Early Menopause.org

I interviewed Joan Pitkin on 28 July 2005:

When was the POF clinic set up?

The menopause clinic has been running here since 1981. We did try to set up a young menopause clinic, a few years ago. It ran for a few months but the situation wasn't quite suitable. Lack of resources, management changes, and at the time we were merging with another hospital. It all took it's toll. This second attempt, we planned carefully, because we didn't want to go that way again. It has been running for about a year now.

How many patients do you see with POF? Or premature menopause?

The numbers are growing, because when we started we just picked out women from our own group of the combined menopause clinic. Now we are beginning to get specific referrals from GP's. Last year we had a big meeting, to which we invited a lot of GP's to attend, and find out about what kind of specialist services we offer here, to young women with POF. I would say we normally see about thirty follow-ups in a standard clinic, and about fifteen new patients. In the young menopause clinic, it is more time consuming. The problems are more intense, so I would say we probably see in the range of about seven new patients. However the current climate, with primary care trusts means that many new referrals, have to go back to the G.P. for approval. This is obviously for financial reasons, and practically this can mean a longer waiting time for a first clinic appointment.

On a sunny Monday morning, I made my way to Queen Charlottes Hospital, to interview Sister Cheryl Rothan. Cheryl works part time as a specialist menopause nurse. The interview gave me an excellent insight, into the work of this valuable specialist role.

What Is A Specialist Menopause Nurse?

A Specialist menopause Nurse is somebody that has a specialist interest in this area and has completed specific training in it. I have specialised in gynaecology originally, after doing my 3 years training. I have worked in several fields of gynaecology prior to my current post specializing in the menopause.

On a windy Wednesday morning, I made my way to the City of London Migraine Clinic, to interview Dr. Anne MacGregor, a Specialist in women's hormones. The interview gave me a greater insight to the important link between migraine and the menopause.

Can you explain what the definition of migraine is, and how is it diagnosed?

There are specific diagnostic criteria for migraine which have been recognized by the international migraine society. In very simple terms migraine is a sick headache, with complete freedom from symptoms between attacks, with migraines lasting anything from part of a day, up to three days.

At the annual British Menopause society conference, I managed to catch up with Nick Panay, who enlightened me on various aspects of POF.

Why do you think that quality of life issues for women with POF are overlooked by many doctors?

The focus in many fields of medicine in the NHS, is largely focused on life or death issues. Gynaecological conditions such as menopause and POF, do not carry as high an impact, as other illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and life threatening conditions. Further education is required within the medical profession, to give women diagnosed with POF a more specialized and tailored support network.