VIP caught up with actress Tamzin Outhwaite to mark Menopause Month at the Menopause & Me Event in The Alex Hotel with Meno Active.
Welcome to Dublin, how are you finding it?
I’ve just arrived but it’s so lovely! But every time I have been to Dublin it has been a 24-hour adventure!
You’ve always been so open about your journey with menopause, why did you choose that?
My friend Julie Graham was writing a series about menopause called Dun Breeding and we shot it in lockdown. I started questioning then if I was going through menopause over filming the eight or nine episodes. I started noticing that the signs of menopause we were all acting out were simultaneously happening to me. I wondered if the series was bringing on my menopause or if was I just aware of the signs of menopause for the first time. But there is a massive stigma about menopause and we shouldn’t talk about it. Davina [McCall] was advised not to talk about menopause anymore for her career. But why? Because it signifies that you’re old. That you’re not as sexy as you once were? That’s not true! How everyone deals with is different, but a big eye-opener was that it’s not a death sentence. For the short amount of time we’re going through it, talk to whoever you can about it and don’t feel embarrassed. You are still sexy, you are still loved.
Has your life changed since going through this?
Yes, of course, it has. But it has changed for the better. I think getting on top of the signs of menopauseearly really helps.
What signs of menopause did you have?
I never had hot flashes and I was never someone who minded the heat. The main thing I remember my friends telling me was to take HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) before I get the rage. They were so angry about everything and I knew I didn’t want to get like that. But what I had was that I was a bit teary and I was so shattered. I’m generally full of energy but I had to lie down all the time. I started to feel like I wasn’t in my own body. I put on weight.
What do you do to help with your signs of menopause?
I went to a doctor who specialises in women’s health immediately. I take a very small dose of HRT. I also take Meno Active. But we all feel our way through it. As well as the supplements, I do a lot of yoga and I swim a lot. I do a lot of cold water therapy. I try to at least take a cold shower every day.
How has Meno Active helped you through it?
Meno Active has been incredible, all I have to take in the morning is a sachet and a tablet. It’s very, very easy. And it has 31 active ingredients, so I know all the vitamins that I need will be in that one sachet. I’m killing lots of birds with one stone.
You also mentioned cold water therapy, you did Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof. Did that help?
I enjoyed it even though I hate the cold! I love my house to be hot. But I couldn’t believe how much it helped. With breathwork you can take on everything, whether that be fear, that be pain or even just getting over the cold. Breathwork is what calms you down, it’s a coping mechanism in a brilliant way. I discovered I am stronger than I thought. The cold thing is really, really important. It is so good for your cardiovascular system, I would definitely recommend it.
Meno Active is available to buy in pharmacies nationwide!