Helen the Menopause Pharmacist

12/04/2026

MenoMAP is running again starting 5th May!

Real women seeing real change-
Cherry didn’t join the course to “get a bikini body”.

She joined because she was exhausted, wired at night, living on willpower, and saying:
“I’m eating well, I’m exercising… why do I still feel awful?”

In 6 weeks she:

Started sleeping through the night

Saw her hot flushes disappear

Stopped running on caffeine and adrenaline

Learned how to eat, move and wind down in a way that calms her midlife hormones instead of fighting them

Her body hasn’t “snapped back” to 25 – but her energy, mood and symptoms are on a completely different level.

If you’re in peri/menopause and feeling stuck in a stressed, sleepless loop, this is exactly what this 6-week course is designed to change.

Next intake starts 5th May and we'd love to see you there

Sign up now:
https://monikagostic.org/menomap-membership

With Dr Monika Gostic Nutrition Ltd and myself, Dr Helen Goldie, we'll help you to navigate hormonal change, make a plan for a better you and take back control 💛

MenoMap is a 6-week guided menopause programme to boost energy, balance hormones, improve sleep, and restore confidence. Expert coaching, nutrition support, and community guidance for perimenopause and menopause.

06/04/2026

💧 Feeling more tired, foggy or headachy lately? It might not just be hormones… it could be hydration.

During perimenopause and menopause, staying well hydrated becomes more important than ever — but it’s often overlooked.

As oestrogen levels change, so does the body’s ability to regulate fluid balance. This can lead to:

👉 Dry skin, eyes or mouth
👉 Increased fatigue
👉 Headaches
👉 Brain fog
👉 Even worsening hot flushes

And if you’re also drinking more caffeine (hello, broken sleep ☕), that can make dehydration worse.

The tricky part?
Thirst isn’t always a reliable signal — especially as we get older.

💧 Simple ways to stay on top of hydration:

✨ Start your day with a glass of water before tea or coffee
✨ Keep a bottle nearby as a visual reminder
✨ Add flavour (lemon, cucumber, berries) if plain water feels boring
✨ Eat water-rich foods (like fruit, soups, yoghurt)
✨ Aim for pale yellow urine as a rough guide

You don’t need to be perfect — just consistent.

Sometimes small habits like this can make a noticeable difference to how you feel day to day.

🤍 Your body is going through change — supporting it with the basics really matters.

👉 Have you noticed a difference in how you feel when you’re well hydrated?

04/04/2026

4am wake up… and this time, no panic

I’ve just had a lovely week off over Easter — time with family, switching off social media, ignoring emails, and even a 15-hour round trip 🚗

This morning I woke up at 4am.

And if you’re in perimenopause or menopause, you’ll know that feeling…
👉 wide awake
👉 mind ticking
👉 wondering if you’ll cope with the day ahead

But this time felt different.

I didn’t lie there stressing about being exhausted.
I didn’t spiral into “today is going to be awful.”

I just got up.

Because one broken night’s sleep doesn’t undo everything. And it doesn’t mean something is wrong.

Sleep changes are incredibly common in perimenopause — and learning not to panic about them can make a huge difference to how you feel overall.

💤 If you do wake in the night, here are some simple, evidence-based tips to help you nod back off:

✨ If you can’t fall back asleep within ~20 minutes, get out of bed and do something calm (low light, no scrolling!)
✨ Keep the lights dim — bright light tells your brain it’s morning
✨ Avoid clock-watching (it just fuels anxiety)
✨ Do something relaxing like reading or breathing exercises
✨ Go back to bed when you feel sleepy — not just because you think you “should” sleep

Be kind to yourself today if you’ve had a restless night

You’re not broken — your hormones are just changing.

👉 Have you had a 3am or 4am wake-up this week? How did you handle it?

01/04/2026

We need your help!

Myself and Dr Monika Gostic Nutrition Ltd are about to run a FREE Menopause webinar - we'll cover topics waaaay beyond HRT and also why your HRT might not be working as expected

We're currently stuck on the titles! Can you help us decide which one should we go for?

1. From Symptoms to Solutions: A Smarter Approach to Menopause

2. Beyond HRT: Managing Menopause from Plate to Pillow

3. Hot, Tired, and Gaining Weight? Let’s Talk Menopause

4. Menopause, Explained: What’s Happening and What to Do Next

5. The Menopause Reset: Why HRT Isn’t the Full Answer

6. The Menopause Blueprint: Regain Energy, Metabolism & Control

7. Hot & Bothered? Science-Backed Lifestyle Hacks for Menopause

Let us know in the comments below, thank you 😘

31/03/2026

We all know what it feels like when your day doesn't start well, sometimes it's hard to shake it off. So here are my top 3 tips to a great start to your day ☀️

28/03/2026

Menopause care doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful 💛

A lifestyle-medicine-led approach is about consistency, not perfection. It’s not about doing everything right, all the time — it’s about doing something that supports you, again and again.

So if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or like you’ve “fallen off track”… this is your reminder:
👉 Stop beating yourself up
👉 Take one small step in the right direction
👉 Then repeat

That’s where real change happens.

Whether it’s a short walk, a better night routine, nourishing your body, or simply giving yourself a bit more compassion — it all counts.

And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Join us for our next MenoMAP course, starting 5th May, and take that first step towards feeling more like yourself again.

Sign up:
https://monikagostic.org/menomap-membership

Dr Monika Gostic Nutrition Ltd and Helen the Menopause Pharmacist are here to make sure you do that RIGHT something and help you take back control of your menopause journey.

Your future self will thank you ✨ sign up today!

https://monikagostic.org/menomap-membership

18/03/2026

Perimenopause has a funny way of making us jump straight to the worst case scenario.

I caught myself doing it the other day.

I woke up with a sore, gritty eye and within minutes my brain had decided I must have a corneal abrasion. I was already mentally planning how inconvenient this was going to be… until I paused, took a proper look, and realised it was much more likely to be mild conjunctivitis.

We do this a lot during perimenopause.

Brain fog suddenly becomes early Alzheimer’s.
Difficulty focusing becomes ADHD.
Aching joints become arthritis.
Palpitations become heart disease.

Now — I’m not saying these conditions never happen. Of course they can. And symptoms should always be checked if they are persistent, worsening or concerning.

But very often in midlife there is a far more obvious explanation.

Hormones are fluctuating.
Sleep is disrupted.
Stress is higher.
Our nervous system is more reactive.

All of this can create symptoms that feel unfamiliar and frightening.

When our body changes, our mind looks for certainty. And unfortunately, it often finds it in the most catastrophic story available.

One of the most powerful skills in perimenopause is learning to pause and ask:

👉 “What is the most likely explanation?”
👉 “Could this be hormonal?”
👉 “What else has changed recently?”

Awareness doesn’t mean dismissal.
It means responding with curiosity rather than fear.

Perimenopause is not the beginning of everything going wrong.
Sometimes it’s simply the beginning of understanding your body in a new way.

Here to help 💜

12/03/2026

Big news for menopause care: the NHS has approved fezolinetant for treating menopausal hot flushes. 👏

Why is this exciting?

Because for the first time in many years, women now have another effective, non-hormonal treatment option specifically designed to target hot flushes and night sweats.

Fezolinetant works differently to HRT. Instead of replacing hormones, it acts on the temperature regulation centre in the brain, helping to calm the signals that trigger those sudden waves of heat and sweating.

And this matters.

While HRT is a safe and highly effective option for many women, it’s not the right choice for everyone. Some women:
• can’t take hormones for medical reasons
• prefer not to take hormones
• still have symptoms despite other treatments

For those women, having evidence-based alternatives is incredibly important.

Menopause care shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Women deserve choice, personalised care, and access to treatments that suit their health needs and preferences.

The approval of fezolinetant is a step forward in recognising that.

More research.
More options.
More conversations about menopause.

All good news for women. 💛

11/03/2026

Exciting things are happening in menopause care. 👏

I’ve piloted menopause group consultations in GP practice for a year now, and seeing the impact first-hand has been incredible. The support women give each other, the shared learning, and the sense of relief when they realise they’re not alone is powerful. It's been so amazing that it's now standard care at Great Western Medical Practice

That’s why I’m genuinely thrilled to hear today that the NHS is exploring this model of care, and is piloting group consultations in Scotland. Honestly… this kind of service innovation is exactly what women deserve.

Menopause can feel incredibly isolating. Many women arrive at appointments thinking Is it just me?”

But when women come together in a group setting, something powerful happens:
✨ Experiences are shared
✨ Questions you didn’t know to ask get answered
✨ Women realise they’re not alone
✨ Learning multiplies

Group consultations don’t replace individual care — they enhance it.

They allow more time for education, discussion and support while helping services reach more women who are currently waiting for help.

When clinicians collaborate, share ideas and try new models of care, everyone benefits:
✔ women get faster access to support
✔ clinicians can spend more meaningful time educating
✔ communities of support are created

Innovation in healthcare isn’t just about new medicines or technologies — it’s about new ways of connecting people.

This is a win for every woman navigating this stage of life. 💛

09/03/2026

In the wake of International Women's Day, I want to celebrate the incredible women I have the privilege to see and work with right here in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Every clinic, every conversation, every shared story reminds me how resilient, honest, and inspiring women are. Supporting women through their health journeys is something I never take for granted.

But one thing I’m reminded of again and again is this: no woman is an island.

We learn from each other.
We support each other.
We grow because of each other.

I’m a better clinician because of the women who trust me with their stories, their challenges, and their courage.

To the women I work with and care for — thank you for inspiring me every single day. 💛

And a special thank you to the women of Aberdeen who are paving the way for better women’s health for the generations to come.

09/03/2026

An unexpected surprise today, to be recognised for the work I've been doing at Great Western Medical Practice pioneering group menopause consultations and supporting women with their menopause journey. It's my passion, it's my privilege, it's my purpose 💜

This was an unexpected surprise, thank you OneMedical Group so much for the recognition of the work we’ve been doing to improve menopause care in our GP surgery, especially as part of International Women’s Day. It really means a lot! Supporting women through menopause and making sure they feel h...