A friend was so desperate for HRT I gave her mine – it’s a scandal government have let this vital medicine run out

A FRIEND was sitting in my car a few days ago, sweating and taking shallow breaths.

She had run out of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) the week before and was struggling to replace it. Meanwhile, her symptoms were back.

I had just picked up my prescription so I gave her a bottle of mine (we use the same type) to tide her over.

I know we’re not supposed to share, but I couldn’t bear to see her in such a state.

What’s happening to this country that women are being left to flounder with symptoms that can ruin our lives?

I’m shocked that there is a national shortage in HRT (in particular Oestrogel) and I’m calling for it to be ended as quickly as possible.
HRT is not a lifestyle drug, it is a human right.

Demand for it has been on the increase for five years, with prescriptions doubling from 238,000 in 2017 to more than 530,000 in 2021.

So the excuse that they had not realised how high demand had become is rubbish.

We’ve all heard stories of women driving miles to find HRT, going from pharmacy to pharmacy and doing dodgy deals in supermarket car parks.

We’re even swapping it on social media. While eBay sellers are cashing in by charging up to four times the NHS price for HRT.

It is great the Government has appointed a new HRT tsar, but Madelaine McTernan needs to move very quickly.

As MP Carolyn Harris said, we do not need someone to come in and take their time “assessing” the situation. We need HRT now.

Many women need it to function.

I know lots say they want to do menopause naturally, but, personally, I think replacing your lost hormones is perfectly natural.

We have oestrogen receptors from the roots of our hair to the tips of our toes.

And when this starts to decline we might suffer a wide range of symptoms.

Our brain is affected — hence hot flushes, brain fog, depression and anxiety.

We might notice our skin is irritated, sensitive and dry or have hair loss, weight gain, urinary tract infections, pelvic floor issues, aching joints, lethargy, lack of libido and so much more.

Oestrogen is like the WD-40 keeping everything well oiled and in working order.

It’s no exaggeration to say women can lose their jobs, relationships and even their lives without it; the highest rate of suicide for females is between the ages of 45 and 54.

I know there are still fears about the safety of HRT, due to scare stories from the early Noughties.

And even now, women don’t realise that experts say the benefits do outweigh the risks.

As well as managing the symptoms of menopause, HRT can protect against coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and even dementia.

It’s terrible that we are not educated about it.

We need to be told what is going on, not just in our forties but even at school.

You learn about periods and pregnancy, so why not perimenopause?

Had I not been given the body-identical HRT I now take, I’m pretty sure I would have pushed George, my lovely partner, away with my rages and inexplicable anger.

But it breaks my heart when I get messages every day from women who have finally managed to get a prescription for HRT after years of symptoms and begging their doctor, but cannot get their hands on it because of shortages. That is unfair.

If you can’t get your gel, the British Menopause Society and other experts remind that there are alternatives, such as patches.

Swapping types may not feel ideal, but it may be your only option.

What is so ridiculous is that menopause affects everyone. Yes, 51 per cent of the population directly, but also our family, partners and friends.

EMPTY PROMISE

We need more education for health professionals and women, and menopause policy in the workplace to offer much-needed support.

Pregnancy is celebrated but menopause definitely isn’t.

It’s much more: “Oh, don’t deal with her, she’s going through ‘the change’ and she’ll burst into tears or have a hot flush.”

I know I wouldn’t have been able to do all the work I have been doing without HRT.

Last autumn, when I was the face of the Sun’s Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign, I really got the impression things were changing.

It felt as though we had achieved such a huge win when it was announced the cost of HRT would be reduced. Everything seemed positive.

But that has now been delayed until next April — and it feels like an empty promise.

I’m here to warn the new HRT tsar and the Government there are millions of peri- and postmenopausal women in this country and a lot of us are in need of HRT.

There’s an awful lot of desperate and angry women to be dealing with.

I’m right behind them all, cheering on every single one.

VOW TO FIX SHORTAGES

By Sam Blanchard and Vanessa Chalmers

SAJID Javid vowed to prevent another shortage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after crisis talks with manufacturers yesterday.

The Health Secretary met with drug-makers, pharmacists and the new HRT tsar, Madelaine McTernan, in a bid to fix access to menopause treatment.

But critics say there have been shortage warnings for years and the same situation would never happen with other vital medications.

Mr Javid said: “We will leave no stone unturned in our national mission to boost supply of HRT.”

HRT eases symptoms of the menopause including hot flushes, anxiety and brain fog.

Oestrogel is one of the treatments women are most struggling to access and The Sun this week revealed its manufacturer Besins Healthcare will stand up an extra factory to meet demand.

Gynaecologist Debra Holloway told the Nursing Times: “If it was something to do with diabetes you wouldn’t hear that medication has gone out of stock.”

MP Carolyn Harris, co-chair of the new Menopause Taskforce, told The Sun: “Women who go without HRT can become suicidal. HRT is essential.”