World Menopause Day 2024

Thank you to those who joined our World Menopause Day 2024 event on 18 October 2024. 

Below you will soon find the World Menopause Day Presentations from our fantastic range of speakers.

If you need any further information, please email sfh-tr.wellbeing@nhs.net. 

Order of the day

Opening of the event

Speaker: Rosa Waddingham (Director of Nursing, ICB)

Opening Slides (opens in new window)

Menopause and Gyneocology including HRT

Speaker: Dr Sonja Rees, Gyneocologist, Sherwood Forest Hospitals

Gyneocologist Slides (opens in new window)

Talking to your GP and practice nurse about the Menopause

Speakers: Dr Louise Glasgow (GP Partner Village Health Group, GP with a special interest in menopause care at Spire Hospital Tollerton), and Rachel Green (Advance Nurse Practitioner)

GP and Practice Nurse Slides (opens in new window)

Menopause, work and reasonable adjustments

Speakers: Debbie James (Specialist Nurse in Occupational Health) and Amy Gouldstone (People Wellbeing Lead, SFH)

Occupational Health and Wellbeing Slides (opens in new window)

Mindfulness and the menopause

Speakers: Beth Longstaff (Staff Counsellor and Menopause Champion, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust)

Mindfulness Slides (opens in new window)

Menopause and relationships

Couples Therapy for Depression

Speaker: Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies

Talking Therapies and Couples Therapy Slides (opens in new window)

Muscular skeletal health and menopause

Speaker: Maria Levers,  Physiotherapist at SFH

Muscular Skeletal Slides (opens in new window)

Eating well and the menopause

Speaker: Ellen Kelly (Dietitian, NUH Dietitian)

Eatwell Slides (opens in new window)

Sleep well and the menopause

Speaker: Anna Charlesworth (Assistant Clinical Psychologist)

Sleep Well Slides (opens in new window)

Yoga for the menopause

Speaker: Claire English (Liberty Yoga and Nurse, Nottingham University Hospitals Trust)

Contact Claire English on claireenglish14@gmail.com

Menopause and your bladder

Don't Ignore your Pelvic Floor!

Speaker: Morgan Lowe (Pelvic Health Physiotherapist)

Bladder and Pelvic Health Slides (opens in new window)

Moving well and the menopause

Speaker: Annabel Scott (Your Health Notts)

Free lifestyle support from Your Health Notts

Contact ascott2@ablhealth.co.uk 

 

Question and Answer

During the 2024 Menopause Event colleagues asked questions. 

Question: I'm nearing the point of reaching a whole year without a period. However, still very much have symptoms like achy joints and really bad brain fog etc. So I'm unsure what to do about continuing with taking HRT, as the thought of stopping scares the life out of me, and going back to the state I was in 3 years ago! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Symptoms of the menopause are caused by the withdrawal of Oestrogen. It makes no difference if your ovaries stop working or if you discontinue HRT, your body does not know where the Oestrogen is coming from. There are no arbitrary limit to the duration of HRT, so you can carry on. When/if you stop, you will have symptoms.

 

Question: How do you know if you are going though pre-menopause or menopause if you have the Merina coil in? you don't typically get the change in periods and also have the hormones from the coil With a Mirena, you may not know, when your final menstrual period would have been, but that does not matter. If you have menopausal symptoms, you might consider HRT. The Hormone in the Mirena is a Progestogen. It does not treat symptoms, it protects the lining of the womb. To treat symptoms you need Oestrogen

Answer: I cannot take HRT due to my mother having stage 4 breast cancer, what is the next best thing to keep bones and heart well? A first degree relative with breast cancer is not a contra-indication to HRT. Whether you choose to have HRT or not, to keep your bones healthy, take Vit D 25mcg (1000 units), don’t smoke, and do weightbearing exercises (jogging, skipping, bouncing). To keep your heart healthy, eat healthy and do aerobic exercises, you need to be breathless enough not to be able to sing.

 

Question:
Should women on tamoxifen have scans to check the lining of the womb? Not recommended, but report promptly if you have bleeding
Are there any high risks for women to continue with a combined pill & are unsure to whether they're going through the menopause? If you have no other risk factors, it is recommended that you can continue the combined pill until age 50. If you then change to the minipill (progestogen only) you might develop symptoms of Oestrogen withdrawal, then you know.

Answer:
If you are on HRT, when do you know when you are post Menopausal You don’t and it does not matter
If you don’t take any hrt at all and post menopause do you still need womb lining protection hormone progesterone or is this only if you take hrt oestrogen Once your ovaries stop working, they do not produce Oestrogen or Progesterone. If you replace Oestrogen, you need Progesterone protection, if not you don’t.

 

Question:
Is the Merina coil enough Progesterone for above licence amount of Oestrogen (4 Lenzetto sprays)

Answer:

Yes

 

Question:
Is there a genetic link as to what age someone will start having perimenopausal symptoms? Yes, timing of ovarian cessation appears to run in families
I have migraines that follow my mensrual cycle and was given beta blockers to control symptoms. While these worked I gained weight and didn’t like how they made me feel. Is HRT a more suitable option?

Answer:

HRT is indicated to treat menopausal symptoms, not Migraines. If you have cyclical migraines you need to stop ovulation to stop menstrual cycles. See your doctor or see me.

 

Question:

Can the body get used to an oestrogen dose making it less effective eor is this due to the lowering levels of oestrogen in the body causing symptoms to increase?

Answer:

Yes, you can get used to high Oestrogen levels and develop symptoms (heart and bones are still protected though) We used to see it mainly with Oestrogen implants, but also with patches. If you have symptoms despite HRT, we need to check levels to see that it is absorbed. If you do, you can take a short break from HRT to “reset” the thermostat

 

Question:
Does your sex drive return after being off antidepressants. If so how long after?

Answer:

This isn't something our Gyneacologists can answer but would encourage you to have a discussion with you GP. 

 

Question:
Does mirena coil and oestrogen gel work as well as a standard combined HRT prep? Or is it difficult to know how much progesterone you are getting?

Answer:

Mirena and Oestrogen gel is a standard HRT.

Question:
I cannot take HRT due to my mother having stage 4 breast cancer, what is the next best thing for keeping bones and heart well? Duplicate question, see above
I am struggling with allergies to HRT. I get eczema patches, this is when I use patches gel and spray. I am using the spray at the moment and then a steroid cream, but the patches get so sore. I move the HRT patches around my body so I am not using the same place all the time. Is there any other oestrogen I could take in a different way?

Answer:

Difficult one, best be referred to Miss Maddock-Khan or Dr Sonia Ree's via your GP. Might have to consider tablets. 

 

Question:
Would a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome have an effect on menopause?

Answer:

PCOS is defined by few or absent periods, reduced fertility and “male type” side effects like acne or hair growth. There is plenty of Oestrogen (so no menopausal symptoms) until ovaries stop working (menopause). You may need blood-tests to check why your periods stopped especially if you are under 45 years old