Menopause made me lose sight of who I was and nearly cost me my marriage

Sue Jones, a 52-year-old business owner from Warrington, felt like she had totally lost her sparkle. After years of successfully juggling work, family life and running a successful nursery business she felt, almost overnight, completely lost and no longer herself, but had absolutely no idea why.

“I felt like there was a drastic difference in me as a person, I suddenly didn’t recognise myself. I couldn’t sleep at night, I started to get hot sweats and I felt thoroughly insecure. I worried incessantly about small, everyday things like driving – every time I went out in the car, I’d be convinced that I was going to have an awful crash. 

“As a result, I became very withdrawn. It got so bad that I was shutting everybody out, especially my husband. I even started to tell him that he needed to meet somebody else who was more fun and outgoing, because that just wasn’t me anymore.

I craved carbs all the time and was drinking more alcohol as a way of handling my stress. Unsurprisingly, I put on weight. Out of nowhere, I also started to develop early osteoporosis in my fingers. I felt like everything was going wrong and was literally at a point where I didn’t know what to do. Looking back now, I can’t believe that I never connected the dots.”

Thanks to the stigma around menopause, Sue had never had frank discussions with her mother or female friends about the side effects of the change and didn’t make the connection that it was her menopausal hormones that were so severely impacting her.

“I didn’t have a clue. I just knew I was not me and I had absolutely lost sight of who I was.”

Sue tried everything to alleviate her symptoms: “I went down the herbal remedy route. I tried switching to a vegan diet. I even cut out tomatoes and peppers after a specialist recommended an anti-inflammatory diet during a consultation about my osteoporosis and arthritis. I went through hell with a horrific diet and countless herbal remedies, none of which seemed to help.”

She finally broke down in front of a friend who recommended that she try Bodyline’s bespoke M Plan, a personalised hormone replacement therapy treatment for women going through the menopause.

“I went for a menopause consultation with Bernie, one of Bodyline’s Head of Clinical Services and Menopause Treatment and Support Leads. She carried out a women’s hormone blood test, before discussing my medical history and talking through my symptoms. The first thing she recommended was that I remove my IUD so that we could get a proper reading of my hormones. We then discovered then that the weight gain was because I was oestrogen dominant. I was basically craving food constantly because I had no progesterone in my body at all. My body wasn’t producing any calming, happy hormones which was why I felt absolutely awful.”

Following the blood tests, Sue was prescribed with a hormone replacement therapy prescription of progesterone and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – as well as Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) to reduce her inflammation and improve her mood – in the form of daily topical cream and oral pills. 

LDN has been used for years to treat addiction by blocking the effects of opioids. However, in low doses, it has been found to have incredible effects on both the immune system and inflammation. It works by blocking the opioid receptors for a short period of time, which then triggers the body to produce more endorphins, the natural painkillers that help to reduce pain levels and improve overall mood.

After 7 years, Sue finally feels like her old self again.

“My entire life has changed for the better. I’ve lost 2 stone, I’m in a much better place both physically and mentally, I’ve got bags more energy and I feel so much more dynamic. My brain fog has completely gone, I can think clearly again and I’ve been able to make huge strategic decisions for my business, which has been immense. And it’s all down to getting good advice and putting myself first with a personalised plan.

“Thanks to the LDN, I found out that it wasn’t arthritis or osteoporosis like the doctors were telling me folks. The swelling and inflammation were both caused by my menopause and just disappeared with the right treatment. I don’t have inflammation in my joints now and I’ve never felt better. I swear blind it’s down to that because when I didn’t take it for six weeks, the inflammation came right back.”

Dr. Morgan Toerien, Bodyline’s LDN and HRT treatment lead, had this to say: 

“Sue is one of our many patients who has achieved life changing results by combining different medical treatment types, tailored medication doses and patient-centred care.  She struggled for years without getting appropriate diagnoses and treatment for her symptoms, which has impacted her wellbeing, as well as her relationships with others.  Sue’s mental, physical and emotional health has improved significantly since onboarding with Bodyline and she feels that she can positively embrace life again”. 

Sue continued: “I had gone to the doctors initially and they recommended HRT, but the NHS wouldn’t have worked for me. I needed a holistic treatment pathway. They didn’t offer blood tests and would have given me oestrogen, which it turned out was what was causing all of my problems. The fact that Bodyline’s treatment is personalised with a hormone prescription, vitamins, and minerals as well as lifestyle, diet and exercise advice is worth its weight in gold. I can actually sleep now!”

And it’s not just Sue’s sleep that has been saved.

“Bodyline saved my marriage because I stopped being a complete psychopath! I had totally withdrawn from my husband to the point that he was at his wits end too and our marriage was at rock bottom. The treatment I received managed to save both my marriage and my sanity. I’ve reverted back to a version of myself from long ago that neither myself nor my husband thought we were ever going to see again. Now I can safely say that my marriage is better than ever.”

With her new lease of life thanks to a programme of tailored prescriptions, unfaltering support and titrated treatments, Sue is keen to share her incredible story to give hope to others who may be experiencing similar symptoms.

“To any woman who is going through what I went through, I can only say please don’t hesitate and go straight to Bodyline. Get your blood tested and find out what your body needs from the professionals.”

Contact Bodyline today to find out more about our hormone replacement therapy treatments