Written by Marna Kirchner
I’m sure you’ve noticed that I have been very pre-occupied by ‘the change’ lately. And although I’ve now established that I’m not yet in menopause, I’ve been sent a teeny reminder that the clock is ticking and that I’d better start thinking about the day when my ovaries finally cash in.
My research brought me to the conclusion that there are four courses of action. The first is to just do nothing, accept gracefully what nature throws at you, hold your tongue and sweat it out in silence. I considered this option for about ten seconds and then roundly rejected it. What’s the use of advances in technology and medical science if I just have to suffer in silence?
The second option is to look at a ‘natural’ solution. There is a selection of natural herbs containing isoflavones, such as soy as well as herbs such as Dong Quoi and Red Clover which are supposed to help with the symptoms. Problem is, try as I might, I can’t find an outlet in Bangkok that stocks a supplement containing the optimal combination of these ingredients. It is possible to find supplements that contain each ingredient separately, but none that combine them in an optimal dosage. My very supportive husband is very willing to help out where he can and luckily travels to Malaysia fairly regularly. List in hand, he went trailing through the Kuala Lumpur pharmacies and came up with an excellent supplement from New Zealand. I’ve been taking this for a while and have really found some relief. The downside of this option is that there really isn’t sufficient information on the possible negative effects of these ‘natural’ supplements. But, until I can find a better alternative, this is the solution for me.
The third possibility, probably the most popular and widely prescribed one, is to go for HRT with synthetic non-bio-identical hormones. However, since the Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Trial, which followed 160 000 post menopausal women was forced to stop the hormone replacement side of the study due to increased risk of breast cancer and heart attack, I’m a little bit wary of this solution.
My last option, and one that is still quite new, is to explore bio-identical hormone creams. These supposedly don’t have the adverse effects of synthetic HRT and are milder but still effective. They are not usually prescribed by gynaes but must be obtained through integrative healthcare practitioners. So, after much deliberation, I’ve decided to make this my quest for the next while. I’m going to hunt down a practitioner and see what’s involved.
And so, exploring all possible avenues, I remain...
Emotionally yours, Marna
Marna Kirchner is a qualitative market researcher, a woman, a wife and a mother who has recently moved to Bangkok. The city alternately inspires and infuriates her. Here she writes about the emotional impact of her experiences in Bangkok and shares them with you, because she knows she is not alone in going through these experiences. And when she walks past you on the BTS walkways or on Sukhumvit road, she wonders which emotions are going through your head. Maybe, in turn, you’ll share them with her.
Marna asserts her right to be identified as the author of this work. All copyright and/or pictures are the property of the author.