Menopause support sessions to start at libraries in Stowmarket, Ipswich, Mildenhall and Glemsford

Three women from Suffolk have shared the exhausting impact the menopause has had on their lives, with the hope it will encourage others to reach out for support.

This comes after Suffolk Libraries teamed up with Suffolk Mind on a Menopause & Me project, offering free menopause and perimenopause sessions at libraries across Suffolk from September.

Suffolk Libraries has highlighted the results of a Bupa Survey published in 2021, which revealed almost one million women leave work due menopausal symptoms.

This statistic is one that Jen Evans, 45, of Kesgrave, can relate to.

Jen first noticed her hormones were changing in July 2020, when she started having irregular and heavier periods and would wake up at night dripping in sweat.

At around the same time she began to experience anxiety which meant ‘any form of social interaction became exhausting’.

Jen was then prescribed an antidepressant and also had a weekly chat with a therapist.

She explained: “When after six months I was not improving, I went back to the GP. I mentioned hormones and asked ‘Could this be the start of the menopause?’

Following results of a blood test, Jen was told she couldn’t be menopausal because she was extremely fertile and still having bleeds. Her antidepressant prescription was doubled.

Eventually the symptoms became so bad, she left her job in her school, saying after 13 years, she ‘just couldn't do it anymore’.

Though Jen was able to get a part-time job behind a bar, she still struggled with menopausal symptoms. On one occasion her brain fog was so bad she simply forgot to go to work.

‘Enough was enough’ said Jen who returned to her GP surgery with her husband.

Two-and-a-half years after first going to her doctor with symptoms, Jen was prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Working behind the bar, Jen said she discovered that she wasn’t the only mid 40’s woman experiencing hormonal changes, being sent away with antidepressants and expensive scans and blood tests.

Terri Regent, of Ipswich, is keen to talk about the menopause and perimenopause to anybody who will listen.

She said: “Nobody should suffer in silence and every person on their menopause journey should have access to resources and education.

“This is why the Menopause & Me project is so very important, menopause affects everybody either directly or indirectly.”

Terri said she believes she was experiencing perimenopause for a number of years before realising what was happening.

She explained: “I began to experience frequent migraines, which I also had as a teen, and irregular bleeding which was very heavy and often with only a few days break before it began again.

“I had no idea what was happening, visited my doctor five times and was offered medication to stop the bleed and pain medication for the migraines. No mention of perimenopause. I did not want to take medication; I wanted to understand why I was experiencing these issues.”

Terri continued: “It got to the point where my symptoms began to affect my mental wellbeing, causing anxiety because of their erratic nature and the subsequent embarrassment if I had a heavy bleed in a public place.

“It affected my sleep patterns and I felt constantly exhausted. I was basically suffering in silence and made the decision to educate myself and do anything that I could to improve my quality of life.”

Mary-Jane Budd, went through the menopause at 51, however her symptoms of bloating, headaches, vaginal dryness, low mood, weight gain and brain fog started at least eight years before.

For Mary-Jane the ‘debilitating anxiety’ she experienced had a big impact on her life.

The chartered psychologist said: “ I found myself questioning whether I was capable of continuing with my career.

“I had been focusing on a senior management career pathway and after taking time off sick due to my anxiety, I realized that I would not be able to cope with the stress.

“A few years later, I realised even full-time work was too much for me and I decided to go down to a part-time contract.

“Since going part-time I have used my own experience of menopause as a springboard into becoming an advocate for women going through this life stage.”

More information about the Menopause & Me project can be found here.

The M-Powered sessions are taking place in the following libraries, from September and anyone is welcome:

Stowmarket Library – every Wednesday from 4pm

Mildenhall Library – ever Wednesday from 5.30pm

Chantry Library in Ipswich – third Friday of the month from 2.30pm (next dates 18 August and 15 September)

Glemsford Library – first Wednesday of the month from 7pm (next date is 6 September).

Gainsborough Library – every Monday from 7pm to 9pm.