Latest / The Dr Louise Newson Podcast / 291 - ‘I’m 76 and thriving on HRT’

Transcript

291 - ‘I’m 76 and thriving on HRT’ · The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

0:49
Today on the podcast, I really want to welcome to Yuyu Paula,
0:53
who is someone that I've connected with remotely.
0:56
This is the first time I'm seeing her, speaking to her, and
0:59
she's approached me because she wants to share a good news
1:02
story. Sometimes some of my podcasts
1:04
are quite harrowing or quite negative stories, but actually
1:07
Paula's is brilliant and actually she wants to just talk
1:11
about how her treatment has really kept her to be so
1:15
healthy. So, Paula, welcome today.
1:17
Thank you, Louise. Nice to meet you.
1:19
So you are you've, you've agreed that I can show your age, which
1:22
is very good. And, and the people that are
1:24
watching will see a photo. I don't think you look your age
1:27
at all. You're 76 and you're fit and
1:30
well and you certainly look very fit and well and physically but
1:34
mentally fit as well, aren't you?
1:35
Which is wonderful. I like to think so, yes.
1:38
Yeah. And so just, and you do take
1:41
some medication, of course. And obviously goes without
1:44
saying that you're menopausal because you're 76.
1:46
So the average age of the menopause is 51.
1:49
Some people I have met women who are 5657 when their periods
1:52
stop. But at 76, you would be really,
1:56
you know, creating history if you were still having natural
1:59
periods at the age of 76. So you're definitely menopausal
2:02
and you're very open that you take HRT.
2:06
But I'm just really keen to hear about how long you've been on
2:10
HRT for, how you started it and how you've managed to keep going
2:14
with so long taking it, and what you think it's doing for you as
2:17
a person now. OK, well I've been on it for 32
2:21
years, since I had hysterectomy when I was 44.
2:26
I had a complicated gynaecological history before
2:29
then which started it all off. When I was 22 I had an ectopic
2:35
pregnancy in the discovery of a bicornic uterus and I was told
2:39
very clearly I must not ever get pregnant again and I was fine
2:46
after that. I don't, I mean I I got on with
2:48
my life, but I did have two episodes of ovarian cysts and
2:53
the second one was what led me to have the hysterectomy.
2:58
I think it was a combination of the two ovarian cysts plus my
3:01
previous history by calling it Ucha as the eptopic pregnancy
3:05
and probably quite a lot of adhesions as well.
3:09
So it was agreed by our company Doctor Who happened to be a
3:12
gynaecologist, which was really handy breath.
3:16
And the man that he referred me to, which was something that he
3:20
knew, who was a brilliant surgeon who was also a menopause
3:26
specialist as well, which was really a stroke of luck.
3:31
And he also agreed that that hysterectomy was the only way
3:34
forward in that situation. So you had your hysterectomy?
3:38
I did. And were you given HRT straight
3:41
after then? I was much to my surprise, when
3:45
the specialist came and saw me, he first of all reassured me
3:48
that I didn't have any cancer because I think that was the
3:50
biggest worry because the the ovarian systems are quite large.
3:55
But he said I had had not only a big ovarian cyst, but I had
4:00
fibroids and quite extensive endometriosis and I didn't know
4:05
this at all, except I didn't feel terribly well, I have to
4:09
say during my 30s at all. So he said to me, I don't want
4:14
you to feel unwell going forward.
4:17
And I think, you know, with the the result of sort of a surgical
4:24
procedure that brings you to an immediate hysterect, immediate
4:27
menopause, this will not be good for you without having some,
4:31
some hormone replacement. So he said.
4:33
I have popped in an HRT Kellett, which is what I started with,
4:39
which will last you for six months and help you help you get
4:43
better and recover from the operation.
4:44
If you want to use it going forward, you can.
4:48
And that's how I got to continue because I felt so much better
4:53
after the hysterectomy. I can't tell you I hadn't
4:55
realised how bad I'd felt until I felt so much better.
4:59
Yeah. And isn't that interesting
5:01
because a lot of people if they've had an ovary removed or
5:05
they might have had endometriosis or, or just their
5:09
ovaries one working as well and then they get replacement
5:12
hormones. They feel so much better often.
5:15
But it's, it's really great that you were offered this the HRT
5:22
and, and actually many years ago they did give a lot more
5:25
implants. So the implants are pellets,
5:28
they go under the skin, they're slow release.
5:29
And that was really because we didn't have the patches and gels
5:32
that we do now. So it was the either a tablet
5:36
and and actually it was it was genius.
5:37
And so sometimes people gave just estrogen or sometimes they
5:41
gave testosterone as well. I don't know which did you have
5:43
can. You remember I think I just had
5:45
estrogen. Yeah, I think it was just
5:47
estrogen at the time. Yes, which which is great.
5:50
And actually the recommendations now are that if people have had
5:53
a surgical menopause, that they have their ovaries and womb
5:56
removed, then they should be offered HRT unless there's a
5:58
real reason why not, especially when they're young.
6:01
But we've recently one of our research team did an audit in
6:05
one of the hospitals in London I.
6:07
Won't say which. One looking to see how many
6:10
women after having their ovaries removed who were young, were
6:12
offered HRT and the number was vanishingly small and it's
6:17
really quite shocking actually. You're removing their ovaries,
6:21
which are still functioning. So you're meaning that the that
6:25
the ovaries won't be there won't be having any hormones or there
6:29
will be some hormones, but not anything that was produced from
6:31
the ovaries, of course. So that can lead to symptoms,
6:35
but more importantly, it can lead to health risks as well.
6:38
And the more I understand what menopause really is and what it
6:44
means, we shouldn't be thinking about just symptoms, actually.
6:48
And I'm very interested in, you know, being, well, as long as
6:52
possible. And it's this whole sort of
6:55
health span rather than life span is so important.
6:58
It's not the age we die. It's a journey to that age and
7:02
it's very hard when you're in your 40s because you, you do
7:05
feel better than you do when you're in your 50s and 60s
7:08
because you know, you're younger.
7:10
But actually, like you say, even in your 40s you were struggling
7:14
but didn't realise because you didn't know you could feel any
7:17
better. That's absolutely right, and in
7:20
fact, even now I'm certainly in my 70s, I still feel better than
7:26
I felt in my 30s. Because I because you were home
7:29
and deficient. A bit probably, yes.
7:31
I was dragging myself around. I was very tired.
7:34
I was in quite a demanding role. I worked in the city at the
7:37
senior level. I didn't mind it.
7:40
I was quite enjoying it, but it was full on 100% and and there
7:45
was no time to breathe. You know, it really was.
7:47
And I, I assumed that the tiredness, yes, was to do with
7:51
the long hours. And although I did sleep quite
7:54
well, but you know, it was very long hours and, and The thing is
7:58
insidious, it sort of builds up. You don't realise, I didn't know
8:01
I had endometriosis, I had bloating.
8:05
I had been quite a bit of discomfort during periods.
8:08
But again, I've been brought up in an era where women were told
8:12
or young girls were told that we're going to have periods, are
8:15
going to feel maybe a bit ropey for a couple of days, take a
8:18
couple of aspirin, you'll be fine.
8:20
Get on with it, which is what we all did.
8:22
And and I don't know that because that was how things were
8:25
handled then. But it still happens now and
8:28
there's a very much this attitude that you have to put up
8:30
and shut up and just get on with it.
8:32
And that's your lot. And for some things, of course,
8:35
we have to just put up with things, you know, certain
8:37
disasters that happen or things that have happened in our life
8:40
that are out of our control. I do constantly feel having that
8:45
mindset, we can cope with things is really important.
8:48
Otherwise you dwell. And someone said to me a while
8:50
ago, you can't change the past, Louise.
8:53
So don't reflect too long on it. And I think actually that was a
8:56
really good piece of advice because I, like many people, can
9:01
catastrophize. And I wish I hadn't said that.
9:03
I wish I hadn't done that. If I hadn't done this, that
9:06
might not have happened. But you can't change the past,
9:11
but you can change the present and the future.
9:13
And certainly when it's symptoms or, or we know there's a medical
9:18
reason for something and what's happened so much and it still
9:21
happens now with menopause is normalised.
9:25
So it's like, well, you will have symptoms, you will feel
9:27
tired, you will have flushes, you will have low mood, but
9:31
that's just your lot. But that's not right, is it?
9:34
No. No.
9:35
And I think it's it's far better now.
9:37
People can speak up and say if they're feeling unwell.
9:40
Although to be fair, it wasn't bothering me sufficiently until
9:45
I had a particular episode that frightened me when when I went
9:50
to see company doctor about, you know, having this pain again
9:54
before my hysterectomy because I felt very light headed too.
9:59
And this is something I'd felt when I had a, an internal
10:03
haemorrhage when I was 22 with the ectopic.
10:06
And that worried me. I thought something's not right
10:09
here. Unfortunately, he acted
10:12
immediately, sent me immediately for a scan and I was referred.
10:15
I was, I went and saw him on the Monday and I was in hospital
10:18
having surgery on Friday, which was fantastic.
10:22
And, you know, they both those doctors really, I think really
10:27
did a great job for me, really did.
10:29
And I'm, I'm very grateful for that.
10:31
And that's a really good story. Yeah.
10:34
It's of course it is so, so you've been on HRT, you felt
10:37
great. And then over the years, I'm
10:40
sure it hasn't always been easy to keep HRT being prescribed for
10:44
you because obviously in 2002 the Women's Health Initiative
10:47
study came out WH which I study, which I've, I've been looking at
10:52
some of the news reports recently.
10:53
Actually some of the videos were saying HRT causes breast cancer.
10:58
Everyone needs to stop it overnight.
11:00
Like it was just awful. Actually, it's the biggest
11:03
travesty to Women's Health, but you would have been caught up in
11:07
some of that, I'm sure. So what?
11:08
Can you remember what happened? Yes, I do.
11:11
Well, when I read it, I thought, OK, I'm not, I'm don't tend to
11:15
panic, you know, I tend to think, what am I going to do
11:18
next? What, what's my next course of
11:20
action? What can I do if there's
11:21
something I can do? I thought the first thing I'm
11:23
going to do is talk to the company doctor because he was
11:26
the one that was prescribing this for me.
11:29
There was no chance of me getting it, you know, locally at
11:32
all. That's so.
11:33
And I was quite happy to pay for it because it worked.
11:36
So it's fine. So I, we spoke about it.
11:41
I didn't think immediately I've got to come off this.
11:44
In fact, quite the opposite. It was my main concern was I
11:48
hope he'll be able to continue to prescribe this for me because
11:53
I've been on it by this time probably about 11 years.
11:57
And I thought, and you know, I feel fine.
12:00
If anything awful was going to happen, it would probably happen
12:02
by now. A large part of what might go
12:04
wrong has been removed in any event.
12:09
And yes, breast cancer, OK, it wasn't in my family.
12:12
It didn't run in my family. Doesn't mean to say it won't
12:14
misopia, but it didn't. And I thought, no, I don't want
12:19
to panicked about this. And I very quickly learned as
12:21
well that this was a flawed study and it hadn't been
12:25
properly peer reviewed. And I thought, no, I, I, I
12:30
don't, I don't want to come off it.
12:31
I, I'm going to take. Yeah, I weighed up the balance.
12:34
I feel so much better. I don't want to feel like I felt
12:36
10 years ago. I want to continue to feel well,
12:40
as I do now. So I stayed on it, didn't come
12:42
off it at all. And with the support of the
12:45
doctor, he said, well, obviously it has to be your decision, but
12:48
if this is what you want to do, that's fine.
12:50
And he continued to prescribe it until he got some stage and
12:55
occurred on this until I sort of retired myself.
12:59
And, and I knew that he would because I could see him
13:02
privately after that if I wish. That wasn't a problem.
13:05
But I thought, you know, there's going to come a time when it
13:08
will be so much easier to have it prescribed locally.
13:13
So I asked him if he would write to my GP, which he kindly did
13:17
and sent all the up to date information as well which was
13:21
available at the time, and told him I'd been on it for a long
13:24
time and that in his view I needed to continue.
13:28
I wanted to continue and they did let me have it, but it was
13:33
quite clear that there wasn't the standard of knowledge about
13:37
it within the surgery, although they were kind and they helped
13:42
and they listened, which was a. Which is wonderful, of course,
13:45
isn't it? And it's, it's very interesting
13:47
because there are a lot of doctors now have grown up in the
13:50
era of the WHI study. And some doctors and some
13:55
practices were actually paid to stop people on HRT.
13:58
And it was, people were actually called in to be stopped because
14:01
of this study, which is awful when you think back about it.
14:06
And, and then then after that, menopause wasn't a priority
14:09
because people thought, well, there wasn't a treatment or the
14:11
treatment is too dangerous. So people weren't being
14:13
educated. So there's a lot of people with
14:15
misinformation. And as you might know, I've
14:18
worked as a medical writer for many years and I started doing
14:21
my medical writing in 2000 when I was qualified as AGP.
14:24
And I wrote a weekly column and it was for AGP magazine actually
14:28
called GP. And it was just a hot topic.
14:31
So I would choose a topic and I would give them some tips really
14:35
so about raised blood pressure or diabetes.
14:37
And I would scour the evidence, I would summarize it and add a
14:40
few references so they could see the sources.
14:43
And so I wrote first about menopause and HRT in 2000.
14:47
It's one of the first topics that I wrote about, said there's
14:50
more benefits than risks. It's very safe, it's well
14:53
tolerated, lower risk of heart disease and osteoporosis with
14:57
some references. And then it was interesting
15:00
because then I wrote again in 2002 and the study had come out.
15:04
But because I wasn't, I was just in my GP practice, I wasn't
15:09
aware of all the take people off HRT.
15:12
This is awful. I wasn't aware of all this
15:14
really, because then anything in medicine, I've always just
15:17
looked at the evidence. So I was looking at the articles
15:19
that I wrote recently and this article basically just said this
15:23
study has come out. The WHI study, it shows that
15:26
there might be an increased risk of breast cancer, but it's only
15:29
with synthetic progestogens. The risk is still lower than if
15:32
someone drinks wine regularly or smokes or is overweight.
15:35
So actually this study is really reassuring and the study did
15:39
show that it reduces risk of heart disease in some women and
15:43
reduces osteoporosis. And I thought, isn't that
15:46
interesting? I've just used what I read from
15:49
this. I didn't see all this
15:50
sensational reporting. And so it was quite interesting
15:54
that I've sort of just carried on regardless.
15:57
But actually what's happened is there's been this big media
16:00
effect, there's been this big worry and anxiety in medical
16:04
professionals, especially by gynecologists, but some GPS and
16:07
other healthcare professionals, and when the MHRA took it on
16:11
board. So they keep putting all these
16:12
risks and they still are with HRT.
16:15
And it's not just in the UK, it's been globally.
16:18
So globally HRT prescribing was really on the increase.
16:21
There was more than 30% of menopause of women in the UK.
16:25
Around 40% of menopause women in the US were taking HRT because
16:30
people understood the disease prevention effects, especially
16:34
for the heart and bones. And then suddenly that's it.
16:37
The rugs pulled over under a lot of these women.
16:40
HRT prescribing went down to 4% in the in the US and around
16:46
probably 5-6 percent in the UK. So you were very lucky that you
16:51
were one of the minority that managed to keep going.
16:54
I really was lucky and I, I, I can't be, I can't be more
16:58
grateful for this because I really think it's made a huge
17:01
difference. And I, I know I have a number of
17:03
friends who have had terrible problems trying to get onto HRT
17:08
and they shouldn't have to fight.
17:10
Women shouldn't have to fight to, to do what they think is
17:14
best for their own body. We've constantly been told you
17:16
must take control of your own health in your, you know, eat
17:20
properly, do this, do that, do the other.
17:22
But when you want to do something that helps you, then
17:25
you're being told no. I mean, what I can't, I find
17:29
difficult to swallow is that if you had diabetes or a thyroid
17:33
problem, which are hormone related issues, they will be
17:36
routinely treated. And this is a deficit, a hormone
17:40
deficit. I can't understand why this is
17:44
done. It would keep so many women, I
17:46
think, out of the doctors generally, not just for
17:49
gynaecological issues but for all sorts of other issues, you
17:54
know, because they must feel well and feeling well and
17:58
quality of life is so important. I totally agree.
18:01
And I think there's been so much sort of debate about it that
18:06
we've lost what we're trying to do sometimes.
18:08
And that happens in medicine when we've got lots of different
18:11
opinions. People might have their own
18:12
agendas as well, but I went into medicine to help people feel
18:17
better and to be healthier. That was why I went in into
18:21
medicine, and most people do actually, but also I'm quite
18:25
scientific, so I wanted to give people the best treatment based
18:30
on the available evidence that we have.
18:32
But the other thing being AGP taught me far more than a
18:35
hospital doctor. So as a hospital doctor, I was
18:38
for a few years before I went into general practice, that was
18:41
very much about evidence and regurgitating papers and giving
18:44
the right drug to the right person at the right time.
18:46
Really important, of course, but my general practice taught me
18:50
about sharing decision making with the patients and saying
18:53
what was the most important thing for them.
18:55
And even in the clinic now we ask all our patients when they
18:58
come back for three what, what are the three things you want to
19:01
get out of this consultation? And it's been the best thing
19:04
ever to ask because sometimes it's not what I want to get out
19:08
of the consultation, but I focus on what the patient wants.
19:12
And that's really important. And like you're saying, you're
19:15
really into your health in general.
19:18
You've made an informed choice. And so I don't feel as a doctor,
19:22
I can say no to something when someone has made a considered
19:26
choice about something. And this is where I can't think
19:29
of any other medicine that is refused so frequently as HRT.
19:34
And that's what's really sad when we know that there are more
19:39
benefits and risks for the majority.
19:41
Most types of HRT actually don't have a risk, but actually lots
19:46
of other medicines have far more risks and less benefits.
19:51
I agree. I absolutely agree with that.
19:55
It seems that women have had a fight for things for a very long
19:58
time and it goes on. We're not there yet.
20:01
It's improving, but we we still have a way to go.
20:04
We do, don't we? Yeah, yeah.
20:07
And I think also it's convenient for society for us to be not
20:13
performing quite on par. I do think it's become more
20:18
empowering. What a problem it is when you
20:20
think about the workplace that you're saying you had a very
20:22
high-powered job in the city. And I wonder age 4445, if you if
20:28
you'd had a hysterectomy and not had replacement estrogen,
20:32
whether he would have been able to continue to work on the same?
20:34
Page I don't think so. I don't think so because I got
20:37
busier after I'd had the hysterectomy, things got even
20:40
busier. So it was a really, really busy
20:42
period for me. And you know, I mean, I was
20:46
surrounded by working mums and what have you.
20:48
How they managed to do it, I don't know, except they weren't
20:50
running the show, but they were still working extremely hard.
20:54
But I have elderly parents at that time we had to keep an eye
20:58
on as well. So it was, it was all consuming.
21:02
And there's no way I feel I could have continued in that
21:05
role, Fred. I gone downhill after, you know,
21:10
even further after after having the hysterectomy.
21:12
And I feel I would have done so. For me, energy levels are there
21:17
when I, I talked to some of my, my friends, I see some of my
21:22
friends, old people that not necessarily friends, but you
21:24
know, acquaintances, they don't have the same energy level.
21:28
And I think that is really important and I believe that's
21:31
helped a lot. For sure.
21:34
And I, I think people underestimate because I was
21:37
talking to someone the other day who's doing some research into
21:40
exercise, which obviously is really important in menopause.
21:42
And she said, well, if we can just get people to exercise more
21:45
than they'll feel better and it's and their bone strength and
21:48
their heart disease risk will reduce and they'll be so much
21:51
healthier. And I said, have you ever spoken
21:54
to menopausal women who are really tired and really
21:56
struggling? Because actually it's quite
21:59
cruel for a lot of them because they don't have the energy in
22:01
the stamina if they don't have their hormones.
22:03
But actually when they have hormones, they often feel more
22:07
energetic and then it's easy to exercise and then you feel
22:10
healthier and you are healthier and it all works together.
22:14
It's really important. But I think looking at workplace
22:16
again, we know around 10% of women give up their jobs because
22:21
of menopause symptoms, usually anxiety, memory problems and
22:26
fatigue. So it's not about having a fan
22:28
on your desk or a different. Uniform.
22:31
Which still is being toned so much I know.
22:36
But we also know we did a survey from NH people working in the
22:40
NHS, but we found just from surveying there's about 1300
22:45
people we surveyed, 37% said that they would like to reduce
22:50
their hours but they couldn't afford to do so.
22:53
So those women will be going to work and not doing the job they
22:57
really want to do or they won't be going for promotion.
23:01
And I feel that's really sad because most of us want to do
23:05
our job and we want to do the best we can do.
23:08
You know, you turn up and you, you know, when you've got a job
23:11
that's right for you, you've you're excited to get to work.
23:14
You get to work a bit early. You're thinking about it on the
23:16
way to work, you're going home. And it's a wonderful feeling to
23:20
have a job that you really enjoy, isn't it?
23:23
It certainly is, yes, I enjoyed my job.
23:26
I've never thought of that going part time because it wouldn't
23:29
have been a possibility in that. Well, I understood that.
23:33
But as you said, the exercise issue when I was in my 30s, if
23:37
somebody had said to me, you need to go and exercise, I was
23:41
just, yeah, I'm far too busy, first thing.
23:43
And secondly, I just don't have the energy.
23:46
And that was the thing I really noticed in my 30s.
23:49
I, it felt like I was dragging myself around the whole time.
23:53
So and now I don't have that. I don't wake up tired.
23:57
I wake up fine refreshed. I get out of bed.
24:00
I can I do Zumba twice a week. I took up singing during
24:05
lockdown and I took my exams last year, my grade 8 last year.
24:10
So I'm really pleased about that.
24:12
And it's been and it's been great fun.
24:13
And I think that's really what's important.
24:16
So now I'm trying to concentrate on doing some of the things I
24:20
never got a chance to do when I was younger because the world
24:23
wasn't like that for like it is now.
24:25
And, you know, so I did some voluntary work for 20 years.
24:30
I did 16 years as a, as a trustee at the Hospice and local
24:35
Hospice. And if anything opens your eyes
24:37
about quality of life, it's doing that.
24:40
It's so important. And I also worked as a an
24:46
independent specialist that the association list is true.
24:49
Very interesting work and I really enjoyed doing that.
24:52
All that was post retirement and now I'm just having fun, which
24:56
is great. But it's wonderful to have
25:00
choices as well. And certainly the more I talk
25:03
and think about menopause, I think about it as a brain
25:06
disorder, not a disorder of our ovaries, because these hormones
25:10
go into our brains, but also they're produced by our brains
25:13
as well, and without our brains, obviously when we're nothing.
25:16
But we know dementia increases as we age.
25:19
It's more common in women. It's certainly related to
25:21
hormones. The longer we are menopausal
25:23
without replacing hormones, the greater the risk of dementia.
25:27
And obviously dementia can be multifactorial.
25:30
So having low hormones, eating the wrong foods, not sleeping
25:34
well, not exercising, not being stimulated, they all go hand in
25:38
hand of course, and will increase risk.
25:41
But isn't it important that we can light up our brains?
25:44
We can be taking on new hobbies, we can be keeping our brain
25:48
active because that's so important, especially, you know,
25:53
as you age, you want to keep healthy, don't you?
25:56
Yes, I don't think you want to keep interested in life as well.
25:59
You know, it's you're, you're quite right.
26:01
You do want to keep healthy. I mean, that's that for me is
26:04
the most important aspect because you can't enjoy your
26:07
life if you're not well, you know, nobody can much.
26:11
No, absolutely. You're so right.
26:13
And then I wanted to ask you something which putting you on
26:15
the spot here. So you may or may not want to
26:17
ask Answer me, but you're taking HRT.
26:21
What other medications do you take?
26:23
I don't take any other medication at all.
26:26
You're so just to summarise this, you are a 76 year old lady
26:31
who takes hormones but no other medication.
26:34
That's absolutely right. And I am labouring the point
26:38
here to be just to highlight actually, because there were
26:41
very few 76 year old women, probably less men, but they're
26:46
even. Most people aged 76 will be
26:50
taking medication usually for blood pressure, often for
26:55
cholesterol. They might take some painkillers
26:58
for some muscle and joint pains at the very least, and then
27:01
other medications, maybe for bladder problems, maybe for a
27:05
heart arrhythmia, maybe skin condition.
27:09
There's so many things that can happen as we age and we know
27:13
that people who take HRT have less biological ageing.
27:17
I can't change the number. No one can change the number of
27:19
your, you know, your date of birth, but how healthy you are
27:23
is really important. And when I think about a lot of
27:26
the work I'm doing is to try and help people keep healthier, as I
27:29
said at the beginning. And that's really important when
27:32
we think about training health services as well.
27:36
We've got a really difficult time with our NHS.
27:39
But globally health systems are straining as well because we're
27:42
living so much longer with more diseases, more illnesses, more
27:46
medications as well. We often talk about
27:49
polypharmacy, lots of drugs people are taking and my mother
27:53
was in hospital recently and I not allowed to publicly tell you
27:56
her age, but she is older than you.
27:58
She takes HRT and she's only she's on one heart medication,
28:02
that's it. And when she was being admitted,
28:05
the nurse said he said what other medication?
28:06
She said I'm not, well, you must be.
28:09
No, no, I'm not. And this nurse was really
28:11
shocked because she's not used to seeing people.
28:14
And it's not a coincidence. It's not just good genes and
28:17
good eating and looking after yourself because we know these
28:20
hormones, estrogen is very biologically active.
28:24
It helps every cell process to work better.
28:28
So this is basic science we've known for many, many years.
28:32
So you are just a living proof really.
28:36
Well, touch, touch when it continues.
28:38
But yeah, I have to say I don't have, I don't take anything
28:42
else. And you know that you're fine.
28:47
Don't make. Obviously we're all going to get
28:48
old and as you say, we're all going to have to dive something.
28:52
But I believe that this HRT took the HRT and continued to take it
28:56
plays a really big part in keeping well for me.
29:01
Yeah. And so just before we end just
29:03
really for those people listening, there is no upper age
29:06
limit for taking HRT. Their guidelines and the
29:09
evidence are very clear that for as long as the benefits outweigh
29:13
any risks, we have an annual review if we're taking HRT and
29:17
then it's an informed decision making.
29:19
But we know that older people, even taking low doses still has
29:23
good bone protection, can help keep bones strong so people can
29:27
keep taking it. As we've said earlier, menopause
29:30
lasts until the day we die. And so if you stop taking HRT,
29:34
then you're going to have this increased risk of diseases,
29:36
possibly symptoms. But it's not all about symptoms,
29:39
as I've explained already. And then I know you started HRT
29:43
in your 40s, but some people haven't been on HRT for decades,
29:47
and they haven't ever been on HRT.
29:49
Or they might have been taken off in 2002, or they might never
29:53
have thought about it until they reached their 60s, seventies,
29:56
80s. And we do see people in the
29:58
clinic who say, well, I feel I've missed out, but I'm
30:01
wondering whether it would help. And we're very fortunate we have
30:04
the body identical and natural types of hormones that we can
30:07
give to women who are older because they can often be very
30:10
beneficial. And we often started to low dose
30:13
review people and people can really feel very different and
30:16
and healthier. And we know, you know all the
30:19
other facts as well. So we I don't want this podcast
30:22
to be thinking only listen to if you've been on HRT and continue
30:25
because there are choices and that's the most important thing.
30:28
So, so, but before completely finished, Paula, I just like
30:33
your three take home tips. So for three for three things
30:37
really for women who are listening and going well, it's
30:40
all right for her, but I'm really struggling to continue my
30:44
prescription. What three things do you think
30:47
we should do as women to enable us to continue if that's what we
30:50
want to do? Well first of all I said don't
30:53
be afraid of trying HRTI would say get you don't read up about
30:57
it. Find out as much as you can
30:59
about it from reputable sources and know that there are
31:03
different types that you can take.
31:05
So have a go. You're if you, if you want to
31:08
take it and you know within a few weeks you will notice a
31:11
difference. And, and if say, if it's not
31:14
quite right for you or you need the dose adjusted, then go back.
31:18
Don't, don't give up and say, oh, I've tried it.
31:21
It's not don't do its job. But while we're on this that
31:23
subject, there are a lot of older women I'm sure who would
31:26
be really interested to hear what you said a moment ago about
31:29
it's not too late if you want to start because a number of them
31:33
have said, I've been told many times that it's too late, can't
31:36
start it now. So that's a good news.
31:38
The second one is if you're taking HRT, this is my view and
31:43
it works for you and you've been through the menopause, the
31:46
change has actually taken place, but you're feeling well.
31:49
Don't stop. So if you had diabetes, you
31:53
wouldn't be stopping. If you had a thyroid drug, you
31:57
wouldn't be stopping. You'd be carrying on because
32:00
there's nothing to be gained from stopping in my at all.
32:04
And a lot to be to be gained by carrying on having the
32:10
protection against these various diseases, inflammatory based
32:13
diseases that that that you know can make you old before your
32:17
time. So I would say keep going.
32:20
That would be. And finally, the third thing
32:23
would be I think as you do age and many of the people that are
32:29
on HRT are much younger than me, but the more important quality
32:33
of life becomes keeping well, feeling well and having a good
32:37
quality of life. It it really is so important
32:41
because you can't enjoy your life without feeling well and
32:45
also maintain your independence. Most people my age want to be
32:48
this, maintain their independence for as long as
32:51
possible and stay out of the doctor's surgery for as long as
32:55
possible. And I think that will help them
32:58
to achieve that, unless there are very strong contraindicators
33:03
to say they can't do that. But then I think, as you've
33:06
said, I think for most women it's it's safe and for most
33:11
women it will be beneficial. Yes, well, thank you so much for
33:15
your time, Paula today and for being so transparent and sharing
33:19
so much information. I know it's going to help a lot
33:21
of people, so thank you so much. Thank you for having me, Lewis.
33:25
Thank you very much. You can find out more about
33:28
Newson Health Group by visiting www.newsonhealth.co.uk and you
33:35
can download the free Balance app on the App Store.
33:38
Or Google Play.