Our Collective Voice: “To this day I’ve never had a hot flush…I would never have known that my joint pain was due to the menopause”

I had never been ‘scared’ of approaching the menopause. I knew it was inevitable and I was ready to seek help as soon as those hot flushes kicked in! As I moved into my late 40s, they hadn’t arrived and I thought nothing of it. Separately, I was getting increasingly uncomfortable joint pain, which no one was able to diagnose.

It was only when I started working in a women’s health company that I realised the joint pain might be a symptom of menopause. I went to my GP, who sent me to see a gynaecologist. I had a scan and a small procedure. Eventually I insisted that I be allowed to try HRT – the difference was immeasurable! To this day I’ve never had a hot flush and, if I didn’t work in the industry, I would never have known that my joint pain was due to the menopause.