Let's talk about the menopause!

Just a decade ago very few of us would feel comfortable talking about the menopause. Women tended to suffer in silence, men didn't realise they too could suffer from something rather like it.

Because so many of our customers are into wellness and self-care, healthy lifestyles, good mental health, yoga, meditation, and alternative therapies, we know menopause is a hot topic in our community. And it's something all of us in the company care about, especially since a few of us in the office are going through the menopause, having to completely change our life pace and priorities when it comes to health and wellbeing. So we decided it's about time we talked about the menopause.

Whether you're reaching menopause, going through it or have gone through it and are enjoying life at the other end of the tunnel, we hope you find this post interesting and useful.

A brief history of attitudes to menopause

Until very recently new drugs and treatments were mostly tested on white men, not on other ethnic groups or on women, even though women's physiology is very different from men and different ethnic groups can react differently. While roughly 50% of all female humans who reach the right age encounter menopause, until recently male-led science and medicine didn't take much notice of it, which probably explains why the history of menopause science and treatment is so short!

The Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle mentioned it, saying that menopause happened to women when they turned forty, but the word itself wasn't dreamed up until 1821. During the 20th century things improved a bit, but by 1930 the medical profession had decided it was a disease caused by deficiencies. A variety of terrifying treatments included 'replenishment therapies' like testicular juice or crushed animal ovaries. By the 1970s it was widely seen as a problem that needed medicalising, ushering in a trend for HRT in the western world.

Probably because our life expectancies are a bit longer, women in the west tend to experience menopause later than our counterparts in developing nations, where it usually starts between the ages of 45 to 47. In 2025 the average age in the UK is 50-51. Interestingly women in the west tend to feel negative about menopause compared to, for example, India where there's a much more positive attitude to it.

Now, at long last, menopause is being taken more seriously and science is finally catching up. New studies report 'mysterious' brain changes associated with it, and potential therapies are being explored. There's even research going on into the male menopause. Some cultures openly embrace and honour this fundamental life change, others still stigmatise and silence it, but as we all know, it really helps to talk!

Everyone going through it has their own menopause stories. Here are two of ours.

Kate's menopause story

“I never thought about the menopause, I just sailed into my 50s without a second thought because I'd heard some women struggle with it while others don't even really notice it happening. I imagined I'd be one of the lucky ones. So when the symptoms started I had no idea what was going on. I actually thought I was going mad. Looking back, I reckon it began when I was about 47. I'd find myself getting absolutely furious for no good reason, which was actually quite frightening. But for me the hot flushes were the worst thing.

At first they only happened at night, leaving me swimming in a sea of sweat in bed, whatever the weather. Horrible. For a while I wondered if it was down to stress, since I was going through some relationship issues at the time. Then the flushes began happening during the day and I finally twigged what was going on. I'd be in a shop, in the street, at home, at someone's house, at work, and I'd feel this incredibly violent wave of heat bursting from the inside out, leaving my entire body dripping and my face scarlet. So embarrassing, so uncomfortable.

Not realising there was anything anyone could do about it, and not being a person who goes to the doctor unless I'm dying on my feet, I just battled my way through my menopause without support or treatment. From end to end it lasted a full ten years, finally tailing off at age 57. These days I'd seek treatment and advice straight away, which just goes to show how much things have changed.

Having come out of the other end into a post-menopause world I feel brighter, clearer, wiser, and actually happier than ever before. I feel reborn. And it really is lovely not to have to menstruate any more. The sheer, wonderful freedom of that alone is worth the new wrinkles that keep arriving!”

Monika's menopause story

“I'd noticed changes to my body cycles together with changes in my sleeping pattern soon after my 47th birthday but did not think much more about it, other than that it was very annoying. Very soon more symptoms appeared but I still did not even consider them to be the start of menopause. At that time, menopause had not even crossed my mind!

Within months my symptoms increased to the point that I couldn't concentrate because of a severe brain fog and I honestly thought I was experiencing early dementia. At my worst time, I remember sitting in a restaurant and being completely unable to follow any conversation around the table, I could hear people talking but I just couldn't make any sense of the words. This completely scared me and I started researching brain damage and dementia when I came across many similar stories on the internet and they all were pointing to a menopause! That was my lightbulb moment. I realised I had hit peri-menopause. I never imagined peri-menopausal symptoms could be this severe, it was something completely new to me and as I started my research online, I felt reassured to learn that everything I had experienced in the past 6 months wasn't unusual.

I then explored natural treatments like acupuncture and cranial osteopathy. Both helped for a while but as I was progressing through my peri-menopause, they slowly became insufficient. I started HRT treatment and it helped me through the worst. After some time, I slowly came off HRT and since then have been managing my symptoms with natural supplements and exercise.

It's now been 5 years since my symptoms started and I have learned to live with the inconvenience of the occasional hot flush, interrupted sleep and the feeling of being overwhelmed when life gets busy. I have learned to take more time for myself, slow down and rest when needed. I have better days and worse days. Exercise helps with my physical and mental health. I do Pilates once a week, go to gym twice a week and I have just joined Couch to 5K program with a local running club. I am also a cold water swimmer and try to go swimming in the sea at least once a week year-round and yes, I have ditched the wetsuit! At 52 I'm quite proud of this, and the fun bit is that I can now blame my really silly blunders on menopause!”

Staying cool, comfortable and fresh

What's the connection between menopause and Wicked Dragon clothing? Whether you're male or female, whatever your age, as well as wonderfully stylish and great quality our alternative clothing is cool, loose, comfortable and made from either natural fabrics or stuff that feels and behaves like natural fabric. And when you look good, you feel good. If you'd like to tell us your own menopause story, we'd love to hear it – and we'd love to see photos of you wearing our clothing!