Myriam was 39 and Suzie was 44 when they first noticed changes to their energy levels, quality of sleep, weight gain and mood.
Neither knew what was happening: the menopause was not something they had ever discussed or been taught about, and the word ‘perimenopause’ wasn’t really in their vocabulary.
‘I didn’t think about the menopause at all until it happened,’ says Myriam, 50, a makeup artist from South-East London. ‘It simply wasn’t on my radar. It seemed to be a taboo subject. I was aware that some women in midlife suffered with hot flushes, but that was all.’
Suzie, 50, a tech PR firm owner also from South-East London, says: ‘Being Gen Xers, no one spoke to us about the menopause when we were younger. It was just assumed by most girls that you got a year of hot flushes when you hit 50 and then normality resumed.’
Myriam recalls how when she was 42, she began feeling increasingly severe symptoms that she now knows were the signs of early menopause. First insomnia, which led to her being tested for chronic fatigue syndrome. Then came hair loss, fatigue and brain fog.
During that time, she visited Suzie to do her makeup for a celebrity event she was going to and they instantly hit it off. As their friendship grew, Myriam shared her symptoms. In turn, Suzie revealed she was struggling with low mood, weight gain, hot flushes and anxiety.
‘Both of us found that the lethal tiredness and brain fog had the biggest impact on our work,’ says Myriam. ‘As a makeup artist, I am constantly on the move, meeting clients and brides-to-be. I found I would get much more tired than normal, which would make lugging big cases of makeup on trains and Tubes far more physically draining. I also had to be extra organised, as the brain fog would make me second guess myself.’
Suzie agrees. ‘As a PR, my work is a balance between high energy and extreme focus, so when crippling fatigue and a hazy brain took hold, it was harder to concentrate for long periods of time and I would struggle in presentations as my brain would go blank, which was highly frustrating. It also made me feel self-conscious that people might think I’m losing my edge.’
Why we are proud to support GenM on World Menopause Day
Women are inundated with products claiming to help with cure symptoms of the menopause – but how many actually work?
‘Menowashing’, where menopause products are aggressively marketed without scientific evidence, costs women millions without improving quality of life. A staggering 87% say they have been let down by their usual brands.
In response, Gen-M created the MTick, a menopause-friendly symbol that can only be earned by products that have passed at least one of certain criteria: they must be backed by authorised medicinal, cosmetic or health claims showing that they support one or more of the 48 signs of menopause; have undergone rigorous testing by menopausal women, showing statistically significant results in easing, relieving or supporting a particular sign; or feature technology or functionality designed to support any one of the 48 signs.
A high rating on TrustPilot is another must, with only products earning four or more stars making the grade.
It’s not a magic bullet – what works for one woman may not work for another – but the goal is to make it easier to find products that have been held to a certain standard
That’s why at Metro, on World Menopause Day, we were glad to be able to support the promotion of MTick with our cover wrap on today’s paper in London, to support GenM and their campaign to bring the menopause-friendly symbol MTick to the attention of more shoppers – and to help explain what it does.
Both women found that their spiralling symptoms affected their family lives too, leading to them becoming withdrawn or short-tempered.
Suzie, a single mother to two teenage daughters aged 18 and 19, says: ‘I found myself feeling quieter and less involved, somewhat of an outsider and more reclusive, which is the absolute opposite of my normal self. My energy and mood were low, so it was hard to join in fun moments. My daughters noticed this and we had the conversation about how menopause was affecting us as a family, and after that there was more patience and understanding.’
Myriam, who is married and lives with husband Dan and two sons aged 10 and 12, agrees. ‘My patience and tolerance started to wear thin, so I would be more reactive than normal to my boys being loud and jumping off everything with their friends. I would shout and immediately feel terrible afterwards.’
Following multiple trips to the GP, both deduced they were in perimenopause – but it wasn’t a straightforward path to diagnosis – or to treatment.
Suzie explains: ‘I was 45 when I went to the GP. I went in for chronic fatigue. The doctor suggested I might be in perimenopause and booked me in for a blood test for my hormone levels. This came back negative for perimenopause, so then I was left hanging.
‘I was also struggling with anxiety,’ she adds. ‘My GP offered me anti-anxiety medication, which I refused.
‘There was no mention of possible hormonal imbalance. It’s shocking to think thousands of women are being sent on their way with medication that doesn’t address the real cause of menopause symptoms.’
Suzie has since learned that blood tests are ‘notoriously unreliable’, meaning it is possible to have completely normal blood results but extreme symptoms, and vice versa. ‘Blood tests are just a snapshot of time and hormone levels vary from person to person,’ she says.
Indeed, after 45, women likely won’t be offered a blood test, rather doctors will look at a collection of symptoms will indicate a diagnosis, rather than getting definitive confirmation.
Left in limbo, Suzie booked a blood test at a private clinic, hoping it would be more accurate. Again, a negative.
Next stop was a private menopause clinic, where she was prescribed ‘bio-identicals’. These are plant-based hormones that are chemically identical to the hormones produced naturally by the body, Vs HRT, which is synthetic hormones that don’t possess the same structure as human hormones.
When they didn’t work either, Suzie says she felt as though she had nowhere to turn.
‘You’re left feeling helpless and you just struggle on alone,’ she says.
Already deep into her own research, Suzie then had what she now calls her ‘eureka moment’, realising that the symptoms she had previously suspected were chronic fatigue syndrome – weight gain, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, low mood, thinning hair, itchy skin, brain fog, night sweats etc – were actually textbook signs of the menopause. ‘I didn’t worry it was something else because all the symptoms were there, ‘ she said. ‘It made me determined to find a solution to alleviate the symptoms.’
Myriam and Suzie’s experience is by no means unusual. A study by the Fawcett Society found that while the majority of women (77%) reported at least one menopause symptom they found very difficult, only 14% of women are given HRT during this major life stage, leaving 86% of women to their own devices.
Almost half said they experienced three or more symptoms of that severity, with the most commonly reported being difficulty sleeping (84%), brain fog (73%) and anxiety or depression (69%).
Like so many women dismissed by their doctors as either anxious or simply ‘of a certain age’, Myriam says she was forced to ‘turn health detective’, spending over £750 on treatments and potential cures.
Myriam and Suzie tried so many supplements they were practically rattling as they walked, including a host of the best known menopause supplements alongside the likes of maca root, chaste tree, wild yam root, Siberian ginseng, Ashwagandha, sage leaf, berberine, curcumin, 5HTP, L-Tyrosine, Boswellia Serrata, green tea extract and Calcium D-Glucarate – to name a few.
By now certain they were dealing with the menopause, they closed in on potential treatments. Myriam says: ‘After the “negative” blood tests, long list of supplements and trying bio-identicals without success, we turned health detective and decided to “hack our hormones” with botanicals, vitamins and supplements that we had identified that we thought would work.’
Both harboured a lifelong passion for plant-based alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs and were keen to avoid traditional HRT. ‘Plants are extremely powerful healers, says Suzie. If we could find formulas that targeted the various symptoms of menopause – passionflower for anxiety, bacopa monnieri for cognitive function and so forth – then combine them in one formula, we should be able to stop taking copious different supplements every day.’
For both women, it became an obsession, trawling every scientific study they could get their hands on, unearthing studies that linked the gut microbiome and menopause, where the estrobolome, a collection of gut microbes, helps regulate and recycle oestrogen in the gut.
A strong sense was building that they were on to something game-changing. ‘We had a good feeling about this new means of tackling menopause,’ says Suzie. ‘It felt like a fresh avenue to pursue that was different to other natural remedies we had seen on the market.’
The real ‘eureka’ moment came when they made the link between gut health, brain health and hormones.
‘It wasn’t until we made the gut-brain-hormone connection that we decided to take a different approach,’ says Suzie.
The fact nothing like it existed led to the business idea: If it didn’t exist, why shouldn’t they invent it?
‘The findings on the estrobolome kickstarted our journey to create Minerva Wellness,’ says Suzie. In their kitchen-turned-science lab, the two began to examine different live cultures that would support gut health in women during menopause.
‘We were both very driven and determined to find a solution that would make us feel better,’ she says. ‘It’s really hard to function when your hormones start to have their own house party. We just knew there must be many women in exactly the same boat.
‘Coupled with the scale of menopause, its wide range of symptoms and the fact it can last for so many years, meant we dug in our heels and said: “Let’s do this”.’
The two took to Google yet again to research supplement manufacturers in the UK and found a small company in Oxford they felt was the perfect fit.
‘We didn’t want a big factory – we wanted to know everything that went into our product, so this small firm suited us,’ says Myriam. ‘They have their own scientists and nutritionists, they are really meticulous about the ingredients, their quality control is second to none and the team feels really authentic and genuine.’
The expert team helped them to work on an all-in-one formula to help relieve their menopause symptoms that would include probiotics, botanicals, vitamins and minerals to help improve cognitive function, mood and energy, anxiety and insomnia relief and hot flushes and night sweats.
Two years of research and development led to the creation of a concentrated formula targeting gut health that was trialled on 80 women.
The supplement contains 20 ingredients, each designed to serve a very specific function. Probiotics are key, alongside bacopa monnieri, which is being trialled to help Alzheimer’s and dementia. Passionflower is included for anxiety and insomnia relief while sage and soy double up to help with hot flushes.
They discussed packaging marketing, settling on branding that looked ‘luxe and appealing rather than medical’, and visited pharmacies and wellness stores across the country to find suppliers. They recently became sellers on Amazon, a huge step in giving easier access to their products.
Given the years of work that they poured into it, they are delighted to say that feedback has been ‘incredible’.
‘To this day we still have customers who have been with us since the trial, who tell us that we changed their lives,’ says Myriam.
And their invention has seemingly changed theirs, too. Myriam says her symptoms were ‘immediately relieved’. And although she has now gone through menopause, she says she still takes her own supplements. ‘No more sore boobs or bloating. I sleep better. I wake up, but go back to sleep more easily. That’s the passionflower and magnesium.
‘Now I’m done – It’s nice to not have periods. To not have the tiredness, the boobs that hurt, the bloating.’
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Suzie says: ‘Menopause affects every woman differently, although we all have common threads. It is a major chapter of our lives, often leaving us completely remote from our former selves.
‘But I like to think it’s called “the change” because we are shifting into a new era in our lives, releasing things that no longer serve us and embracing a new version of ourselves.’
‘I’m through the menopause and I feel great,’ adds Myriam. ‘No symptoms here. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.’
You can buy the supplements at the Minerva store and on Amazon.
CRACKING THE MENOPAUSE: HELP IS AT HAND
Myriam and Suzie say taking time to rest, eat well and address other elements of their lives was crucial alongside taking their Minerva supplements in getting on top of symptoms – holistic approach that involves lifestyle, diet and nutrition.
Here, Myriam and Suzie tell us the wisdom they learned throughout perimenopause and menopause and what, along with their supplements did work for them.
Diet
Nothing changes unless we do. Making dietary changes can make a huge difference to how we feel throughout menopause. In order to slow down weight gain at this stage, many women choose to cut out carbs or take up fasting. However, we believe this is a good time to assess how you nourish and care for your body. Introduce plenty of lean protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables into your diet. These foods provide essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fibre which help support overall health and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Increasing your intake of phytoestrogen-rich foods, which are plant-based compounds that mimic the effects of oestrogen in the body, can help alleviate some perimenopausal symptoms. Good sources of phytoestrogens include soybeans, tofu, lentils, chickpeas, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds. Also try to add more omega-3s to help alleviate joint pain and mood swings. Good sources of omega-3s include oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, as well as walnuts and chia seeds. Try to reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption as both can disrupt sleep and exacerbate hot flushes and mood swings.
Sleep
One of the biggest knock-on effects of perimenopause is sleepless nights. In fact, as many as 84% experience trouble sleeping during this time, impacting negatively on energy and mood. Getting enough sleep is vital for managing perimenopause symptoms. To improve sleep, it’s important to establish a consistent bedtime routine, avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed, and create a cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment.
Manage Stress
Perimenopause can be a stressful time for many women as they experience substantial physical and emotional changes that affect their daily lives. According to a survey by the CIPD, 58% of women experience more stress during this time. Symptoms such as anxiety, hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, and sleep disturbances contribute to a rise in stress levels. Activities like yoga, meditation, breath work, or spending time in nature can all help manage stress.
Exercise
Exercise can be very beneficial for women going through perimenopause for several reasons. It increases the release of endorphins, which are natural mood boosters, helps to improve the quality and duration of sleep, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and maintain a healthy weight, which is important for overall health and making us feel good in ourselves.
Self-care
Perimenopause can feel like a very inner experience. It forces us to look at our lives and demands that we start taking better care of ourselves. It’s a time where we can reassess, refocus, and make positive changes. However, heavy-hitting symptoms can make it hard to feel joyful, or even laugh sometimes, which is why self-care is essential. Find something you love doing, seek out joy and laughter, practise meditation, go for a walk, listen to your favourite songs, go for a swim, catch up with friends, watch your favourite movies, and make time for the things that make you feel better. Self-care helps regulate your emotions to reduce stress and improve wellbeing.
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