This along with the HRT means Emma is coping far better than she was before.
Emma would recommend anyone who is going through the menopause or perimenopause to seek the support they need from their GP. She also recommends the app Balance which is a symptom tracker specifically for women going through the menopause.
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