August 3, 2025 • 40 mins
Menopause is as normal and natural as any other life change - but the stigma around it hasn't gone away.
Convenor of the Aotearoa Menopause Forum, Dr Sola Freeman, joins Tim Beveridge for Health Hub.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
I had a very good afternoon. If you have just
(00:30):
joined us, and welcome back.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
This is the Weekend Collective and this is the Health Hub.
Now we are actually we're going to have a chat
about menopause. And before I introduce my guest, look with
I have which I've got a matter. As a guy,
I was a little nervous the first time I had
we had a chat about this with Nicki Bizant a
while ago. In fact, I've had a few conversations with Nicki.
(00:52):
But menopause, you know, it's a normal and natural change
in life, but.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
There's still a stigma with it.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
But I do suspect or I hope that we are
better at discussing these issues before. But I guess the
question as are we and do we have somewhere to go?
So we're gonna have a chat about menopause. If you've
got any questions or comments about it, we'd love to
hear from you. On eight hundred and eighty ten eighty
and joining us. She is the convener of the Alter
Menopause Forum and her name is doctor Sola Freeman and
(01:21):
doctor Sola is with me now solo, Good.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Afternoon, cured to Tim, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I'm just to learn a little bit about you. What
do you do well?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
First of all, I'm not a medical doctor. I have
a doctor on philosophy. So I've done my PhD in education,
actually early childood education, so my background's working. I've been
a lecturer and a researcher in early chilhood education, mainly
at Victoria University, and now an education consultant. I've raised
(01:53):
four children, which I think is probably my best significant achievement.
I'm still happily married, that's another achievement. So yeah, that's
kind of a bit about me.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
How did you get so? When did you menopause? How
did you get.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
Question?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I was kind of a fluffy way of asking about it.
I'm still probably I don't know on the bloke. I
don't want to be mansplaining in and then out. But
how did you get involved with talking about menopause and
researching it?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Well? My own experience, so I was probably I was
mid mid forties, and it was around that time that
I decided that I was going to do my PhD
and go into full time study, which when you're raising
four teenagers is kind of a significant decision. And I started,
(02:46):
and just around that time, my periods really went haywire
and really heavy and fall on and just kind of
and then random six months without and then ban one
another one that then, and now I'm looking back, I
realized that it was anxiety, but a massive drop in
(03:08):
my confidence, which was not particularly helpful when you're about
to start studying. And brain fog that was another element
that wasn't helpful. So all of those things sort of
came together. And I have a friend who I was
talking to her about it and she said, look, I've
just been to a menopause doctor. I highly recommend you
go and see her. I did, and she had her
(03:30):
explanation to me, as you don't need to be living
like this, which was just wonderful and wonderful to be heard.
And she's taken me through over my perimenopause and I'm
now menopausal and MHT was probably the most significant impact
for me. So that's menopause hormone therapy or HRT. That, yeah,
(03:54):
I think from that experience and having friends who are
going through the same thing and seeing them not being
so supported, so going to their GP or whatever and
in some cases been put onto antidepressants, and that sort
of thing kind of riled in me. I'm strong feminists,
(04:15):
so it kind of riled a little bit of this
is not good enough. And also the researcher and me,
he wanted to find out a little bit more. So
I really really investigated as much as I could around
it for my own information. But as it went further,
it became a bit more of a passion project. And
(04:36):
my husband works in public relations and government relations, and
I guess the Australians had a Senate inquiry last year
year before, and I was sitting and moaning to him
bitching would probably be the best word to him about
the fact that actually there really should be something like
this happening in New Zealand. And he said, oh, I
(04:57):
guess we could make something happen, and I'm like, well,
let's And so between the two of us we kind
of got in touch with Niki bers Ant and doctor
Linda Dare and a few others and said, let's let's
put this in front of parliament. In particular, we wanted
it to be across the parties. We didn't want it
to be political at all.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
What shouldn't should it.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Well, no, it shouldn't be, because it's it's it's affects
the health of fifty percent of the population, right, so
this is it's it's significant in a whole lot of areas.
It's significant in health, it's significant economically, it's significant not
just for women but also their partners, their children, their workplaces.
So yeah, I just for me, it should be better
(05:41):
served and that's why I organized the forum in Parliament
and we had a we had a good turnout. In particular,
what was a really lovely spin it or great spin
off was we had a meeting with Nicola greg Minister
of Women's Affairs, and we also had a meeting with
Casey Costello, Associate Minister, and she's specifically Health for Woman
(06:05):
and age care. Interestingly enough she made the connection and
which was helpful. And then we also had the Sam
iffandel for who's the chair of the House Select Committee.
He came to the presentation and he stayed and asked
lots of questions.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Well good, yeah, because the best certain m hmm. Actually
this is one of the questions as well we should
delve into. But good on him for doing it, because
something there'd be a lot of men to be like,
I think I might just keep.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Away in Yeah. Well so he invited with one of
the women who was who's part of sort of the group,
Brandish Smith shed already presented a petition to Parliament and
he said, look, you should probably present her to the
House Select Committee. So we did that.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
That was the petitioner.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
So the petitions around well, basically an awareness around menopause,
in particular around the workplace because it is quite a
significant you know, there's data that shows that one in
twelve women leave their jobs due to symptoms around perimenopause
and menopause, and for many women the struggle is if
(07:18):
you is actually getting time off work and so having
workplaces understand what the impact is and being supportive and
compassionate and understanding and tolerant and all of that with
women in the workplace. So that was a bit at
your public awareness. But also one of the things that
we asked for in our for them was we really
need to increase some funding around training for medical professionals
(07:42):
out there so that they better serve women.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
So going back to your own journey, I mean, what
was the was it did you actually work out you
mentioned just at the start of our conversation how your
periods has stopped for a few months. Did you actually
work out what the reason was or did you just think, oh,
maybe I'm stressed, or I mean when did you sort
of think it might Yeah, and you were told.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Of them, you know, conversation with my friend actually so,
and between the two of us we kind of went, oh, yeah,
mid forties, you're probably there. I mean, the thing is
that for me, that was the signal. So my periods
were really irregular when I got them, though, were a waterfall.
It was really embarrassing. I could not wear anything white,
(08:32):
and so that that was key for me. But for
some woman, the other symptoms show up. So if they
go to their doctor and they talk about their symptoms
and the doctor says, well, your periods haven't changed, you're
still getting regular periods. You're not in perimenopause, that's not true.
So it isn't. So there's a whole lot of symptoms
that could indicate that you're in perimenopause. And for some
women they can be moving it. You know, you can
(08:55):
start in your mid thirties, so most women it's around
forty forty five in that space. But there are a
number of symptoms that could indicate that you're their joint pain, anxiety,
brain fog, frozen shoulder, who knows.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I imagine that.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I mean that early conversation you had with your other
friend or the first person who re talked you about
it must have been a very emotional journey for you,
because you know it's I mean, that's the passage of
time and a whole lot of things. What did it
signify for you?
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Change? Recognizing that there was change? And I did put
it down.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
I did.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
I did think my anxiety and lack of confidence was
down to stress and imposter syndrome. You know, I'd been
given a scholarship to do my PhD, and I honestly, really,
really seriously thought somebody was going to walk in the door.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And go Solidn't be silly.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
We were just joking. We didn't mean to give you
that scholarship. There's no way you can do this PhD.
You're not smart enough for this.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
So what was that? What was the question for your
actually that you.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Were I was looking at science and early childhood. Actually
I really wanted to see how we could do more
of it. No, it wasn't so it was education. But
you know that that lack of confidence was was overwhelming.
You know. I vividly remember walking home, coming home at
the end of the day and and just the kids saying, oh,
(10:27):
how was your day. I'm just bursting and says.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Oh, I can't do this is not I'm going to
be able to do this.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
This is too hard. And you know that's that just
lack of confidence was just overwhelming and really scary. And
I did put it down to oh, it's the stress
of this. But once I had that that appointment and
having the doctors to her say to me, no, this
(10:53):
is all part of it. It's it's not it's you
shouldn't be in this having this experience. This is not
something that needs to be normal.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Uh I.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
I remember what you said earlier. I mean your husband
was there, ride along from this all along the way.
But that wouldn't always be the thing. I guess you've
shared quite openly your initial experiences with meno pause, but
which I mean, I can't imagine, say, ten years ago,
I can't imagine even this being on radio. So there
(11:24):
has been a shift in our consequence, about in our consciousness,
sorry about these issues, hasn't there?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
I mean how much? So? How much the stigma. Is
there still attached to it? Do you think?
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Oh? I think there still is.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And what is the stigma?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Is it more a personal stigma that people not wanting
to acknowledge it or not wanting to share it or
not wanting to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Where we're at with you know, it's personal.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Then sharing with other people and discussing it, even mentioned
to your doctor for someone would probably a battle, wouldn't it.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Oh? Absolutely? And it's personal. You know, there's lots of
elements to it that is quite personal. And there's I
think it's also you know, women are expected to we
are expected to just handle things. I mean, we joke
about man flow, right because it's accepted that when men
(12:13):
get the cold, they're sicker than we are. You know,
that's the running joke, right, But it's not necessarily the case.
It's just that often women have to just carry on.
You've got children to look after, you've got and certainly
when you're in your mid age, you might even have
parents that you have to help look after. So there's
a whole lot of things and people that are dependent
(12:35):
on you and are expecting you just just step up
and carry on, so that that expectation is huge. To
be vulnerable is also you know, you have to have
good friends to be able to talk to them vulnerable, vulnerabile.
(12:59):
But I guess I've kind of got to a point
now where you.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Sound like a pretty open book personally on this stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
I am, And well, I've kind of had to be
really because for me, it's like, this is if I
don't then how can I encourage other women to stand
up and also advocate for themselves? Right? This is It's
a key part of what all of this is is
that we do need to have support around this area.
I mean, it's a natural part of our of our life.
(13:30):
We go through puberty. I mean, an amazing thing for
us as females is we're actually born with all our eggs.
How freaking amazing is that every little baby girl is
born with all the little eggs that she will ever
carry for the whole of, you know, through her reproductive life.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
It is actually, it is amazing, isn't it That they're
all there already and then at some stage then you
start releasing them.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
And yeah, I mean it's.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Quite kind blowing.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
It is mind blowing, spookly mind blowing. I mean I
kind of think I've had two daughters, and I think
that if my daughters have daughters, I carried that granddaughter, Yes,
carried I carried her egg. Yes, And that's and that
connection is pretty wow. So anyway, I think it's all
(14:19):
very beautiful. But that's part of our lifespan and puberty
hits and our body changes, and same for boys. And
we and we give teenager space around that time. We
we we accept that, you know, fourteen year old boys
are generally going to grunt, but you know, we might
get a few conversations out of them, you know, and
(14:40):
and that and teenage girls can be you know, up
and down and and you know moody. Bam. Why do
you think they're moody? Well, because their estrogen and their
progesterone levels are going like this, because it's puberty, right
up and down, up and down.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Sense that there would be that would be an inverse
reaction at that their opposite reaction at the end, I.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Guess, logically, exactly, logically.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Almost the law of physics, doesn't it. You had this
when that started, something's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
At the end.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
And then we have when we're pregnant. We have amazing
sympathy and compassion around a pregnant woman. You know, there's
understanding about you being tired, there's understanding about you having
brain fog. Bam. Yet again, you've got a low, low
amounted estrogen. Because your estrogen is working goddamn hard to
build a baby.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Why does why does that actually cause? Do you know
what causes brain fog? And I know you coming at
this from a from a not from a medical perspective,
but from all the work you've done with menopause, so
you will have picked up a few lot.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Yeah, Well, so it's the lack of estrogen. So estrogen
is an anti inflammatory, and so it is quite significant
part of our brain that antestosterone and produesterone. So all
those three hormones have quite an impact on our whole system, actually,
but in particular around our brain, and so mood and anxiety,
panic attacks, there's so many elements to what those hormones
(15:58):
do in our body. So when you're having a baby,
you're pregnant, you're building a baby, and so those hormones
are working overtime, and so not surprisingly you're tired, you're moody,
you have brain fog, and we give pregnant woman space
around that time, so bam, we get to a point
where we don't we don't have those eggs anymore. We've
(16:19):
released them all. And because we've released them all and
we no longer need to be we're no longer reproductive
and with those hormones don't need to be working to
the same degree anymore, and so they start stopping. Basically,
your body stops producing them, and that's just part of me.
My hands are working. This is radio.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
So what do you I mean, what would you what
would you like to people to get out of an
hour like this when we're talking about it. By the way,
we'd love to take your cause on this if you
want to share an experience, you've got a question. I'm
sure there might even be some husbands and partners who
maybe don't want to ask any particular question of their partner,
and you'd like to get a steer on maybe how
(17:04):
these issues be rest of course, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
But what would you like to get what would you sola?
What would you like people to get out of?
Speaker 4 (17:12):
I really would love women to know that this is normal,
It's a normal part of our lifespan. We do live
longer than men, five years younger, longer than men on average,
but we don't live as healthily and so for us
to have out often it's a third of our life
living healthily and effectively and being able to function to
(17:34):
the best that we can. We need to take charge
of this transition and we need to know about it,
and we also need to know that it we don't
we don't have to go through it naturally that we can. Well, okay,
so here we go. MHT is natural. So just like diabetes,
replace insulin, which is a hormone. This is an opportunity
(17:56):
because MHT is the gold standard treatments.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
What's what's its stand for.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Again, menopause hormone therapy.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
How can they change from HRT?
Speaker 4 (18:05):
I think I think the intention is that it's it's
specific to.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Menopause because HRT it sounds like a brand for some
sort of heating product or something.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Sorry.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Yeah, yeah. And also maybe it's it's about the use
of replacement. I don't know, so maybe a deficit concept.
But yeah, So we have body identical estrogen. So and
the wonderful thing about New Zealand is all of these
things are funded, so our patches are funded. You can
use a gel, it's all body identical, so that's estrogen
(18:38):
that your body normally produces.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
We might look, we're just stopping, we're going to take
a break, but I'd like to invite if you're listening,
and I can tell you I've done hours where we've
discussed menopause, and sometimes callers listen for a while and
they decide how I want to give you a call
and they call me at about ten minutes to go
in the program. So now as your chart, if you
also if you'd like to share your experience, but also
have a chat with Solar about some you know, some
(19:01):
disquad or nervous you have nervous nervousness you have, or
questions you've got around menopause, and we'd love to have
your participation on I eight hundred eighty ten eighty in
text nine to nine two. And look, by the way,
I'll just jump ahead of this some there will always
be someone who wanted to talk about male menopause and
(19:22):
this is not really the discussion, okay, because it's not
quite the thing that it is for women, if I
could understate that. So, but if you've got a question
as a partner and you wanted to support your wife
or your your girlfriend who's going through menopause, then give
us a call and if you want to share your
experiences as well. I eight hundred eighty ten eighty text
nine two nine two, it's still It's twenty six past four.
(19:44):
News Talks hed b Yes, News Talks with ten Beverage.
Welcome back. We're talking menopause with the convener of the
Oltra Menopause Forum, Solar Freeman, and taking your calls. We've
got a bunch of texts, a lot of questions that
(20:04):
will come through. We'll be on text, but if you
want to jump the queue, give us a call on
eight eighty Michelle, Hello, Hi.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
I just wanted to talk about with foremoes and menophors
about gluety all tender niters.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yep, glue toy or tendonitis.
Speaker 6 (20:24):
Yeah, what's that the lady about Solar.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Yeah, it sounds like a medical question, but joint pain
and muscle pain is not as quite a common symptom
of menopause. I certainly had that and then and hrt
because because estrogen is an anti inflammatory, and when we
don't have enough estrogen in our body, those our body
(20:50):
becomes inflamed essentially, so so hence pain around our joints
and our muscles and hot flushes because that's vascular inflammation.
All of those things have sort of all linked to it,
and that aspect of it if you have investigated MHD
could look at that. Obviously. One of the other things
(21:11):
they talked about is nutrition and exercise and so forth.
But yep, that I wouldn't be surprised if it's connected,
but it would be with you. Vescia. There's a really
good quiz on menodoctor dot com which kind of goes
through some of those symptoms and lots of information there
on that website that's in New Zealand. That's Linda doctor
Linda Deere, So some really helpful information there if you
(21:32):
wanted to explore it a little bit further.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Have you.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
So? Have you do? I mean, I don't know what
to ask, but as is that because you think you're
going through menopause that you know you are or what.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Michelle, I've been through menopause and the topic say that
who say that? It was like a form of saying
a cab But then I went to the health coach.
Have you heard about the health coach? I am around, yeah,
and said that it was blue to il ten and
(22:07):
nights and gave some exercises. But then this way that
it could be connected with menopause and the hormone or
so then said to take some collagen and some menopause
tablets and everything. But it doesn't last through the day.
So you can do to the exercises that they want
(22:29):
you to do and everything. And the more the more
work you do and the more walking around, the better
it is for you. But then as finish you to
stop or you stand by the bench or anything like that,
it should be down your legs. And yet you know,
if you cough, you get it down, especially down in
(22:50):
your in your thigh area, down your leg and if
you take a cologen in the menopause tablet, it does help.
But I'm just wondering whether the you know, ATRT or
some other thing fights actually be better for it.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
I wouldn't. I wouldn't assuming you're in your midlife, Michelle,
I would. I would go and see go take go
to your GP, do some moment research, go online, do
meno doctor check it out, do the quizz find out
a little bit more information. Sometimes it's useful to have
an advocate with you when you go along to the
GP because and this is one of the things that
(23:28):
we talked in parliament about is they really do need
to have a whole lot more information available to them
that allows them to support you better in those conversations
and that go healthy research, which is kind of why
I'm here. Seventy percent of woman said they wanted more
support from their doctor, and it's if you don't get that,
(23:49):
that's why we have specialist menopause doctors out there that
do cost more money, but often they are the best
place to go because they do help you specifically around
that and it sounds to me that you maybe need
to investigate the MHD.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Yeah, okay, thanks for your call.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Michelle. Really appreciate it. Actually that yep, really appreciate it.
That ties into one of the questions I had from somebody.
Janet just texted, say, please talk about more about frozen shoulder.
But that just goes to what you were talking about,
that the anti inflammatory effects of hormones which are no
longer there.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
And it was a symptom for me and when I
woke up in the morning getting out of the bed,
I felt like I was one hundred years old. I
could hardly move. I'd sit at my computer doing some
work and then could hardly stand up again. Joint pain
was significant for me and MHD was what helped me.
And I think it really is exploring those symptoms for
(24:44):
yourself and going through the quiz. The Australasian Menopause Society
also have a check sheet which you can go through
and take that with you when you see a medical professional,
whether it's a GP or whether you actually go to
a menopause doctor, and then you can go through really
clearly about the things that are affecting your frozen shoulder
as one. So all of those things sort of lead
(25:07):
into you exploring what are the best options for you,
and I mean as.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Opposed to menopause specialists which you say it does cost
more money or something. I mean, are there forums which
I can identify just what GP? I mean, how do
you know if your GPS because some GPS, and look,
I don't like to throw anything at GPS. They're doing
a wonderful job and everyone has their sphere of interest,
I guess, But how do you identify a GP who's
(25:34):
going to be onto it for your menopause issues?
Speaker 4 (25:37):
I guess I'm on There is a menopause Facebook page
and which I'm on, and that's it can be quite
triggering because there's some really really sad stories being shared
on there. But there's also some amazing woman out there
who can go do you live in.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Christ Church in this suburb?
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Friendly? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Carla Clinic is another one c a La clinic that's organized.
They have specific GPS that the identified, so there's there's
ways mechanisms to find it and find those who are
sensitive and helpful.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Okay, I wanted to deal with this one from Wayne
before we go to our next caller, saying, Hi, Tim,
I'm a married male, but can you explain to me
what the symptoms of menopause actually are? Well, I'm not
going to, but solo might help with us. But look,
actually it's not so we have talked about the symptoms already,
but he has said, is that why my sixty four
year old wife can get cranky at short notice?
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Could be absolutely? Yep, short short temper, absolutely, and lack
of empathy towards you. Often our partners are the ones
who really pass us off to be fair and idiot,
so that shortness.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Okay, So I'm going to ask a question on behalf
of Wayne. I don't think that's a particularly good tactic
to say, what's wrong with you?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
You're going through menopause. No, it's like, so, how does
but if someone is I don't.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Know, if somebody thinks that maybe their partner hasn't recognized
that they might be going through that change, how do
they bring it up?
Speaker 2 (27:06):
And I shall say, what makes you ask that?
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Well, because she's getting a bit cranky, Yeah, I do
your own research, find out a little bit more, maybe
suggest that she do some reading herself. You could also
lead by a example and say, you know what I'm
I'm really feeling like I could probably do a little
bit more about my health. I'm going to go and
do some research around what I could be doing that
(27:30):
could better have me ready for my later years. Maybe
maybe we could do this together. We could both do
a bit of a midlife health check, trying to check
and what's not going right for us right now?
Speaker 2 (27:41):
What like I host still reckon.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Most wives will go okay, nice, but what is really
on your mind?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (27:48):
Look, and you know being honest is fair because actually
one of the symptoms we haven't talked about tim, and
I think it's actually quite a significant particularly in partners,
is vaginal dryness. So woman going through perimenofors and menopause
can have dry vaginas and essentially the estrogen that would
normally make that area nice and plump and healthy.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
So they just avoid it all together.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Yeah, and so sex is painful and they don't have
much of a libido and so, and that can hugely
impact a relationship. So I think having those conversations around,
you know, how we're getting on as a couple, could
we both be investigating this a little bit further. I
think there's nothing wrong with that. This is just being
honest with each other because otherwise you just bitterness builds.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
So I also got another brilliant of what you say
is you're listening to the radio today and you heard
Solar Freemon with Tim Beverage and they were talking about menopause.
And I suddenly thought, should I have asked you about this?
That's I mean, that's seriously for you.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
So I heard a discussion today and I suddenly thought,
is this something I should be asking you about? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (28:52):
And then these you're in, Yes, absolutely, absolutely, these you're in.
And or look I've just said, look at something's just
come up on my social media or on my Instagram.
I've just seen this piece about women going through midlife
and menopause and through menopause? Do you reckon?
Speaker 7 (29:06):
This is you?
Speaker 5 (29:08):
You know?
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Easy? There's many many mechanisms to sort of just raise
it in the conversation. And I think if you have
a healthy relationship and hopefully you know that's where you
want it to be, then this is about the two
of you growing old together.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Well, right, we're going to take some more calls in
just a moment. You're with Tain Beverage and Sola Freeman.
She's a convener of our Tower Menopause Forum, and we're
sharing your experiences and having chat and also throwing some
questions at Solar for how to deal with this big
change in a woman's life. Twenty one minutes, two five. Yes,
welcome back to the Health HUD. My guest is Sola
(29:42):
Freeman talking about menopause and taking your calls. Bronda, Hello, Hi,
how are you hello?
Speaker 5 (29:48):
Sola?
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Hey, Bronda?
Speaker 2 (29:50):
You guys sound like you know each other, do you do.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
I'm Bronda Smith. I'm the person who put the petition
into the Parliament around menopause and there were there were
three things that were an aspect of that The first
one was around what we supported. Solar was a forum
which was around support for doctors and education. The second
one was around health and the workplace and what that
(30:17):
looked like. And then the third one was actually around
education at schools, so trying to get it become more
understood by people, especially teenagers. There's three p's in your
life for women. There's puberty, pregnancy, and perio menopause. So
those are the three big peas in your life. So
(30:38):
that's what the that's what the petition was about. They're
the other thing I just wanted to mention also is
we've got quite a significant menopause support group on Facebook
Minopause Support New Zealand and seventeen thousand members and that's
a really good place for women to be able to
come and ask for some advice, some help. We don't
(31:00):
hand out medical advice, I'm one of the Edmonds, but
we do hand out support and especially around how to
go and consult with your doctor. So yeah, that's something
worth considering as well.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Can I just wrote to why I've got you both here.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I've got a text from some saying I'm convinced my
wife's going through menopause and I raise the subject, but
she just doesn't want to know about it. I guess
just got to leave her to make I mean, if
you're worried, if somebody you think your wife's or your partners,
and what would you guys say, Branda and Sola Sola first.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Let's go with it.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Honestly, if you are worried, I would persist, because you know,
we had I mean Branda would have have. Also, we've
heard of lots of stories where there's there's there's a
woman who actually get really quite depressed during perimenopause and menopause,
and often when you're that in that space, you actually
don't know how to get supported and how to get help,
and so having somebody who can step up and advocate
(31:56):
for you is really important. So if you are worried,
then yeah, I would I would persist and really and
ask say, I want to help you. I think that
this is something we could be doing together. I think
it's it's a natural transition.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
I think it's I don't give up on first try.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
No, I don't think you should give up on because
if this is a healthy relationship and you both want
to grow old together, then this is about you helping
each other, right, And just just as we would if
our partner started to not hear things, we'd be inclined
to say to them, dude, I think we really need
to go get your hair in checked, so you know,
you know this is this is this is what you do.
(32:35):
Often it's your partner that's the one that identifies it
to you, right, So it's the same in this situation.
As far as I'm concerned, it's a natural transition. It's
it's it's about supporting each other. It's about being compassionate,
it's about being empathetic and helpful, and that's that's this
And again it's also I think it's not just men.
I mean men, yes, helping, helping their partners and their
(32:58):
sisters and so forth. But actually I think women also
need to be really sympathetic. Some women won't have symptoms,
and yay, go you, that's fabulous, but please be sympathetic
to the fact that there some women will have symptoms
and some women will have significant symptoms. And so being
compassionate and understanding towards towards your fellow wahini I think
(33:21):
is surely that's about humanity, right.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Hey, Brinda, are you happy with the response you've had
from the politicians to that petition.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
Look if nothing happens fast and you know in Parliament
and we have struggled a little bit, I suppose with
the change of we had a bit of significant movement
when we're under Labor and that you know, they've been
in power for nine years and had done some stuff.
So of course once national came in, some of the
things that label were doing sort of got dropped, and
(33:52):
the woman's health strategy is one of them, and love
to see that picked up again because there was quite
a significant part in there about menopause. So there's a
whole pile of competing process. But the low hanging fruit
that Sola was talking about doesn't cost a lot of money,
and it's around providing information to doctors and providing information
(34:14):
to women with knowledge to then feel comfortable to go
and advocate for themselves. It's not a whole pile of money.
So that's the bit that we'd really like to see.
And the one thing I'd say too to your caller
is have a chat to if your mum's still around
or one of your friends and say, hey, look I tried,
did you Maybe you have a talk to your friend,
(34:35):
because they quite often women will hear something like that
from their friends that they might want not hear from
their partner, and that can sometimes open up an avenue
of conversation that might not have otherwise been there.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
So yeah, okay, hey, thanks Branda, thanks so much for
your call. Let's take another call.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Rochelle.
Speaker 7 (34:54):
Hello, Hey, how's it going. I was just, yeah, listening
to this and just it's really difficult with the consistency
of care. I've been probably puremini pausal for a long time.
I had no ovary removed when I was twenty five,
(35:15):
and then you know, just all these horrible symptoms and
you think you're going crazy. I think God's my wonderful partner.
But two years ago the doctor said, oh, well your
peri menopausal, off your trot, and I'm like, okay, what
does that mean? And then a year later they put
me on hormones, and then another year later they decided
I needed the thing that goes with the hormones. And
(35:38):
it's just so inconsistent the care, and you're a different
doctor every time, and it's what our health is. And
I think, you know, basically every young woman needs to
go out and find out before you suddenly get six
and go, oh crap.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
I mean for a shell, would that be solo?
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Would that be I mean, be good idea to go
and visit the Facebook page for one and sex and
support from people who can direct it towards some way
where you might get consistent advice.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Yep, yeah there, And do a little bit more research
for yourself so that when you do see your GP,
you've got some background information that you can advocate for yourself.
And I think, you know, sometimes you do need to
have somebody with you in some of those appointments, because
it's really easy to be fobbed off and rush and look,
(36:32):
gps only have fifteen minutes with us, so it's they're
under pressure to I get that, but I think sometimes
you need to have somebody else with you to support you. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (36:44):
Yeah, I couldn't get an appointment with a GP, so
I booked a fifteen minute hone consultation and I wanted
to talk to her about maybe increasing the dose or
maybe doing this, or maybe doing that. And after six
minutes and two seconds she hung up on me.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
Oh my gosh, okay, look, it's that this is your story,
isn't unusual, which is frustrating and really underlies why we
were asking around this, because it is it is really
it's For some women they go on too HT and
it's just amazing and it changes everything instantly. But for
(37:24):
many of us, it's a long term process, and it
requires a really great communication and relationship with your medical
professional who can support you through that. And if they
are feeling like if they're in a position where they
don't know enough, then often it's easier for them to
move you on. And and that's and it is unfortunate,
(37:46):
which is why if you are complicated, sometimes going to
a menopause specialist is probably better. But it's it is
having that advocacy for yourself and being able to stand
up and saying, look, this is not good enough. I
need I need better support than this, and I think
that I could be adjusting how much estrogen I'm on,
(38:08):
or my produced drone, all of that sort of stuff.
So much of it is advocating for yourself and I
get it, and that's hard, particularly if you're not in
a great space, if you're feeling vulnerable or for whatever reason.
And that's that's why I'm so frustrated around the fact
that our medical professional could be doing so much better. Yes,
you're under pressure. I get it, our health systems broken,
(38:29):
I get all of that. But I think that there's
room for them all to be given more information. And
that's why we ask government to step up, because it's
not gonna take a lot of money for them to
do this and an awareness campaign, but we do awennis
campaigns around civical cancer, prostrate cans, all sorts of things, right,
not hard.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Well, that's sort of why we're here really, I mean
because every time we talk about this, I get I
get truckloads of texts.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Where we end up running out of time. But I'm
sure we'll be having this conversation again. But Rachelle, thank
you for your call.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Redo appreciate it all the best.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Chelle.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
Yeah, it's eight minutes to fire back in a tack
this news talk. Sai'd be with the soul of Freeman's
convener of our Terra Menopause Forum. I just want to
deal with a text and we've only got a couple
of minutes.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Solar.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Someone has written says as a tim as a woman,
I find the obsessive discussion around menopause just ck. It's
a stage we all go through do it differently. We've
been doing it forever. Don't need government parliamentary involvement. I
just thought because we are dealing with those continuing stigmas
and so just your your observations on that. But also
we've got with it about a minute and a half
(39:34):
to go.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Okay. My key thing about that is that actually it's
about our long term health. So MHT is helpful around symptoms,
but also it's about our bone health, it's about our
heart health, it's about our brain health. So women die
more often from cardiovascular disease MHT. The lack of estrogen
is a big part of it. We live longer, we
live more unhealthily, beauty eyes and the fact that we
(39:59):
can hit vaginal estrogen which can help that and significantly
reduced by fifty percent. So this isn't about but the
Parliament stepping in. It's about actually helping women live healthily
and better. So yeah, I know this is what's important
to me. Sorry, I'm so passionate.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
No, No, this is great.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
I did put that up because I wanted you to
respond to it, because I think you know, and we
are having more and more conversations about it. Just quickly
that Facebook page or that people can go to if
they want to Menopause.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
Support group on Facebook, but menodoctor dot com it's another
place to go, great source of information.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
We'll have to talk again, I think solar so and
we'll look forward to the next time.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Yeah, lovely, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
No, thank you so much, and we'll be back shortly
with the Health Smart Money.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to news
talks it'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
I had a very good afternoon. If you have just
(00:30):
joined us, and welcome back.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
This is the Weekend Collective and this is the Health Hub.
Now we are actually we're going to have a chat
about menopause. And before I introduce my guest, look with
I have which I've got a matter. As a guy,
I was a little nervous the first time I had
we had a chat about this with Nicki Bizant a
while ago. In fact, I've had a few conversations with Nicki.
(00:52):
But menopause, you know, it's a normal and natural change
in life, but.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
There's still a stigma with it.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
But I do suspect or I hope that we are
better at discussing these issues before. But I guess the
question as are we and do we have somewhere to go?
So we're gonna have a chat about menopause. If you've
got any questions or comments about it, we'd love to
hear from you. On eight hundred and eighty ten eighty
and joining us. She is the convener of the Alter
Menopause Forum and her name is doctor Sola Freeman and
(01:21):
doctor Sola is with me now solo, Good.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Afternoon, cured to Tim, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I'm just to learn a little bit about you. What
do you do well?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
First of all, I'm not a medical doctor. I have
a doctor on philosophy. So I've done my PhD in education,
actually early childood education, so my background's working. I've been
a lecturer and a researcher in early chilhood education, mainly
at Victoria University, and now an education consultant. I've raised
(01:53):
four children, which I think is probably my best significant achievement.
I'm still happily married, that's another achievement. So yeah, that's
kind of a bit about me.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
How did you get so? When did you menopause? How
did you get.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
Question?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I was kind of a fluffy way of asking about it.
I'm still probably I don't know on the bloke. I
don't want to be mansplaining in and then out. But
how did you get involved with talking about menopause and
researching it?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Well? My own experience, so I was probably I was
mid mid forties, and it was around that time that
I decided that I was going to do my PhD
and go into full time study, which when you're raising
four teenagers is kind of a significant decision. And I started,
(02:46):
and just around that time, my periods really went haywire
and really heavy and fall on and just kind of
and then random six months without and then ban one
another one that then, and now I'm looking back, I
realized that it was anxiety, but a massive drop in
(03:08):
my confidence, which was not particularly helpful when you're about
to start studying. And brain fog that was another element
that wasn't helpful. So all of those things sort of
came together. And I have a friend who I was
talking to her about it and she said, look, I've
just been to a menopause doctor. I highly recommend you
go and see her. I did, and she had her
(03:30):
explanation to me, as you don't need to be living
like this, which was just wonderful and wonderful to be heard.
And she's taken me through over my perimenopause and I'm
now menopausal and MHT was probably the most significant impact
for me. So that's menopause hormone therapy or HRT. That, yeah,
(03:54):
I think from that experience and having friends who are
going through the same thing and seeing them not being
so supported, so going to their GP or whatever and
in some cases been put onto antidepressants, and that sort
of thing kind of riled in me. I'm strong feminists,
(04:15):
so it kind of riled a little bit of this
is not good enough. And also the researcher and me,
he wanted to find out a little bit more. So
I really really investigated as much as I could around
it for my own information. But as it went further,
it became a bit more of a passion project. And
(04:36):
my husband works in public relations and government relations, and
I guess the Australians had a Senate inquiry last year
year before, and I was sitting and moaning to him
bitching would probably be the best word to him about
the fact that actually there really should be something like
this happening in New Zealand. And he said, oh, I
(04:57):
guess we could make something happen, and I'm like, well,
let's And so between the two of us we kind
of got in touch with Niki bers Ant and doctor
Linda Dare and a few others and said, let's let's
put this in front of parliament. In particular, we wanted
it to be across the parties. We didn't want it
to be political at all.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
What shouldn't should it.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Well, no, it shouldn't be, because it's it's it's affects
the health of fifty percent of the population, right, so
this is it's it's significant in a whole lot of areas.
It's significant in health, it's significant economically, it's significant not
just for women but also their partners, their children, their workplaces.
So yeah, I just for me, it should be better
(05:41):
served and that's why I organized the forum in Parliament
and we had a we had a good turnout. In particular,
what was a really lovely spin it or great spin
off was we had a meeting with Nicola greg Minister
of Women's Affairs, and we also had a meeting with
Casey Costello, Associate Minister, and she's specifically Health for Woman
(06:05):
and age care. Interestingly enough she made the connection and
which was helpful. And then we also had the Sam
iffandel for who's the chair of the House Select Committee.
He came to the presentation and he stayed and asked
lots of questions.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Well good, yeah, because the best certain m hmm. Actually
this is one of the questions as well we should
delve into. But good on him for doing it, because
something there'd be a lot of men to be like,
I think I might just keep.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Away in Yeah. Well so he invited with one of
the women who was who's part of sort of the group,
Brandish Smith shed already presented a petition to Parliament and
he said, look, you should probably present her to the
House Select Committee. So we did that.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
That was the petitioner.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
So the petitions around well, basically an awareness around menopause,
in particular around the workplace because it is quite a
significant you know, there's data that shows that one in
twelve women leave their jobs due to symptoms around perimenopause
and menopause, and for many women the struggle is if
(07:18):
you is actually getting time off work and so having
workplaces understand what the impact is and being supportive and
compassionate and understanding and tolerant and all of that with
women in the workplace. So that was a bit at
your public awareness. But also one of the things that
we asked for in our for them was we really
need to increase some funding around training for medical professionals
(07:42):
out there so that they better serve women.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
So going back to your own journey, I mean, what
was the was it did you actually work out you
mentioned just at the start of our conversation how your
periods has stopped for a few months. Did you actually
work out what the reason was or did you just think, oh,
maybe I'm stressed, or I mean when did you sort
of think it might Yeah, and you were told.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Of them, you know, conversation with my friend actually so,
and between the two of us we kind of went, oh, yeah,
mid forties, you're probably there. I mean, the thing is
that for me, that was the signal. So my periods
were really irregular when I got them, though, were a waterfall.
It was really embarrassing. I could not wear anything white,
(08:32):
and so that that was key for me. But for
some woman, the other symptoms show up. So if they
go to their doctor and they talk about their symptoms
and the doctor says, well, your periods haven't changed, you're
still getting regular periods. You're not in perimenopause, that's not true.
So it isn't. So there's a whole lot of symptoms
that could indicate that you're in perimenopause. And for some
women they can be moving it. You know, you can
(08:55):
start in your mid thirties, so most women it's around
forty forty five in that space. But there are a
number of symptoms that could indicate that you're their joint pain, anxiety,
brain fog, frozen shoulder, who knows.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I imagine that.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I mean that early conversation you had with your other
friend or the first person who re talked you about
it must have been a very emotional journey for you,
because you know it's I mean, that's the passage of
time and a whole lot of things. What did it
signify for you?
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Change? Recognizing that there was change? And I did put
it down.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
I did.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
I did think my anxiety and lack of confidence was
down to stress and imposter syndrome. You know, I'd been
given a scholarship to do my PhD, and I honestly, really,
really seriously thought somebody was going to walk in the door.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And go Solidn't be silly.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
We were just joking. We didn't mean to give you
that scholarship. There's no way you can do this PhD.
You're not smart enough for this.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
So what was that? What was the question for your
actually that you.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Were I was looking at science and early childhood. Actually
I really wanted to see how we could do more
of it. No, it wasn't so it was education. But
you know that that lack of confidence was was overwhelming.
You know. I vividly remember walking home, coming home at
the end of the day and and just the kids saying, oh,
(10:27):
how was your day. I'm just bursting and says.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Oh, I can't do this is not I'm going to
be able to do this.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
This is too hard. And you know that's that just
lack of confidence was just overwhelming and really scary. And
I did put it down to oh, it's the stress
of this. But once I had that that appointment and
having the doctors to her say to me, no, this
(10:53):
is all part of it. It's it's not it's you
shouldn't be in this having this experience. This is not
something that needs to be normal.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Uh I.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
I remember what you said earlier. I mean your husband
was there, ride along from this all along the way.
But that wouldn't always be the thing. I guess you've
shared quite openly your initial experiences with meno pause, but
which I mean, I can't imagine, say, ten years ago,
I can't imagine even this being on radio. So there
(11:24):
has been a shift in our consequence, about in our consciousness,
sorry about these issues, hasn't there?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
I mean how much? So? How much the stigma. Is
there still attached to it? Do you think?
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Oh? I think there still is.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And what is the stigma?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Is it more a personal stigma that people not wanting
to acknowledge it or not wanting to share it or
not wanting to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Where we're at with you know, it's personal.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Then sharing with other people and discussing it, even mentioned
to your doctor for someone would probably a battle, wouldn't it.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Oh? Absolutely? And it's personal. You know, there's lots of
elements to it that is quite personal. And there's I
think it's also you know, women are expected to we
are expected to just handle things. I mean, we joke
about man flow, right because it's accepted that when men
(12:13):
get the cold, they're sicker than we are. You know,
that's the running joke, right, But it's not necessarily the case.
It's just that often women have to just carry on.
You've got children to look after, you've got and certainly
when you're in your mid age, you might even have
parents that you have to help look after. So there's
a whole lot of things and people that are dependent
(12:35):
on you and are expecting you just just step up
and carry on, so that that expectation is huge. To
be vulnerable is also you know, you have to have
good friends to be able to talk to them vulnerable, vulnerabile.
(12:59):
But I guess I've kind of got to a point
now where you.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Sound like a pretty open book personally on this stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
I am, And well, I've kind of had to be
really because for me, it's like, this is if I
don't then how can I encourage other women to stand
up and also advocate for themselves? Right? This is It's
a key part of what all of this is is
that we do need to have support around this area.
I mean, it's a natural part of our of our life.
(13:30):
We go through puberty. I mean, an amazing thing for
us as females is we're actually born with all our eggs.
How freaking amazing is that every little baby girl is
born with all the little eggs that she will ever
carry for the whole of, you know, through her reproductive life.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
It is actually, it is amazing, isn't it That they're
all there already and then at some stage then you
start releasing them.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
And yeah, I mean it's.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Quite kind blowing.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
It is mind blowing, spookly mind blowing. I mean I
kind of think I've had two daughters, and I think
that if my daughters have daughters, I carried that granddaughter, Yes,
carried I carried her egg. Yes, And that's and that
connection is pretty wow. So anyway, I think it's all
(14:19):
very beautiful. But that's part of our lifespan and puberty
hits and our body changes, and same for boys. And
we and we give teenager space around that time. We
we we accept that, you know, fourteen year old boys
are generally going to grunt, but you know, we might
get a few conversations out of them, you know, and
(14:40):
and that and teenage girls can be you know, up
and down and and you know moody. Bam. Why do
you think they're moody? Well, because their estrogen and their
progesterone levels are going like this, because it's puberty, right
up and down, up and down.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Sense that there would be that would be an inverse
reaction at that their opposite reaction at the end, I.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Guess, logically, exactly, logically.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Almost the law of physics, doesn't it. You had this
when that started, something's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
At the end.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
And then we have when we're pregnant. We have amazing
sympathy and compassion around a pregnant woman. You know, there's
understanding about you being tired, there's understanding about you having
brain fog. Bam. Yet again, you've got a low, low
amounted estrogen. Because your estrogen is working goddamn hard to
build a baby.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Why does why does that actually cause? Do you know
what causes brain fog? And I know you coming at
this from a from a not from a medical perspective,
but from all the work you've done with menopause, so
you will have picked up a few lot.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Yeah, Well, so it's the lack of estrogen. So estrogen
is an anti inflammatory, and so it is quite significant
part of our brain that antestosterone and produesterone. So all
those three hormones have quite an impact on our whole system, actually,
but in particular around our brain, and so mood and anxiety,
panic attacks, there's so many elements to what those hormones
(15:58):
do in our body. So when you're having a baby,
you're pregnant, you're building a baby, and so those hormones
are working overtime, and so not surprisingly you're tired, you're moody,
you have brain fog, and we give pregnant woman space
around that time, so bam, we get to a point
where we don't we don't have those eggs anymore. We've
(16:19):
released them all. And because we've released them all and
we no longer need to be we're no longer reproductive
and with those hormones don't need to be working to
the same degree anymore, and so they start stopping. Basically,
your body stops producing them, and that's just part of me.
My hands are working. This is radio.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
So what do you I mean, what would you what
would you like to people to get out of an
hour like this when we're talking about it. By the way,
we'd love to take your cause on this if you
want to share an experience, you've got a question. I'm
sure there might even be some husbands and partners who
maybe don't want to ask any particular question of their partner,
and you'd like to get a steer on maybe how
(17:04):
these issues be rest of course, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
But what would you like to get what would you sola?
What would you like people to get out of?
Speaker 4 (17:12):
I really would love women to know that this is normal,
It's a normal part of our lifespan. We do live
longer than men, five years younger, longer than men on average,
but we don't live as healthily and so for us
to have out often it's a third of our life
living healthily and effectively and being able to function to
(17:34):
the best that we can. We need to take charge
of this transition and we need to know about it,
and we also need to know that it we don't
we don't have to go through it naturally that we can. Well, okay,
so here we go. MHT is natural. So just like diabetes,
replace insulin, which is a hormone. This is an opportunity
(17:56):
because MHT is the gold standard treatments.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
What's what's its stand for.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Again, menopause hormone therapy.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
How can they change from HRT?
Speaker 4 (18:05):
I think I think the intention is that it's it's
specific to.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Menopause because HRT it sounds like a brand for some
sort of heating product or something.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Sorry.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Yeah, yeah. And also maybe it's it's about the use
of replacement. I don't know, so maybe a deficit concept.
But yeah, So we have body identical estrogen. So and
the wonderful thing about New Zealand is all of these
things are funded, so our patches are funded. You can
use a gel, it's all body identical, so that's estrogen
(18:38):
that your body normally produces.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
We might look, we're just stopping, we're going to take
a break, but I'd like to invite if you're listening,
and I can tell you I've done hours where we've
discussed menopause, and sometimes callers listen for a while and
they decide how I want to give you a call
and they call me at about ten minutes to go
in the program. So now as your chart, if you
also if you'd like to share your experience, but also
have a chat with Solar about some you know, some
(19:01):
disquad or nervous you have nervous nervousness you have, or
questions you've got around menopause, and we'd love to have
your participation on I eight hundred eighty ten eighty in
text nine to nine two. And look, by the way,
I'll just jump ahead of this some there will always
be someone who wanted to talk about male menopause and
(19:22):
this is not really the discussion, okay, because it's not
quite the thing that it is for women, if I
could understate that. So, but if you've got a question
as a partner and you wanted to support your wife
or your your girlfriend who's going through menopause, then give
us a call and if you want to share your
experiences as well. I eight hundred eighty ten eighty text
nine two nine two, it's still It's twenty six past four.
(19:44):
News Talks hed b Yes, News Talks with ten Beverage.
Welcome back. We're talking menopause with the convener of the
Oltra Menopause Forum, Solar Freeman, and taking your calls. We've
got a bunch of texts, a lot of questions that
(20:04):
will come through. We'll be on text, but if you
want to jump the queue, give us a call on
eight eighty Michelle, Hello, Hi.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
I just wanted to talk about with foremoes and menophors
about gluety all tender niters.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yep, glue toy or tendonitis.
Speaker 6 (20:24):
Yeah, what's that the lady about Solar.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Yeah, it sounds like a medical question, but joint pain
and muscle pain is not as quite a common symptom
of menopause. I certainly had that and then and hrt
because because estrogen is an anti inflammatory, and when we
don't have enough estrogen in our body, those our body
(20:50):
becomes inflamed essentially, so so hence pain around our joints
and our muscles and hot flushes because that's vascular inflammation.
All of those things have sort of all linked to it,
and that aspect of it if you have investigated MHD
could look at that. Obviously. One of the other things
(21:11):
they talked about is nutrition and exercise and so forth.
But yep, that I wouldn't be surprised if it's connected,
but it would be with you. Vescia. There's a really
good quiz on menodoctor dot com which kind of goes
through some of those symptoms and lots of information there
on that website that's in New Zealand. That's Linda doctor
Linda Deere, So some really helpful information there if you
(21:32):
wanted to explore it a little bit further.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Have you.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
So? Have you do? I mean, I don't know what
to ask, but as is that because you think you're
going through menopause that you know you are or what.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Michelle, I've been through menopause and the topic say that
who say that? It was like a form of saying
a cab But then I went to the health coach.
Have you heard about the health coach? I am around, yeah,
and said that it was blue to il ten and
(22:07):
nights and gave some exercises. But then this way that
it could be connected with menopause and the hormone or
so then said to take some collagen and some menopause
tablets and everything. But it doesn't last through the day.
So you can do to the exercises that they want
(22:29):
you to do and everything. And the more the more
work you do and the more walking around, the better
it is for you. But then as finish you to
stop or you stand by the bench or anything like that,
it should be down your legs. And yet you know,
if you cough, you get it down, especially down in
(22:50):
your in your thigh area, down your leg and if
you take a cologen in the menopause tablet, it does help.
But I'm just wondering whether the you know, ATRT or
some other thing fights actually be better for it.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
I wouldn't. I wouldn't assuming you're in your midlife, Michelle,
I would. I would go and see go take go
to your GP, do some moment research, go online, do
meno doctor check it out, do the quizz find out
a little bit more information. Sometimes it's useful to have
an advocate with you when you go along to the
GP because and this is one of the things that
(23:28):
we talked in parliament about is they really do need
to have a whole lot more information available to them
that allows them to support you better in those conversations
and that go healthy research, which is kind of why
I'm here. Seventy percent of woman said they wanted more
support from their doctor, and it's if you don't get that,
(23:49):
that's why we have specialist menopause doctors out there that
do cost more money, but often they are the best
place to go because they do help you specifically around
that and it sounds to me that you maybe need
to investigate the MHD.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Yeah, okay, thanks for your call.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Michelle. Really appreciate it. Actually that yep, really appreciate it.
That ties into one of the questions I had from somebody.
Janet just texted, say, please talk about more about frozen shoulder.
But that just goes to what you were talking about,
that the anti inflammatory effects of hormones which are no
longer there.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
And it was a symptom for me and when I
woke up in the morning getting out of the bed,
I felt like I was one hundred years old. I
could hardly move. I'd sit at my computer doing some
work and then could hardly stand up again. Joint pain
was significant for me and MHD was what helped me.
And I think it really is exploring those symptoms for
(24:44):
yourself and going through the quiz. The Australasian Menopause Society
also have a check sheet which you can go through
and take that with you when you see a medical professional,
whether it's a GP or whether you actually go to
a menopause doctor, and then you can go through really
clearly about the things that are affecting your frozen shoulder
as one. So all of those things sort of lead
(25:07):
into you exploring what are the best options for you,
and I mean as.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Opposed to menopause specialists which you say it does cost
more money or something. I mean, are there forums which
I can identify just what GP? I mean, how do
you know if your GPS because some GPS, and look,
I don't like to throw anything at GPS. They're doing
a wonderful job and everyone has their sphere of interest,
I guess, But how do you identify a GP who's
(25:34):
going to be onto it for your menopause issues?
Speaker 4 (25:37):
I guess I'm on There is a menopause Facebook page
and which I'm on, and that's it can be quite
triggering because there's some really really sad stories being shared
on there. But there's also some amazing woman out there
who can go do you live in.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Christ Church in this suburb?
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Friendly? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Carla Clinic is another one c a La clinic that's organized.
They have specific GPS that the identified, so there's there's
ways mechanisms to find it and find those who are
sensitive and helpful.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Okay, I wanted to deal with this one from Wayne
before we go to our next caller, saying, Hi, Tim,
I'm a married male, but can you explain to me
what the symptoms of menopause actually are? Well, I'm not
going to, but solo might help with us. But look,
actually it's not so we have talked about the symptoms already,
but he has said, is that why my sixty four
year old wife can get cranky at short notice?
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Could be absolutely? Yep, short short temper, absolutely, and lack
of empathy towards you. Often our partners are the ones
who really pass us off to be fair and idiot,
so that shortness.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Okay, So I'm going to ask a question on behalf
of Wayne. I don't think that's a particularly good tactic
to say, what's wrong with you?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
You're going through menopause. No, it's like, so, how does
but if someone is I don't.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Know, if somebody thinks that maybe their partner hasn't recognized
that they might be going through that change, how do
they bring it up?
Speaker 2 (27:06):
And I shall say, what makes you ask that?
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Well, because she's getting a bit cranky, Yeah, I do
your own research, find out a little bit more, maybe
suggest that she do some reading herself. You could also
lead by a example and say, you know what I'm
I'm really feeling like I could probably do a little
bit more about my health. I'm going to go and
do some research around what I could be doing that
(27:30):
could better have me ready for my later years. Maybe
maybe we could do this together. We could both do
a bit of a midlife health check, trying to check
and what's not going right for us right now?
Speaker 2 (27:41):
What like I host still reckon.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Most wives will go okay, nice, but what is really
on your mind?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (27:48):
Look, and you know being honest is fair because actually
one of the symptoms we haven't talked about tim, and
I think it's actually quite a significant particularly in partners,
is vaginal dryness. So woman going through perimenofors and menopause
can have dry vaginas and essentially the estrogen that would
normally make that area nice and plump and healthy.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
So they just avoid it all together.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Yeah, and so sex is painful and they don't have
much of a libido and so, and that can hugely
impact a relationship. So I think having those conversations around,
you know, how we're getting on as a couple, could
we both be investigating this a little bit further. I
think there's nothing wrong with that. This is just being
honest with each other because otherwise you just bitterness builds.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
So I also got another brilliant of what you say
is you're listening to the radio today and you heard
Solar Freemon with Tim Beverage and they were talking about menopause.
And I suddenly thought, should I have asked you about this?
That's I mean, that's seriously for you.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
So I heard a discussion today and I suddenly thought,
is this something I should be asking you about? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (28:52):
And then these you're in, Yes, absolutely, absolutely, these you're in.
And or look I've just said, look at something's just
come up on my social media or on my Instagram.
I've just seen this piece about women going through midlife
and menopause and through menopause? Do you reckon?
Speaker 7 (29:06):
This is you?
Speaker 5 (29:08):
You know?
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Easy? There's many many mechanisms to sort of just raise
it in the conversation. And I think if you have
a healthy relationship and hopefully you know that's where you
want it to be, then this is about the two
of you growing old together.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Well, right, we're going to take some more calls in
just a moment. You're with Tain Beverage and Sola Freeman.
She's a convener of our Tower Menopause Forum, and we're
sharing your experiences and having chat and also throwing some
questions at Solar for how to deal with this big
change in a woman's life. Twenty one minutes, two five. Yes,
welcome back to the Health HUD. My guest is Sola
(29:42):
Freeman talking about menopause and taking your calls. Bronda, Hello, Hi,
how are you hello?
Speaker 5 (29:48):
Sola?
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Hey, Bronda?
Speaker 2 (29:50):
You guys sound like you know each other, do you do.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
I'm Bronda Smith. I'm the person who put the petition
into the Parliament around menopause and there were there were
three things that were an aspect of that The first
one was around what we supported. Solar was a forum
which was around support for doctors and education. The second
one was around health and the workplace and what that
(30:17):
looked like. And then the third one was actually around
education at schools, so trying to get it become more
understood by people, especially teenagers. There's three p's in your
life for women. There's puberty, pregnancy, and perio menopause. So
those are the three big peas in your life. So
(30:38):
that's what the that's what the petition was about. They're
the other thing I just wanted to mention also is
we've got quite a significant menopause support group on Facebook
Minopause Support New Zealand and seventeen thousand members and that's
a really good place for women to be able to
come and ask for some advice, some help. We don't
(31:00):
hand out medical advice, I'm one of the Edmonds, but
we do hand out support and especially around how to
go and consult with your doctor. So yeah, that's something
worth considering as well.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Can I just wrote to why I've got you both here.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I've got a text from some saying I'm convinced my
wife's going through menopause and I raise the subject, but
she just doesn't want to know about it. I guess
just got to leave her to make I mean, if
you're worried, if somebody you think your wife's or your partners,
and what would you guys say, Branda and Sola Sola first.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Let's go with it.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Honestly, if you are worried, I would persist, because you know,
we had I mean Branda would have have. Also, we've
heard of lots of stories where there's there's there's a
woman who actually get really quite depressed during perimenopause and menopause,
and often when you're that in that space, you actually
don't know how to get supported and how to get help,
and so having somebody who can step up and advocate
(31:56):
for you is really important. So if you are worried,
then yeah, I would I would persist and really and
ask say, I want to help you. I think that
this is something we could be doing together. I think
it's it's a natural transition.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
I think it's I don't give up on first try.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
No, I don't think you should give up on because
if this is a healthy relationship and you both want
to grow old together, then this is about you helping
each other, right, And just just as we would if
our partner started to not hear things, we'd be inclined
to say to them, dude, I think we really need
to go get your hair in checked, so you know,
you know this is this is this is what you do.
(32:35):
Often it's your partner that's the one that identifies it
to you, right, So it's the same in this situation.
As far as I'm concerned, it's a natural transition. It's
it's it's about supporting each other. It's about being compassionate,
it's about being empathetic and helpful, and that's that's this
And again it's also I think it's not just men.
I mean men, yes, helping, helping their partners and their
(32:58):
sisters and so forth. But actually I think women also
need to be really sympathetic. Some women won't have symptoms,
and yay, go you, that's fabulous, but please be sympathetic
to the fact that there some women will have symptoms
and some women will have significant symptoms. And so being
compassionate and understanding towards towards your fellow wahini I think
(33:21):
is surely that's about humanity, right.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Hey, Brinda, are you happy with the response you've had
from the politicians to that petition.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
Look if nothing happens fast and you know in Parliament
and we have struggled a little bit, I suppose with
the change of we had a bit of significant movement
when we're under Labor and that you know, they've been
in power for nine years and had done some stuff.
So of course once national came in, some of the
things that label were doing sort of got dropped, and
(33:52):
the woman's health strategy is one of them, and love
to see that picked up again because there was quite
a significant part in there about menopause. So there's a
whole pile of competing process. But the low hanging fruit
that Sola was talking about doesn't cost a lot of money,
and it's around providing information to doctors and providing information
(34:14):
to women with knowledge to then feel comfortable to go
and advocate for themselves. It's not a whole pile of money.
So that's the bit that we'd really like to see.
And the one thing I'd say too to your caller
is have a chat to if your mum's still around
or one of your friends and say, hey, look I tried,
did you Maybe you have a talk to your friend,
(34:35):
because they quite often women will hear something like that
from their friends that they might want not hear from
their partner, and that can sometimes open up an avenue
of conversation that might not have otherwise been there.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
So yeah, okay, hey, thanks Branda, thanks so much for
your call. Let's take another call.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Rochelle.
Speaker 7 (34:54):
Hello, Hey, how's it going. I was just, yeah, listening
to this and just it's really difficult with the consistency
of care. I've been probably puremini pausal for a long time.
I had no ovary removed when I was twenty five,
(35:15):
and then you know, just all these horrible symptoms and
you think you're going crazy. I think God's my wonderful partner.
But two years ago the doctor said, oh, well your
peri menopausal, off your trot, and I'm like, okay, what
does that mean? And then a year later they put
me on hormones, and then another year later they decided
I needed the thing that goes with the hormones. And
(35:38):
it's just so inconsistent the care, and you're a different
doctor every time, and it's what our health is. And
I think, you know, basically every young woman needs to
go out and find out before you suddenly get six
and go, oh crap.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
I mean for a shell, would that be solo?
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Would that be I mean, be good idea to go
and visit the Facebook page for one and sex and
support from people who can direct it towards some way
where you might get consistent advice.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Yep, yeah there, And do a little bit more research
for yourself so that when you do see your GP,
you've got some background information that you can advocate for yourself.
And I think, you know, sometimes you do need to
have somebody with you in some of those appointments, because
it's really easy to be fobbed off and rush and look,
(36:32):
gps only have fifteen minutes with us, so it's they're
under pressure to I get that, but I think sometimes
you need to have somebody else with you to support you. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (36:44):
Yeah, I couldn't get an appointment with a GP, so
I booked a fifteen minute hone consultation and I wanted
to talk to her about maybe increasing the dose or
maybe doing this, or maybe doing that. And after six
minutes and two seconds she hung up on me.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
Oh my gosh, okay, look, it's that this is your story,
isn't unusual, which is frustrating and really underlies why we
were asking around this, because it is it is really
it's For some women they go on too HT and
it's just amazing and it changes everything instantly. But for
(37:24):
many of us, it's a long term process, and it
requires a really great communication and relationship with your medical
professional who can support you through that. And if they
are feeling like if they're in a position where they
don't know enough, then often it's easier for them to
move you on. And and that's and it is unfortunate,
(37:46):
which is why if you are complicated, sometimes going to
a menopause specialist is probably better. But it's it is
having that advocacy for yourself and being able to stand
up and saying, look, this is not good enough. I
need I need better support than this, and I think
that I could be adjusting how much estrogen I'm on,
(38:08):
or my produced drone, all of that sort of stuff.
So much of it is advocating for yourself and I
get it, and that's hard, particularly if you're not in
a great space, if you're feeling vulnerable or for whatever reason.
And that's that's why I'm so frustrated around the fact
that our medical professional could be doing so much better. Yes,
you're under pressure. I get it, our health systems broken,
(38:29):
I get all of that. But I think that there's
room for them all to be given more information. And
that's why we ask government to step up, because it's
not gonna take a lot of money for them to
do this and an awareness campaign, but we do awennis
campaigns around civical cancer, prostrate cans, all sorts of things, right,
not hard.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Well, that's sort of why we're here really, I mean
because every time we talk about this, I get I
get truckloads of texts.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Where we end up running out of time. But I'm
sure we'll be having this conversation again. But Rachelle, thank
you for your call.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Redo appreciate it all the best.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Chelle.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
Yeah, it's eight minutes to fire back in a tack
this news talk. Sai'd be with the soul of Freeman's
convener of our Terra Menopause Forum. I just want to
deal with a text and we've only got a couple
of minutes.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Solar.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Someone has written says as a tim as a woman,
I find the obsessive discussion around menopause just ck. It's
a stage we all go through do it differently. We've
been doing it forever. Don't need government parliamentary involvement. I
just thought because we are dealing with those continuing stigmas
and so just your your observations on that. But also
we've got with it about a minute and a half
(39:34):
to go.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Okay. My key thing about that is that actually it's
about our long term health. So MHT is helpful around symptoms,
but also it's about our bone health, it's about our
heart health, it's about our brain health. So women die
more often from cardiovascular disease MHT. The lack of estrogen
is a big part of it. We live longer, we
live more unhealthily, beauty eyes and the fact that we
(39:59):
can hit vaginal estrogen which can help that and significantly
reduced by fifty percent. So this isn't about but the
Parliament stepping in. It's about actually helping women live healthily
and better. So yeah, I know this is what's important
to me. Sorry, I'm so passionate.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
No, No, this is great.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
I did put that up because I wanted you to
respond to it, because I think you know, and we
are having more and more conversations about it. Just quickly
that Facebook page or that people can go to if
they want to Menopause.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
Support group on Facebook, but menodoctor dot com it's another
place to go, great source of information.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
We'll have to talk again, I think solar so and
we'll look forward to the next time.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Yeah, lovely, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
No, thank you so much, and we'll be back shortly
with the Health Smart Money.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to news
talks it'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
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