Menopause Myths Busted: What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You

Did you know you could start experiencing perimenopausal symptoms as early as age 35? Or that there are over 30 common symptoms of menopause - and hot flushes are just the tip of the iceberg?

Today I'm busting the biggest menopause myths and sharing the facts your doctor probably hasn't told you. Because here's the truth: menopause is being completely misunderstood, mismanaged, and most women are suffering unnecessarily.

In this episode, I'm covering:

What menopause actually is: Most people get this wrong! I'm explaining the difference between menopause and perimenopause, and why symptoms can start up to 10 years before your last period.

The shocking symptom list: Over 30 common symptoms including things you'd never connect to menopause - from tinnitus and burning tongue to electric shock sensations and itchy ears. If you're experiencing weird symptoms in your 40s, this could be why.

What's really happening in your body: Your adrenal glands are waving a white flag and whimpering "Help me!" I'm explaining the HPA axis, why stress makes everything worse, and what your thyroid is desperately trying to do.

The hard facts nobody mentions: There's a 30% decrease in brain activity during and post menopause. Your Alzheimer's risk increases by 20% even WITHOUT taking HRT. And if you do take HRT? The statistics are shocking.

The HRT truth: Did you know it used to be extracted from pregnant horses' urine? I'm sharing the real risks and why the pharmaceutical industry isn't being honest with you.

Why our generation suffers more: Our mothers and grandmothers may not have had it this bad. I'm revealing what changed - and it's not just the contraceptive pill.

The epigenetics bombshell: Baby girls being born today have been exposed to endocrine disruption in the womb and even preconception. When a woman is pregnant with a baby girl, three generations are present. This changes everything.

10 ways to ease symptoms RIGHT NOW: From seed cycling (regulates your cycle and decreases hot flushes) to why you should swap cardio for strength training. I'm sharing practical steps that actually work.

This episode will change how you think about menopause. You're not going mad - your brain and body are physically changing, much like a toddler or teenager. And there IS help available.

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to the Homeopath in Your Pocket, where I help busy working mums discover how to support their family's health with confidence. Hi, I'm your host, Neela Prabhu, a licensed homeopath with 20 years of experience as a pharmacist. As a mum of two girls, I totally understand the juggle of family life firsthand. Each week, I'll share practical, actionable tips that you can use today to support your family's well-being. So let's get started. Today I'm going to be covering Menopause myths and facts. I feel this is the most misunderstood phase of a woman's life. There are lots of women suffering unnecessarily. I'll be busting some myths and sharing what doctors aren't telling you, as well as sharing 10 practical tips that you can start right now. So let's get started. What is menopause? So the technical definition is that the word menopause refers to a woman's last ever period. However, it's more commonly used to mean the months and years leading up to this event. So a better word for this is perimenopause. So perimenopause describes the time frame leading up to menopause when women are suffering from menopausal symptoms. And menopause itself, that last period, is defined in retrospect. So we have to look backwards. You need 12 months clear of any bleeding to be postmenopausal. So what this means is you can go 11.5 months and have a tiny bit of bleeding or a bit of a show, and that clock resets. So perimenopausal symptoms can start up to 10 years before the actual menopause happens. So the most common age range for menopause is between 45 to 55 years, and the average age in the Western world for you to go through your menopause is 51 years. So if we look at those numbers again, the common age range, the lower end, starts at 45 years. So minus 10 means that at age 35 you could, in theory, be experiencing symptoms. The problem being that when you go to your doctor with this, they may not believe you. They may decide that you're too young for this to be happening. Menopause can trigger a bit of an identity crisis. So it can trigger things like who am I now? You may have an empty nest when your children have grown up and you know left home and not be living with you anymore, not need you physically or emotionally anymore. You might feel that you're becoming older, but it's a natural transition, even though it can be emotionally challenging. So there are over 34 common symptoms which are attributed to going through the menopause. Hot flushes, fatigue, dizziness, weight gain, muscle tension, increased body odour, gastrointestinal disturbances, nausea, heartburn, bloating, poor mineral absorption, dry vagina, incontinence, urine tract infections, libido changes, irregular bleeding patterns, irregular heartbeat, blood sugar imbalance, cholesterol imbalance, asthma, tinnitus, joint pain, osteoporosis, allergies, headaches, burning tongue, hair loss, hair thinning, excess facial hair, panic disorder, mood swings, memory loss, poor concentration, anxiety, depression, night sweats, sleep disturbances, insomnia, brittle nails, itchy skin, electric shock sensation, tingling extremities, tiredness, breast pain, brain fog, constipation, itchy ears, itchy vulva, palpitations, and migraines. Sounds horrendous, doesn't it? So many women don't connect all of these to menopause. They only look at the three main symptoms, which are insomnia, night sweats, and hot flushes. Or they think they're going mad and it's something other than their menopause. Or they may also think that they're developing separate multiple conditions when actually it's all connected to their hormones. So what is the impact of this? Let's get some statistics on this. So 50% of menopause women say it affects their sex life. 36% said it affected them socially, 22% said it affected their sleep. And it's likely that these percentages are under-reported. So let's look at the bigger picture. What's actually happening in your body at menopause? Women spend a third of our lives post-menopause. So estrogen and progesterone are declining. And our normal female cycles are on a hormonal negative feedback loop controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, which are in the brain. And it's a bit of a baton race. They want to pass on that baton of control to the adrenal glands, and this involves our HPA axis, which is the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal axis. The problem is that most women's adrenal glands are at the bottom of a well waving a white flag saying, help me, because they're already exhausted from years of stress. So when stressed, our body uses up the master hormone, which is pregnenolone. Less progesterone is produced and therefore we're more irritable, less estrogen is produced, and therefore we have more hot flushes. So progesterone acts to calm and stabilize the stress response. But without it, everything feels harder. So you then have a domino effect. The thyroid gland tries to help, but this just leads to exhaustion. The metabolism slows down, our insulin system goes wonky, so that's our blood sugar is affected, and everything is interconnected. So the reason this matters is because we can't just treat the symptoms. We need to treat the whole system, especially the adrenal glands. So we've got some more menopause facts here. Fact one, the aging acceleration. So as estrogen declines, we age quicker, muscles and bones atrophy, our skin wrinkles more easily, our hair becomes dry, so it's not your imagination. Number two, the brain changes. The brain is more vulnerable to cognitive disease. There's a 30% decrease in brain activity during and post-menopause. 30%. So this explains the brain fog and the memory issues. Fact number three is endocrine disruptors. Most women have had a long exposure to these throughout their entire lives, from plastics, chemicals, pesticides in our food, water, the clothes we're wearing, the skincare we're using, and it accumulates over a lifetime, and it can make menopausal symptoms much worse. Number four, mental health. So depression can present for the first time during menopause. Old mental health issues, if you've suffered previously, can also reoccur. So this is not weakness, this is hormonal changes which are affecting our brains. Number five, HRT history. So did you know that HRT or hormonal replacement therapy used to be extracted from the urine of pregnant horses, hence the brand name premarin. So the pre standing for pregnant and the mere standing for female horse. Yes, really. So premerin is made or used to be made of conjugated estrogens, and that's where they got them from. Number six, HRT risks. So if you're taking HRT, it increases the risk of breast cancer by 88%, the risk of heart attacks by 29%, and your risk of Alzheimer's by 50%. Your blood clot risk doubles. And these numbers are not widely publicized. Number three, brain changes without HRT. So your risk of Alzheimer's increases by 20%, and that's without taking any HRT. So if you are taking HRT, it's then 20 plus 50, which means 70%. And that's just from the menopause itself. So we need to actively protect our brain. Number eight, you're not going mad. The brain and the body are physically changing, much like when you're a toddler or a teenager. The neural pathways are sorting themselves out and reorganizing, and it is completely normal, even if it can feel awful at times. And number nine, hot flushes timeline. So hot flushes can last from 30 seconds all the way up to 10 minutes, and they can continue postmenopause if you're a smoker, if you're obese, or if you're stressed. So they're not necessarily temporary. So what are some menopause myths? So the natural process, yes, menopause is natural, but so is childbirth, and you may still want pain relief. So women spend one third of their lives post-menopause, but the quality of life matters. So why did our mothers seem fine? Well, the contraceptive pill was only became widely available in the late 60s in the UK. There was also less endocrine disruption in their generation due to not as many chemicals being produced at that time. There was also a post-war stiff upper lip generation who may not have talked freely about the suffering as we do now. They may have felt that they just had to get on with it, but that doesn't mean that they didn't suffer. The contraceptive pill is only one part of the problem. The world began to use more plastic, more chemicals, and we moved further and further away from nature. So epigenetics plays a part here. So baby girls are born today exposed to endocrine disruption in the womb and preconception. So when a woman is pregnant with a baby girl, there are three generations present: the pregnant woman herself, the female baby fetus that she's carrying, and the eggs that the fetus has. And a baby girl is born with all the eggs she will use in her lifetime. Synthetic hormones leave an imprint physically and energetically, and this changes everything for future generations. So, what are my tips here? Tip number one, essential fatty acids. So taking daily essential fatty acids such as omega-3, fish oils, or flax seeds, and this helps to support hormone production, reduce inflammation, and supports brain health. It also eases joint pain. Number two, magnesium. So it's much better absorbed through the skin, that's better than oral absorption, and you can use Epsom salt, baths or foot baths, or a magnesium cream. It relaxes muscles, it improves sleep, it reduces anxiety and supports over 300 bodily functions. So you can see my magnesium episode for more on this. Tip number three, fermented foods. So this is kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, biolive yogurt, etc. This supports gut health and the gut brain axis is crucial. So a happy gut means a happy brain, which means an easier menopause. It supports your immune system and your brain health. Number four, organic meat and dairy. So organic means that it's been reduced exposure to synthetic hormones and antibiotics. Conventional meat and dairy is loaded with synthetic hormones and antibiotics and other drugs. And that's the last thing you need during the menopause. So, yes, it does cost more, but I feel it's worth it for hormonal health. Or you can reduce the amount you eat and choose organic, so buying a smaller quantity of meat and then swapping it for some vegetarian or vegan meals during the week. Number five, stress management. So practicing meditation, exercise, and mindfulness. So this decreases the load on your adrenal gland. So the less stress you have, the better hormone production you have, and it's you have more resilience through this transition. Number six, seed cycling. So what is it? Eating specific seeds at specific times of the month, which helps with water retention, decreasing hot flushes, and regulates your cycle. So day one of bleeding until day 14, or you can start on when the new moon is in the sky. So that's flax seeds and pumpkin seeds, and you have about a teaspoon to one tablespoon every day. From day 15 to day 28 of your cycle, or if you're having irregular bleeding, you can start on the full moon, is sesame and sunflower seeds, and again you have one teaspoon to one tablespoon daily. So you have box number one, box number two. So what is in each seed? Flax seeds contain omega-3, high fibre, and protein. Pumpkin seeds contain magnesium, melatonin, and zinc. Sesame seeds contain magnesium, coenzyme Q10, iron and zinc. And sunflower seeds contain magnesium, vitamin E, selenium, antioxidants, and protein. So these different seeds support different phases of your cycle and it helps the body produce the right hormones at the right time. It's a quick, easy, and gentle tip to do, but it's very effective. Number seven, swap cardio for strength training. So lifting weights rather than doing high-intensity cardio. At menopause, we can lose muscle mass rapidly, and strength training makes sure we hang on to our muscles. It supports our metabolism, it protects our bones, and it improves insulin sensitivity. Cardio can increase cortisol, which is our stress hormone. Number eight, decrease endocrine disruption exposure. So use a glass water bottle, not plastic. Use organic skincare, for example, tropic skincare, and I'll leave the link for that in the show notes. Outdoor swimming rather than chlorinated pools. So every small change adds up because it reduces the toxic load and supports your hormones. We can't eliminate everything because we live in a modern world, but we can reduce or cut out where possible. So other swaps are natural cleaning products, organic sanitary protection, ditching Teflon pans and filtering your water. Number nine, take care of your liver. In Chinese medicine, the liver controls our menopause and our menstruation, so supporting your liver will make for an easier transition. So here are some liver-friendly foods. Coffee in moderation, oats, green tea, garlic, berries, grapes, grapefruit, oily fish, nuts, avocados, bananas, barley, olive oil, beetroot, broccoli, brown rice, carrots, figs, kale, lemons, papaya, and watermelon. So these are really easy to add in to your diet, and many of you may be eating these already as part of a healthy diet. So it's being intentional about including them. Tip number 10, avoid alcohol. So this puts an extra strain on the liver. The liver is already working hard to detox those hormones, and alcohol just adds an additional burden. It also disrupts sleep, which may already be challenging. Yes, alcohol is a sedative, but it doesn't give us that deep REM sleep that we need, which is restorative, and it can also worsen hot flushes. So the balance here doesn't mean you never have it unless that's something that is comfortable for you. It's just to be aware of the impact and to reduce it where possible because your liver will definitely be thanking you for this. My top remedies for menopause for homeopathic remedies are sepia, lacosis, pulsatilla, and sulphur, but obviously it depends on the individual picture. With my one-to-one work, I look at the whole person, their past health, history, personality, stress levels, and I create a personalised treatment plan. So what are my action steps today? Step one, start seed cycling this week. Get the four different types of seeds, follow the moon cycle or your menstrual cycle, and it's simple but effective. Step two, add epsom salt baths into your routine. Two to three times a week. Magnesium is absorbed and it aids relaxation. It's a brilliant evening ritual. Number three, add fermented foods. Start with just one kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, have a small amount every day and build up gradually. Number four, try and decrease your endocrine disruptors. So pick one area to change this month. Is it your water bottle? Is it skincare? Is it your cleaning products? Start with one thing so you're not overwhelmed. Step five, add liver-friendly foods. Include several every day to help support your detox pathways, and they should be easy additions to your regular meals. And number six, book a discovery call with me if you're struggling with menopausal symptoms. One-to-one treatment supports the whole transition as it addresses the root causes and you can start to feel like yourself again. So wrapping up, perimenopause can start at age 35, that's 10 years before your actual menopause. Over 30 common symptoms are associated with the menopause, not just hot flushes. Your adrenal glands are exhausted and they need support. HRT has significant risks, an 88% increased risk of breast cancer, 29% increased risk of heart attacks, and 50% increase of Alzheimer's. Our brain activity Decreases by 30% during menopause. Our generation is suffering more due to the increase of endocrine disruptors in our world. Ten practical tips Essential fatty acids, magnesium, fermented foods, organic meat and dairy, stress management, seed cycling, strength training, reducing endocrine disruptors, supporting your liver and avoiding alcohol. You're not going mad. Your brain and your body are physically changing, and support is available. You don't have to suffer through this alone. Do these tips and your future self will thank you. Thanks for listening to today's episode. If you found this helpful, I'd be so grateful if you could leave a review as it helps other busy mums discover the show. If you want to dive deeper, book a free discovery call to see how we can work together one-to-one, or join me on Instagram at Homeopathic Harmony, where we can continue the conversation. And don't forget to grab your free guide to beating insomnia when you join my email list, because I know sleep is precious when you're juggling everything else. The links are in the show notes. I'll see you next week.