Penny Lancaster said menopause has been “hideous” with mood swings so bad at one stage she threw dinner plates across the floor.
Panellist and model Penny, 51, who is married to Maggie May rocker Sir Rod Stewart also believes hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should be free for women.
The Government recently announced that it planned limiting the amount of certain HRT products women can access in order to improve general supply across the UK.
There have been concerns about a shortage of the medication.
Penny told TalkTV’s The News Desk, that menopause mood swings meant she “snapped” and screamed, throwing plates across the floor.
She described the experience ad “hideous” and said it made her cry, adding “It was one of those you know, ‘We’ve got to get your mum to the doctor. Something’s not right.’
“Because I’m very easy going, laid back. I take everything with my stride and want everyone around me to kind of be happy, like a lot of mums.
“We’ve kind of balanced everything around us and everyone’s thoughts and feelings come first before our own.”
In October, Penny joined Davina McCall and Mariella Frostrup at a rally in Parliament Square.
They celebrated when the Government pledged more menopause support and a reduction in HRT costs.
HRT can help with hot flushes, night sweats, low mood, anxiety and difficulty sleeping.
Penny said of the treatment: “The demand for HRT is because of the confidence women now have, after a lot of campaigning after the last two or three years, we’re not sort of shying away from it.
“We’re not embarrassed to talk about it. We’re brave enough to go to doctors and demand HRT.
“There should be a tick box, with very, very simple symptoms that you just need to tick, for a doctor for them to finally go ‘okay, assign, assign your prescription. Here’s the HRT.’
“Because it is really, really devastating, and because of this huge demand now, the pharmacists and manufacturers, they just can’t keep up with the demand of the medication that we need.”
She added: “So I think the message has gone out, and it’s full steam ahead and let’s hope women can get their hands on it, and more importantly, not have to pay for it. I don’t in Scotland and Wales. So we need to move on with this.”
“I believe men can get hold of Viagra for free, so their hormones are being looked after.
“And women play a vital role in the workplace, and so many women are having to lose their jobs and walk away from very high profile positions, just where men and women are in that position in their career, where they could be promoted and become CEOs of companies and very talented women are being lost.”
The News Desk is on weekdays on TalkTV at 7pm (Sky 526, Virgin Media 627, Freeview 237, and Freesat 217) and live and on demand on the TalkTV app and at Talk.TV
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