Lemala Health Menopause Clinic

02/03/2026

Women are more than one part !

Last week an orthopaedic surgeon told us about his lightbulb moment.

He sees lots of women in their late 30s and 40s with frozen shoulder, tendon issues, unexplained joint pain.

Then his wife had started to go through the perimenopause.

He realised that their symptoms weren’t going to be sorted by orthopaedic interventions but that their hormones were the cause.

Hormones have so many effects throughout our body.

But women are more than one part.

In time pressurised appointments, there is a focus on single symptoms.

Tell me about your pain ?
Tell me about your mood ?
Tell me about your sleep ?

Our understanding of perimenopause has evolved significantly. We are now much more aware of how fluctuating hormones can influence multiple systems at once, particularly for women in their 30s and 40s.

If you are in your 30s or 40s and noticing:
• Changing periods
• Broken sleep
• New anxiety or low mood
• Aching joints or frozen shoulder
• Brain fog
• Feeling unlike yourself

It may not be random. It may be perimenopause.

Recognising patterns takes time.

At Lemala Health, we offer longer, holistic menopause reviews. We look at the whole picture, not just one symptom. We take time to recognise patterns and create a clear plan.

If this sounds like you, book a consultation with us.

You do not have to keep trying to join the dots alone.

Thanks for reading x

Lemala Health is a UK online menopause clinic led by British Menopause Society registered GPs, offering personalised hormone and lifestyle consultations via secure video appointments across the UK.

26/02/2026

Lemala health on tour !

So today we went up to London to attend the Women’s Health Professional Care.

We listened to colleagues discussing many aspects of menopause care.

We listened to talks on bladders, menopause in the workplace, oral HRT and Menopause after Cancer.

Did you know that up to 80% of menopausal women have troublesome bladder symptoms, yet only 25% seek help ?! This seems like a crazy figure, especially as there is so much help available.

So we thought we would highlight again one of our resources on genitourinary syndrome of the menopasue - link in comments - essentially anything to do with bladders, vulvas and vaginas !

This is your reminder, do not suffer in silence and ask for some help x

25/02/2026

Thank you so much for previous suggestions for our resources page.

As requested, we have now written a resource for women with a history of breast cancer.

(Link in the comments)

We know from both our NHS and private work how access to adequate knowledgable specialist menopause care for women after breast cancer can sometimes be challenging.

Things are progressing in this area across the UK but it is taking time.

We hope you find it helpful, and please do share it with anyone who may find it useful.

We will continue to add to the website with resources, and are always open to menopause and midlife related requests!

Feel free to comment here or email us via the website.

Thanks for all your support,

Emma and Mari

23/02/2026

Feeling exhausted lately?

If you’re in your 40s or early 50s, it’s very easy to assume tiredness is hormonal or simply due to a busy life.

Of course sometimes it is, but not always!

Heavy or erratic periods during perimenopause can gradually lower iron stores.

Low iron can have very similar symptoms to menopause, causing symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, dry skin, hair loss, restless legs and headaches.

If you’re experiencing ongoing fatigue, it may be appropriate to consider iron (including ferritin) testing as part of a broader clinical assessment.

Please note, Iron supplements should not be started without a clinician checking your levels first. Unnecessary supplementation can lead to side effects and high iron levels in some individuals.

Not testing first with your clinicians may also delay identifying an underlying cause for low iron, that also needs addressing.

For us, menopause care means looking at the full symptom picture - not just hormones alone.

We explore iron and perimenopause in more detail in this week’s newsletter, including when testing is helpful.

If you’d like to receive a copy to learn more, you can sign up via our clinic website. I will leave the link in the comments for ease. (Easy to unsubscribe anytime if not for you).

If you’d like to understand more about the blood testing options we chose for clinic patients, you can also explore these on our website or get in touch 💛.

Emma and Mari

20/02/2026

“Isn’t testosterone dangerous for women?”

This is one of the biggest worries we hear.

In reality, when prescribed in female doses and monitored appropriately, side effects are usually mild:
- Slight hair growth at the application site
- Occasionally acne
- Any more significant side effects are incredibly rare.

Testosterone is very much a female hormone.

It’s about restoring physiological levels that naturally decline during our 30/40's - particularly after surgical menopause or early menopause.

It’s not right for everyone.

But for some women, it can be transformative.

If you’re feeling flat, disconnected, and not quite yourself - it’s worth exploring properly.

Menopause care should be thoughtful, individual and holistic.

If you would like specialist menopause support and a thoughtful review of your symptoms and treatment options, we would be very happy to support you.

You can explore appointments at Lemala Health - Link in comments

(Photo of Androfeme and Testogel - both preparations of testosterone replacement)

❤️Anyone found testosterone helped them ? Or maybe it’s done nothing for you ? We would love to know. ❤️

18/02/2026

We don’t jump straight to hormones!

When women tell us they’ve “lost their mojo”, we don’t jump straight to hormones.

We go back to basics.

✔️ Iron levels✔️ Thyroid function✔️ Sleep✔️ Stress✔️ Relationship factors✔️ Vaginal and vulval health

Because life is complex - and other health issues can show up at this time.

But when symptoms persist, and screening blood tests are reassuring, and testosterone levels are found to be low, testosterone replacement can sometimes be the missing piece of the puzzle.

Not every woman benefits from testosterone.

Not everyone with low testosterone levels needs testosterone.

And side effects - when prescribed appropriately - are usually mild.

We’ve written a detailed, evidence-based resource on testosterone in women -including who it may help, risks, and common myths.

See link in comments.

Please share with anyone who might find it helpful.

16/02/2026

“I’ve lost my mojo. I don’t recognise myself anymore.”

We hear this all the time.

It’s rarely hot flushes that bring women to our clinic.
It’s this quiet sense of not feeling like themselves.

Existing rather than living. Flat. Tired. No spark.Sexual desire gone. Achy. Irritable. Disconnected.

And often - they’re already on HRT.

Loss of desire is rarely one single thing. So many things can contribute, such as stress, poor sleep, relationship strain, vaginal dryness or discomfort, or body confidence changes.

It deserves a holistic conversation.

Does this sound like you? Or maybe one of your friends has been saying this to you.

Please share this post if you think someone else would benefit from reading this.

So many women experience this. Know that you are not alone.

👇 We’ll be sharing more about this in Wednesday’s newsletter.
Link to sign up to newsletter in comments.

13/02/2026

Perimenopause isn’t just hot flushes........

Most women now know the classic symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats.

But for many women, that’s not how it starts and sometimes it never happens at all.

Less talked about, but surprisingly common, symptoms can include:
• Tinnitus
• Heart palpitations
• Anxiety - including anxiety around things like motorway driving
• Thinning hair
• Dry skin
• Itchy ears
• Restless legs
• Migraines
• A crawling or tingling sensation on the skin

This post is absolutely not about focusing on the negatives. It’s about awareness, as there is no need to suffer in silence.

You haven't got to wait until your symptoms get bad to wait to ask for help.

Symptoms come and go and vary at different time of the month, making it hard to spot.

When symptoms are unexpected, they can feel worrying or confusing. Many women don’t immediately connect them to hormonal change.

Perimenopause looks different for everyone.

So, what weird and maybe not so wonderful symptom have you experienced ?

11/02/2026

“Why isn’t my HRT working?”

This is one of the most common questions we hear in clinic.

When HRT doesn’t seem to be helping, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s the wrong treatment - but it does mean we need to pause and go back to basics.

This is how we approach it as menopause specialists:

•⁠ ⁠How long have you been on it?
HRT takes time. Most people need at least 8–12 weeks before noticing real benefit, and sometimes longer.

•⁠ ⁠How are you using it?
Small details matter more than you think.
Are you applying gel over a large enough area and allowing it to dry?
Is your patch sticking on properly, or causing skin irritation?

•⁠ ⁠Are you taking it as prescribed ?
Daily, twice weekly etc - missing doses can make symptoms return or fluctuate.

•⁠ ⁠Has anything else changed?
More stress, poor sleep, illness, or major life events. Starting new medications such as weight loss jabs etc These can all affect how well HRT works.

•⁠ ⁠Has your HRT itself changed?
A change in brand can make a difference - and it’s something we always explore.

HRT is not one-size-fits-all. If it isn’t working, it usually means something needs adjusting, not abandoning.

Menopause and perimenopause care is part science, part art.

We hope this helps.

None of this is meant as medical advice and we would always ask you to ask your medical team.

If you feel seeking a specialist review would help you, we would love to see you. 💛

10/02/2026

Ladies, did you sleep well ?

Sleep or rather poor sleep is a massive problem for us perimenopausal and menopausal women.

For me, in my late 30’s, sleep became an issue……

Taking ages to fall asleep, listening to a ‘sleep story’ and still being wide awake at the end = stressful ! Headbands with music/ meditation, weird lights on the ceiling. I have tried the lot.

Getting to sleep and then being wake at 2am with a crazy brain full of looping thoughts.

For others waking early at 4am, then not being able to get back to sleep.

So ladies, you definitely are not alone with your sleep issues, we are all in this together !!

Getting a good nights sleep can feel like a full time job.

So what has helped me ?
- HRT : oestrogen has definitely helped me sleep. I have a Mirena coil, but for some taking oral micronised progesterone can help sleep.
- Minimising/ stopping alcohol - alcohol keep me awake and often causes palpitations - so I mostly avoid this !
- Movement - I try and get out in all weathers to walk, do yoga, boot camp etc anything to make me more physically tired,
- Coffee - I love coffee, but I won’t drink it past 11am and then just drink camomile.

So tell me, whats worked for you ? Is sleep an issue for you, or maybe not ?