Carol Vorderman – The menopause and how she coped with depression

Carol Vorderman, the popular television personality and all round high achiever and lover of life, was driven to the brink of suicide by the menopause.

Countdown presenter Carol Vordeman (pictured on the Lorraine show) became severely depressed when going through the menopause in her 50s. She was prescribed bio-identical hormones and the change in her mood was sudden and miraculous.

I don’t see the point in carrying on

Fit and fabulous in her 50s with a busy lifestyle and positive outlook, Carol’s life suddenly took an unexplained turn  for the  worse as she battled a deep, dark depression which she has subsequently admitted left her thinking “I don’t see the point in carrying on”.

With no other symptoms to link her depression to the menopause, it wasn’t until a friend urged her to see a hormonal specialist that she realised her depression was, in fact, a symptom of the menopause and was totally treatable.  Her hormone specialist prescribed an on-going course of BHRT (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy) and within 48 hours Carol noticed a marked improvement in her mood and outlook, which she has described as “sudden and miraculous”.

Bio-identical HRT

Bio-identical HRT is the fresh, modern and innovative way to combat the symptoms of menopause and helps to slow the body’s natural decline by replacing and rebalancing the body’s hormones using entirely natural hormones, which have an identical molecular & chemical structure to naturally occurring hormones in the body.  As a result, their effects are more consistent with the normal biochemistry of the body, so the concerning side effects of conventional HRT seldom occur.

Carol says

It’s not spoken about. Women are written off as past it when they’re menopausal, which is demeaning and dreadful. Now we’re beginning to understand a fall in oestrogen levels can profoundly affect the brain and our mental well-being, and there is a simple, effective way of addressing it: by restoring these depleted hormones.

Bio-identical HRT experts use their specialist knowledge of bio-identical hormones to create bespoke medication packages to enable their patients to manage and treat the symptoms of hormone imbalances.  Carol was given oestrogen, testosterone and progesterone supplements in gel and cream form, so they were absorbed through the skin.

Following a consultation, during which a blood test will be performed to establish hormone levels, a tailor-made medication package of BHRT hormones will prescribed.  This will be dispensed by a specialist pharmacy.   As these hormones are converted from plant sources and manufactured in powder form, patients can choose if they prefer them in oral or patch forms.

Carol is adamant that BHRT is the way forward for the 13 million women that suffer from menopausal symptoms at any given time.

Now my battle is to make the bio-identical hormones that cured me readily available – we cannot diminish their importance. They may actually help to save lives.

Read more about Carol’s experience

You can find out more about Carol Vorderman’s battle with depression and how BHRT helped her in these articles:

“Carol Vorderman reveals battle with depression during menopause” – ITV

“How the menopause drove me to think about how I could end it all: Carol Vorderman says the NHS must offer every woman the bespoke HRT that saved her” – Daily Mail

BHRT for you

BHRT is available to women and men, both of whom suffer hormone imbalances due to the ageing process, to help restore and maintain optimal health and hormone balance.

For more information, for a list of BHRT Q&As or to book a free consultation with a BHRT specialist, please click here. We offer BHRT at Harley Street, London and Huntingdon.