THREE KEY FACTS A woman, 39, experienced six years of undiagnosed perimenopausal symptoms before receiving HRT at 45. She faced various symptoms, including anxiety, vaginal dryness, and sweating, impacting her daily life. After starting HRT, she felt relief and now advocates for better awareness and diagnosis of menopause.

Katia Narain Phillips is the author of Self-Care for the Real World , and the founder of London’s Nectar Cafe OPINION The first time I noticed I didn’t feel myself was a few months into opening my health food cafe. It had been my dream and years in the planning but I’d be standing there dripping with sweat but I put it down to drinking too many ginger shots. I also had this awful unexplained anxiety .

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