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Writer's pictureEmma Chadwick

Post 10 - My Brain Fear




27th September


It has been a month since I last wrote an entry.


4 weeks of jet lag that lasted over a week, my worst hormone week to date, some grieving and way too much socializing than I should have done. 


Basically, I got back from the UK and jumped straight back into work and life, we had a lot booked in socially, too much and I have only just started to stop.


I also finally started HRT (aka MHT menopause hormone treatment) but I will get to that.  I will tell you what finally gave me a kick up the bum.


I decided to quit drinking alcohol completely.


There is a lot to write about but for today I want to talk about the HRT and what my experience was like to get it.


I have already spoken about my reasons for wanting to go on it but in a nutshell here they are again.


Going on MHT and replacing some of those hormones during the peri years has been shown to help with cardiovascular health, bone health and brain health.  That in itself is good enough for me.

As I have mentioned before, I want my spark back.  I don’t feel as happy as I used to and I can’t put my finger on why.  If MHT can help with that then I am in.


On Saturday we went out for breakfast, me, hubby and Hanna.  Chaddy (my husband) did something that annoyed me, something that I could usually handle but today I went off!!  I stormed out crying in front of my 12 year old daughter and she had to come out and comfort me, parenting at it’s best!!  I knew I was being irrational but I just wanted to burst!  The following 7 days were horrible.  I wanted to quit my job, I felt like a fraud.  I felt sad, so sad and realised that maybe it wasn’t just hormones but I was also grieving my dad. 


However, this wasn’t a one off.  I had been struggling with my low mood for at least a year, I felt very little joy in things, struggling to get out of bed and scared to death that I was getting depressed.


I have also been worried about my brain for a while.  My dad had Lewy Bodies Dementia which is a mix of dementia and Parkinson’s disease, it’s the pits.  He was diagnosed at the age of 66 but we noticed something was wrong over nine years ago when he would have been 61.    The process of the disease can start up to 20 years before symptoms of memory show up, how mad is that!! That means at 41 it possibly could have started to develop.


I do wonder – if he knew that at the time, would he have made different choices.  Slept more, drank less, quit smoking earlier.  Thing may have been different.  I know we will never know.


I get brain fog a lot, I can handle that BUT I can’t handle my memory loss.  Names of people I have known for years just falling out of my head, confusion, not being able to spell simple words.  It’s a very common symptom in peri and onwards women but what if it’s the start of something worse and we just accept it as normal? What if it’s early signs of dementia?

 

Two facts


1.       Twice as many women develop Alzheimer’s than men – the thought is because women tend to live longer than men but more recent research is showing that something happens to the brain of women during menopause.  A systematic Review showed women in menopause have a 1,67 higher risk to develop Alzheimer's disease.


If you are interested, this is an interesting study I found about how MHT can potentially help.


2.       I have a 30% relative risk of getting dementia because my dad had it. Relative risk means 30% on top of what my risk already is.  This is so scary.


Going back to my question – if he knew that at the time, would he have made different choices.  I ask it to myself.  The answer is hell yes!! 


Being a woman I am already at higher risk and I have the genetic risk.


How can I help myself and make my relative risk lower?


Here are the ways we are increasing our risk through lifestyle.  Copied from ChatGPT.


Modifiable risk factors recognised as having strong evidence for their association with increased risk of developing dementia include:


  • low levels of education in early life.

  • obesity in midlife.

  • hypertension in midlife.

  • tobacco smoking.

  • excessive alcohol consumption.

  • physical inactivity.

  • high cholesterol.

  • high levels of homocysteine – an amino acid produced when proteins are broken down

  • atrial fibrillation

  • diabetes

  • depression

  • social isolation

  • air pollution

 

I quit smoking at 28.

Heart health is good.

I’m active

I’m a healthy weight


In terms of this list I’m all good, except for my alcohol consumption.  I would not say mine is not excessive but it can be, I’ve a tendency to binge drink, I am a Brit, it’s in my blood!  Moderation is very difficult for me, I’ve tried it for years, It’s easier for me to just remove it as an option.  This is one of the reasons I decided to stop drinking, just one of them, I have many more for another time.


Other ways to support brain health are

Good sleep

Creatine has positive links to better cognitive function

Omega 3 fatty acids

Magnesium

B vitamins 6, 9 and 12

Vitamin C can help with fogginess

Turmeric

Foods high in anti-oxidants

High fibre diet


I am doing all of it either through my diet or I supplement.


Also – my hormone replacement can support brain health


If I have missed anything, please let me know! 


Back to MHT.  Having this very off week with lots of tears, anxiety’s, chronic mental overload all lead me to finally book an appointment with the Australian Menopause Centre.


This was recommended to me by a few other women.


I didn’t go to my GP because I don’t really have one, not one that actually knows me.  I’ve been monitoring my periods and symptoms for a year, I know my body and I know that something is going on, I didn’t need someone to tell me that I’m not going through peri because my bloods say I’m not.   This is happening across the world to women everywhere and it’s because your GP is very unlikely trained in the menopause.  So I chose a centre that understands it and diagnoses you based on your symptoms.


I knew what I wanted, I wanted to go on MHT for all the reasons I mentioned but they do talk to you about all options, they don’t just throw hormones at you. 


It’s all online, which I loved.  I submitted a form on the Sunday, they called me on the Monday and I filled in a very thorough questionnaire, had the consultation on the Tuesday with the doctor and had my MHT in my hand by the Thursday.   It was a very good service.


I was up to date with bloods and mammogram so if you are not then you may be required to get those done.  They are not specifically checking your sex hormones only, they are checking other hormones too such as your thyroid, insulin/blood sugars and vitamin deficiencies and functions.

If you haven’t had a mammogram and you are over 40 you can get one free here.


 

The consult at the menopause centre is bulk billed but if you go ahead through them then its private.  It cost me $306 for the 8 weeks.  This includes a follow up appointment at 21 days to see how I am feeling, one at 8 weeks to see if any adjustments need to be made and also optional consults with a Nutritionist and naturopath if wanted/needed.  That includes the prescription and they send it to you in the post.  I think it’s good value.


I have started on estrogen gel where I apply 1 pump to my upper arm in the morning and a 100g Progesterone tablet 1-2 hours before I go to bed. 


As I mentioned before I was in a real funk, very low and emotional.  On day 4 after starting it, I woke up and I felt lighter in my head.  I felt happy and I was looking forward to my day.  I wasn’t feeling irritated and I felt like I wanted to do things.  Was it a fluke day?  It is now 8 days in and I have felt great for the last 5 days in a row.  I’ve been running, I’ve been lifting heavier than I have for a while, I’ve been enjoying my work week and I have been singing again.  Chaddy said I am a new woman.


I really don’t know if it’s the MHT but so far I am happy.  That is all I wanted.


I think time will tell and of course a full period cycle.



I’m not sure if it will help with my every 21 days periods.  Watch this space!


 

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