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[Dancinggirl]

Just watched Mariella's programme on the Menopause.  I thought it was a well balanced view (at last) with some very good common sense reporting. So great that she showed her appointments with the gynaecologist and the treatment she was getting.  Her gynaecologist outlining all the benefits HRT can bring, particularly for long term health, was really good.
Exciting that there might be alternative drug treatments for flushes in the future. 

A shame she didn't mention this site though. 

I wonder how many women will making appointments with their GPs tomorrow?

DG xxx

[Perinowpost]

I thought it was very good as well + particularly interesting re the regenerating ovaries for those who have been ill x

[Dancinggirl]

Stellajane - I did think it highlighted that only the privileged with enough money can get the help they need.
The NHS isn't giving any of us what we need a lot of the time and not just in relation to the menopause. The emphasis seems to be mainly about shoving us on ADs or painkillers to keep us quiet and out of the surgery.
Watch out GPs - some newly empowered women are gonna be knocking on your door.
At least this program dispelled a lot of myths about HRT. DG x

[kimmyi]

I agree, this site is informative and has been a place of comfort to me, I am just so pleased I found this site, the ladies are so helpful and can help us to have peace of mind.   

[kimmyi]

I think also what money can buy, mind you the NHS is a wonderful thing, but way under budgeted and stretched to full capacity 

[dahliagirl]

I caught the end of it so will watch the rest tomorrow.  It looked pretty hopeful.  I need some ammunition to stay on HRT with my  GPs.  There is a male GP who works there one day a week who is promising - seems to know the basics which is a start!  (Huge improvement on the one who doesn't deal with womens stuff which is a bit hopeless in a 2 man band)

[Ladybt28]

I have posted elsewhere on the other thread about the program, (I can't remember what it is called - the one announcing the program would be on) I would say somewhat comprehensively  (a rant is a better description) needless to say I had steam coming out of my ears for most of the program as I thought it utterly useless and seemed to continue to peddle the myth that you can "think your way out of your symptoms" - yuk more ammo for stupid GP's to say "think positive dear"! and that exercise is the way to go! amongst my other "extensive"  observations


You may just get the impression if you read it there were a few reasons (items 1-10 Hah!) that I didnt think much of it (understatement) 

[Maryjane]

Myself and the ladies in my vaginal atrophy group & social media that I have seen this am did not think it was a good balanced view on menopause.

Very much menopause for the wealthy including diet. Jenny Murray saying 10 friends all got Breast cancer from HRT that will stick, what about her very long previous unhealthy life style & now? Very much a contributing factor. Having bloods as a standard NICE & the NHS won't offer this.

Vaginal atrophy the one that keeps on giving, & very often bites you on the butt early mid 60s when you think your done, no discussion other than the Gynae said twice in hushed tones vaginal dryness.

Diet & exercise are key for everyone wether Male or Female, CBT great. but personally myself and my husband where very disappointed.

[Juliet]

I thought it was great to have a programme about the meno on mainstream channel at 9pm and that it did put the risk of BC in context when on HRT. Although it did stick with the Women Health Initiative findings (which have many flaws) and ignored the tons of observational studies and other RCTs that show no or even reduced risk for BC as well as the finding that being on HRT reduces mortality from BC.  I also loved at the end how her doctor said she would be on HRT for life!


I also agree that it wasn't clear that she was seeing a meno specialist and that having blood tests and bone density scans is not the norm for a visit to the GP. Also the excersise and bone density explanation did not really explain what the gain from running was nor that HRT would kick all the gains out of the room in comparison!

I do think CBT can be useful in reframing negative thoughts around meno and evidence does show a reduction in how troublesome hot flushes are, but yes I felt the programme did not make it clear enough you can't think away meno.

IT also barely touched on atrophy and this is a real shame as that is the one area women really do not talk about at all.

Overall I feel it will do more good than harm, but it was not assertive enough in countering the negative and troublesome narrative around taking HRT to replace hormones and have no idea what the male meno stuff was about or why it was even in the programme.

[Droopeydrawers]

Sorry ladies but wrong heading in my opinion there was nothing bravadic about this programme it did absolutely nothing to fight our corner.
If she had come in at the ground level via the nhs route and not Harley street then she would have, right from the off, given a truer perspective of what we the ordinary person on the street experience on a daily basis.the complete lack of expertise and knowledge from our inadequately trained  gps and the lack of support we truly experience from the nhs system.
Yes they touched on bc but they omitted to say that the new guidelines have advised there's no increased risk of bc for oestrogen only users so shouldn't have made such a negative sweeping statement about increased risks.vaginal atrophy was mentioned in a whispered hush twice and not highlighted as it should have been as it's a major issue for the majority of women and again where the hell do they get these women participants from, the thought of going anywhere near a bike saddle would send my flaps into a tizzy and that applies to an awful lot of us from every walk in life.
I felt the only real insight we got into one area was the lady who's done the trials 're the hot flushes then was subsequently dumped and left right back where she started.very sad outcome for her efforts in being a guinea pig.
Mariella id say if you wanted to do a real update with real people search out forums like these and invite our kind of sufferers to take part, it would give you a clearer idea of the realities of living in the meno world and not the Harley street version.start at the base level like we have to do before desperation sends us to places like private clinics because we are so let down by public health.
I was very disappointed in it's content and felt that on the whole it only related to the chosen few who can afford to frequent sushi bars and Harley street practices not the ordinary mum's,grannies ,shop and office workers or unemployed or low income and there's a lot of us around.i also think it did a huge diservice to all the GPS and consultants who worked so hard on turning around the previous damming inaccurate report on hrt and created the new NICE guidelines they didn't even merit a mention that was shocking.my title would have been " bollocks mariella" not bravado mariella sorry.DD😘

[Night_Owl]

Sorry ladies but wrong heading in my opinion there was nothing bravadic about this programme it did absolutely nothing to fight our corner.

my title would have been " bollocks mariella" not bravado mariella sorry.DD😘

I couldn't agree more.  Totally disappointed with the content of this programme.

[Conolly]

Hello ladies,


Hear, hear DD.


Conolly X

[Dancinggirl]

Well! Perhaps we should be lobbying the BBC to do a Panarama investigative programme into the lack of appropriate treatment for the menopause by the NHS. What does it cost the country in terms of lost revenue because women have to cut back or even give up work because of the menopause? Why isn't it standard that women get a DEXA scan at 45 or 50 to see if they need HRT? What does osteoporosis cost the NHS and society?
Perhaps women should be recording the appointments they have with their GP(and even gynaecologist) so they have evidence of poor treatment? 
Mariella can clearly afford to get the appropriate testing and help so it would have been good if she had highlighted that what she is getting isn't available on the NHS.

It was the first program I have seen to actually attempt to address the taboo and set out women's options - get people actually discussing the menopause.  It was disappointing that urogenital atrophy wasn't dealt with more but that could be a whole programme on it's own. I was not surprised there was a lack of NHS doctors taking part - they do not want to address the problems of the menopause - the NHS is still dominated by men who believe women should either put up or shut up or take ADs.   

There was some very good information in that programme - it wasn't perfect by any means, no programme will be - but it was a start and maybe somebody will pick up on this and carry things forward.   Mariella's gynaecologist summed up things extremely well at the end and I hope many women will come away with those expert comments ringing in their ears - “she'll be taking HRT for the rest of her life”. DG x

[Conolly]

... and there was a close-up of Oestrogel and Utrogestan at the very end. Maybe all we need is just a hand from Besins Healthcare.

Conolly X

[Misstowers]

I agree 100% droopydrawers (and did nose snort at your comment about cycling!  ) It was a start but could have been so much better and didn't address the woeful lack of knowledge support and treatment by GPS, and so many other issues that this forum helps with...should definitely have touched on this - Having said all that, the fact that the patriarchy at the bbc ran this programme in itself is a surprise, and hopefully it will pave the way for more discussion and awareness.