Edinburgh mum didn't realise 'achey joint pain' was start of menopause in her 40s

Nicki
-Credit: (Image: Nicki Clatworthy)


An Edinburgh mum is urging more women to talk about menopause in a weekly walk.

Nicki Clatworthy, 53, started to experience 'annoying' menopause symptoms at the age of 46. Despite being 'fit and healthy', she was hit with joint pain throughout her body and admitted she 'wasn't feeling herself'.

She told Edinburgh Live how 'refreshing' it has been meeting up with other women around her age to talk about the issue - which she says still has a stigma attached.

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Nicki, who is mum to one daughter, said: "There is a bit of a stigma around menopause and women can be reluctant to talk about it. But sometimes it's just good to chat to people, to strangers, about how you're feeling, what treatments you've tried, what's worked, what hasn't.

"At this age, women have to deal with so much. We're juggling jobs, families and then this. Even just getting a group together to talk about life is helpful."

Speaking about her own experience, Nicki, from Leith said: "I had my first symptom at 46. I have had failed IVF attempts so I don't know if that triggered perimenopause. I thought I was really fit and healthy and I made sure I kept any extra weight off.

"But I got really bad joint ache. It went right up to my shoulders and through my elbows. I tried different supplements but nothing helped. Then there was brain fog, night sweats and lack of sleep. I really wasn't feeling myself.

"I wanted to try and look for natural remedies but I remember watching the Davina McCall, Sex, Myths and the Menopause documentary. That really helped and made me feel like it was okay to go to my GP. I have a great doctor's surgery with a menopause nurse and after nine months of trying different HRTs, we finally got the right dosage.

"Now I don't have any joint paint and feel like I'm back to my normal self. I felt so relieved and glad I had taken that route."

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She added: "There is a menopause cafe at work too, so there is a lot of support. I didn't like what was happening, but I didn't feel lonely. It's important to get a sense of understanding why we feel a certain way, and of what our bodies are doing."

Earlier this year, Nicki arranged a walking group in Leith following a trip down south. She explained: "Last October I went to London to visit family and I was at a drop-in with my cousin's friends. I didn't really know them. They were mums too, but it was just a good chance for us all to talk and offload. It sewed the seed and by March this year, I thought it would be a good time to get a group like that started."

Nicki, who works for Royal Mail and is also trained in giving menopause guidance at work, is continuing her weekly walking groups and hopes they can find a way to continue through the cold winter.

"Sometimes we have six or eight people, sometimes it's just three, but women have told me the group is refreshing and it's somewhere they can offload," she said. "Sometimes it's easier to talk to people you don't really know. There is a sense of solidarity and it's a safe space, being out in nature where no one else is listening in.

Nicki's walking group is on Monday at 7pm and more information can be found on Facebook.

Got a story? Get in touch katie.williams@reachplc.com