Nicola Bulley’s family have issued a statement saying she stopped taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) due to suffering intense headaches. Lancashire Police revealed on Wednesday that that missing mum-of-two had been suffering drinking issues after going through the menopause.
On Thursday her family told how she had been struggling with symptoms of a menopause including brain fog but medication to help had left her with the painful headaches. This had meant she was considered a "high risk" missing person following her disappearance as she walked along a towpath on the River Wyre on January 27.
In a statement released on Thursday her family confirmed the mum had suffered "significant" side effects due to the peri menopause. But they said as a result of stopping the HRT drugs it had "caused this crisis".
They said: "Due to the peri menopause Nikki suffered with significant side effects such as brain fog, restless sleep and was taking HRT to help but this was giving her intense headaches which caused Nikki to stop taking the HRT thinking that may have helped her but only ended up causing this crisis."
But what is the peri menopause and the HRT taken by millions of women worldwide to help manage the symptoms of both peri menopause and menopause?
According to the NHS website, menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a big impact on daily life, including relationships, social life, family life and work. Symptoms of perimenopause usually start months or years before periods stop and can include changes to mental health such as low mood, anxiety, mood swings, low self-esteem, problems with memory and issues with concentration (brain fog).
Common physical symptoms of both the menopause and perimenopause include hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, heart palpitations and headaches, or migraines that are worse than usual. Other physical problems can include muscle aches and joint pains, weight gain, skin changes including dry and itchy skin, lower sex drive and vaginal dryness and pain during sex.
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HRT involves taking oestrogen to elevate the body’s levels of the hormone. It is often combined with progesterone. There are different types and doses of HRT, including tablets, sprays, implants and patches.
According to the NHS, the risks of HRT are small and usually outweighed by the benefits. However, HRT may worsen headaches in some people and GPs may suggest an oestrogen skin patch is used.
According to the Migraine Trust, some women find HRT makes their migraine worse. It recommends people speak to their doctor if this happens.
