Signs of menopause and perimenopause no one talks about as patients speak out on HRT shortage

An Adelaide mum who experienced “uncontrollable rage” and memory loss feared she may have early onset dementia – it wasn’t until she spoke with a female GP that she got a diagnosis.

Joanne Morgan struggled with symptoms of perimenopause before being prescribed ‘lifesaving’ hormone replacement therapy – the medication is now hard to source. Picture: Brett Hartwig

When an Adelaide mum found herself reacting to trivial things with “uncontrollable rage”, she knew something wasn’t right.

The memory loss, itchy skin and interrupted sleep gave further cause for pause.

But, aged in her early 40s when her symptoms started, Joanne Morgan battled to find a doctor who would consider she was perimenopausal, the transitional period leading up to menopause.

When she finally did and was prescribed medication in the form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) patches to manage her symptoms, the relief was immediate.

“It changed my life … it was almost instantaneous, in terms of diminishing my symptoms,” the now 44-year-old said.

“Before I started the patches, I had acne, my skin was flaky and I was always itching as it felt like I had bugs crawling under my skin all the time.

“I had an uncontrollable rage; even small things would just absolutely send me right off the Richter scale … it was just a blind rage and then you’d be wracked with guilt for having lost your temper.

“I had brain fog, I had headaches and I couldn’t sleep properly … you name it, I had pretty much all of it – (excess) facial hair and anxiety.

“There was even a time I worried I might have early onset dementia as I was looking at my children and for a split second not recognising them.”

It would take almost three years before the healthcare sector worker from Adelaide’s suburban northeast would find a doctor who recognised her symptoms as perimenopause, something her mum had also experienced at a young age.

“I kept feeling deflated every time I would visit a doctor … finally, I said to a female GP, ‘I cannot live like this anymore’ and she had me do the AMS Symptom Score (a tool used to assess the severity of menopause symptoms),” she said.

“So, it has been quite a journey.

“I thought I was going crazy … I reflect on the generations of women before me and just shake my head thinking how they must have suffered in silence.”

She is now, like many women across Australia, finding it difficult to access her preferred HRT prescription.

“After finally finding my ‘answer to everything’, all of a sudden I find there’s like a huge shortage of patches,” she said.

Originally published as Signs of menopause and perimenopause no one talks about as patients speak out on HRT shortage