The Prescription That Took Years. Why Are We Still Fighting For HRT?
The Prescription That Took Years. Why Are We Still Fighting For HRT?
I have to share a story with you today, a story that I hear versions of far too often in my coaching practice, and one that really frustrates me on behalf of all women. It’s about a brilliant client I’ll call "Sarah," who came to me utterly defeated by her own body and, frankly, by her doctor.
Sarah was in the thick of menopause, but it wasn't the hot flashes that were ruining her life. It was the overwhelming, crushing psychological symptoms. Think brain fog, constant insomnia that made her feel like a zombie, and, most terrifyingly, an all-consuming sense of doom and panic that would arrive uninvited and stop her in her tracks. She felt like she was genuinely losing her mind and felt a shadow of her former self.
The Problem: When Symptoms are Misdiagnosed or We Are Simply Not Heard
Naturally, Sarah went to her GP, desperate for help. She’d done her research (as I recommend we all do before visiting the GP) and suspected her plummeting hormones were the culprit. She went in and asked for HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy).
But all she got was pushback.
Instead of listening to her clearly articulated symptoms and her well-researched request, her doctor was hesitant, resistant, and kept nudging her toward anxiolytics or antidepressants. "It's just anxiety," she was told. "You sound stressed."
Can you relate to that frustration? Being told your hormonal crisis is just a mental one? Sarah spent years battling this. Years of suffering through panic attacks and sleepless nights, years of trying to manage the doom with breathing techniques, when all along she felt she knew the missing piece of the puzzle.
The Turning Point and the Magic of Two Months
Finally, through sheer persistence (and perhaps a change of doctor!), Sarah was prescribed the HRT she had been asking for. Fast forward just two months.
When Sarah checked in with me last week, she was a different woman. The doom? Gone. The panic attacks? Maybe one or two very minor episodes, easily manageable. She’s sleeping soundly through the night again. The brain fog is lifting, allowing her to get back to the successful, sharp professional she is.
The anxiety hasn't vanished entirely because life is life (and the menopause seems to rarely arrive at a stress-free, calm time in many women’s lives), but it’s a tiny, manageable issue now, not an overwhelming tidal wave. The HRT was the key she knew was missing, and the relief is profound.
The Question We Have to Ask
It’s fantastic that Sarah is feeling better, but honestly, it leaves me with one massive, infuriating question:
Why did it take her years to get a cheap, effective treatment she was actively asking for?
Why are so many women, who are going through a medically verifiable transition, still having to fight this hard just to be heard? Why are so many GPs still more willing to prescribe medication that treats the symptom (anxiety) rather than the root cause (hormone deficiency)?
We need our healthcare providers to be better informed. We need them to trust us when we talk about our bodies. And we absolutely need to move past the outdated fears and misinformation that cause this kind of hesitation.
If you’re struggling right now, please know your instincts are valid. Don't stop pushing for the care you deserve. And if you’ve had a similar battle, share your story, because the more we talk, the harder it is for the system to ignore us!
For further information, or to book a 121 Menopause & Wellness Coaching session with me, visit: www.milestone-coaching.co.uk/menopause-wellness-coaching or call me to discuss how I might be able to help: Dawn 01256 389600.
