Peri/Menopause
How scary is the above list of symptoms? Did you even know that there was that many? We won't get all of them hopefully, but even having only a handful can have a significant impact on our daily lives, work, family & relationships. We generally know to look out for changes to our cycle, mood swings & hot flashes. But not everyone gets those. I didn't, but...Electric shocks - check. Acne - check. Increased migraines - check. Sudden food intolerances - check. Crawling feelings on my scalp - check. Waking during the night - check. Until changes to my cycle & some research I didn't know these and others were perimenopause symptoms & I'd had them about a year by this point. I was low in iron, folic acid & B12 following Covid which can also cause some of these symptoms so I didn't connect the dots.
Useful Info
Hormone replacement therapy
People can be worried about the link to breast cancer. However, newer studies show that the risk is incredibly low & obesity or 3 daily units of alcohol gives a higher risk than HRT. Please speak to a GP & do some research to see of HRT might be right for you.
From April 2023 people will only have to pay an annual prescription fee of £19.30 for HRT. This provides a certificate which is logged at the pharmacy & means they can dispense the HRT without repeat prescriptions or extra charges.
General Understanding
This website has easy to navigate & read basics of symptoms & stages. Menopause Now
Dr Louise Newson has this fantastic website & free app. She also has some books that are useful. balance - Homepage (balance-menopause.com)
She has a great podcast on various menopause related topics. The Dr Louise Newson Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Gender Transitioning
If you are a transitioning or transitioned person going through menopause you may have other factors to consider, please engage with your health care professional if you need any support.
Menopause resources for LGBTQIA+ people — Queer / LGBTQIA+ Menopause
We need to talk about the LGBTQ+ menopause experience (goodhousekeeping.com)
Nutrition
Zoe conduct large scale nutrition studies & have a range of articles to help you look at your diet. Some of you may not want to change your diet and that's fine. This is for those who are interested in how food & nutrition can help manage symptoms & support your body through these changes. Life Stages — ZOE (joinzoe.com)
Amanda Hamilton is a nutrition and wellbeing coach who specialises in menopausal age women. She doesn’t push any particular diet she talks about the nutritional value of food on facts basis and she is very pro fasting. As a former journalist all her teachings are research based. She also tries to limit what supplements people need to pay for etc to keep costs down for people by getting the basics in place. She has a range of courses at a range of prices that may be of interest. I have done a couple and she is very knowledgeable. There may be others out there, Amanda is just someone I came across and was impressed with. Amanda Hamilton
Menopause and diet | British Dietetic Association (BDA)
Eat to ease the menopause | BBC Good Food
There is a lot of evidence that a healthy plant based diet can help relieve symptoms. I know some people will be resistant to it but a lot of people are more aware of the benefits of being (completely or mostly) plant based now so I have included some plant based links.
Vegan menopause - what you need to know - Feel Good Menopause
Plant-Based Diet Linked To 84% Drop in Menopausal Symptoms - Plant Based News
How eating a plant-based diet can ease the symptoms of menopause (veganfoodandliving.com)
Supplements
There are a whole host of supplements that can help depending on what your symptoms are, both nutritional & herbal. Taking supplements can get expensive & need to be taken differently, take various lengths of time to have benefits, & some you need to take breaks from. If you decide to try any please have a look at how best to take them to get the most benefit. There are plenty of peri/menopause supplements that have have a mix of vitamins and herbs. Please check reviews of these & see if the herbs they contain & the ones that will help your particular symptoms and discuss with your GP or a menopause specialist. I've included some general info links but am not recommending anything in particular. If you are vegan then specifically looking for vegan supplements is important as often ingredients like collagen are made from animal sources.
10 Herbs and Supplements for Menopause (healthline.com)
Top 10 Menopause Reliefs of 2023 - Best Reviews Guide
Best Menopause Supplements UK (2022) - Mirror Online
Plant-Based supplements (just a few, there are lots more)
Buy Menopause Serenity Organic Supplements | Pukka Herbs UK
Menopause – DR.VEGAN (drvegan.com)
Meno Complex - Menopause Support – Ethical Nutrition (ethical-nutrition.com)
Seamoss gel or capsules contain 92 vitamin & minerals out of the 104 that our bodies need. It can be added to food/drinks & doubles as face/hair mask. There are various companies to buy it from. It has a short shelf life of just a few weeks but can be frozen into daily portions & then you get 6 months to use it.
8 Sea Moss benefits for women going through perimenopause – Pardasa
Is Sea Moss Good for Women Going through Menopause? – Herbal Vineyards
Another big thing at the moment is medicinal mushrooms. This is not psychedelics, but mushroom powder that can have big health benefits. You can buy it as tea & coffee or in powder to add to stuff. It seems best taken in hot water rather than sprinkled on food. I have made some tea from it & it is a mild flavour. Again these can be expensive so shop around to see whats best for you.
10 Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms for Women's Hormone Health (teelixir.com)
Medicinal Mushrooms for Menopause - Bristol Fungarium
Exercise
What’s the best exercise for the menopause?
Best exercise during the menopause: Dos and don'ts
It seems that it's important for the loss of bones as we age to have some strength training as part of our wellbeing. Being active is important as its easier to gain & harder to lose weight during peri/menopause. It doesn't have to be time consuming gym workouts.
Strength Training at Home: Workouts With and Without Equipment
9 Best Strength Training Exercises You Can Do at Home
The Ultimate Busy Mom Workout Plan: How To Sneak In 20 Minute Workouts While The Kids Nap
12 Full-Body Walking Benefits, According to Doctors and Trainers
Pelvic Floor
Pelvic Floor exercises are importance for incontinence & sex. You can do the exercises for free but you can also buy a Kegel exerciser to help. Pelvic Floor Exercises for Menopause: Why You Should Be Doing Them
Yoga
The benefits of yoga are well known & if you search for yoga for menopause you will find routines that are designed for this time in our lives.
How Can Yoga Manage Your Menopause?
8 Yoga Poses to Relieve Menopause Symptoms
I haven’t used this platform yet but plan to check it out soon. It’s £16.99 a month or £160 a year and has home work-outs designed for menopause, live and back catalogue. It has a support community, accountability check in’s, webinars, meal plans. It might be something that suits you, maybe instead of a gym membership you can do at home.
Self-care - Meditation - mindfulness
Menopause Fact Sheet - Self Care Forum
8 Ways to Practice Self-Care During Menopause
Practising some mindfulness & journaling can be helpful when your mind feels overwhelmed as well as grounding techniques & nervous system regulation techniques. Making sure your partner or close family/friends understand whats happening so you can cancel plans or be a bit fed up without it becoming an issue. It's important to remember that normal life issues will also be going on so the anxiety/stress/relationship issues may not just be menopause related. Get some help if you need it.
Mindfulness is whatever you can do that helps switch your mind off. For some it's calming stuff like baths, massages, yoga, reading, colouring etc. For others is more activity based like gardening, running, swimming, listening to music whilst walking etc. Whatever works for you is fine. It can be hard to find the time if your life is busy but even 5 minutes to dance around to a song or do some breathing can help.
Anna the Anxiety coach is a nervous system centred coach who has some great techniques she shares. Her instagram has videos you can follow when you need the. Her website has a guide you can download and she's on Facebook and Tiktok. You can also put breathing exercises - nervous system regulation techniques - grounding techniques into You Tube & you'll find plenty.
On You Tube you can search for 'meditation for' whatever it is you want, sleep, morning, pain etc & it will bring lots up for you to try. mediation for menopause - YouTube
Eden Energy Medicine
This is time efficient & free movements using & improving the energy in your body.
Donna Eden Energy Medicine - YouTube
Donna Eden Energy Medicine - YouTube Menopause search.
Alcohol & Caffeine
Almost every thing I've looked at recommends reducing alcohol & caffeine. Not only does our body tolerate it less as we age but it increases hot flashes & sleep issues. During difficult times we can often reach for alcohol & caffeine to get us through but if you can break the habit & stop or reduce it, your body will thank you for it.
Alcohol & Menopause, Menopause Information & Articles
The Effects of Caffeine during Menopause
Skin & Hair
Drops in oestrogen can affect your skin & hair. It can also cause acne. It might be time to review your skin care. If you are really struggling ask your GP for a referral to a dermatologist with menopause/hormonal awareness. Hopefully this is all of them, but I might be wrong. Skincare can get expensive but most shops have sales or offers on at some point.
Here’s How Menopause Affects Your Skin and Hair – Cleveland Clinic
Tips for Better Skin After Menopause (webmd.com)
Meg's Menopause | Holland & Barrett
This is a serum that was created by Dr Sajjad Rajpar & other dermatologists'. Dr Rajpar appeared on Dr Louise Newson's podcast about menopause impact on the skin. Potent C Skin Care Serum | Belgravia Dermatology
Products
A snapshot of some products that can help manage & relieve symptoms. I can't put all of them on here so please shop around on prices etc. This is just for guidance & options.
A Bloom Ball can help cooling down. The Bloom Ball Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care
There are a range of cooling sprays that have different ingredients in a range of prices.
Menopause Cooling Face Mist Spray 100ml
Promensil Menopause Cooling Spray 75ml
Megs Menopause | Rosey Rain Facial Cooling Spray 60ml
Cooling pads for pillows can help keep you cooler at night. This one is only £4.99. Hello Summer Gel Pillow-Keep Your Ultra Cool at Night, White, 40 X 30cm
Essential oils can also be useful. Proven Essential Oils for Menopause & Detailed Usage Instructions (healthyandnaturalworld.com)
Coconut oil is supposed to be one of the best things for vaginal dryness. You can also be prescribed vaginal oestrogen by the GP. Should I Use Coconut Oil for Vaginal Dryness?
This oil has good reviews and is made by dermatologists. Vagina Victory Oil | Pregnancy Massage Oil | NAYDAYA
Menstrual cups &/or period pants can help if tampons are difficult to use with dryness. They are also much better for the environment & cheaper overall as they are a one time purchase. I've used them for years now & wouldn't go back. The pants can be useful if you have a bit of urge or stress incontinence. You can also buy incontinence pants too. There are many places to buy them at various prices. Why am I dry? Vaginal dryness explained - Mooncup