Deepika’s muscle weakening condition deteriorated when she started going through the perimenopause. Ten years later at age 49, she shares with us her experience of menopause, how medical professionals dealt with her attempts to access support, and the tips she has for others nearing this time in their life.
“Nobody warned me that menopause could make my condition deteriorate.”

I started going through the perimenopause around 2014. I’ve never really experienced the classic symptoms like hot flushes or brain fog, but it’s impacted me a lot physically. Over the years it’s reduced my independence. I’m still ambulant, but I now need to use a walking stick when I go outside when I didn’t before. I also can’t walk as far as I used to. I already had osteopenia (low bone density) before I hit the menopause, and there’s a lot of awareness around the menopause causing osteoporosis in some people, so I was prepared that I was at a higher risk for this. But my muscle deterioration took me by surprise and hit me hard.
My doctors often dismiss my menopause symptoms as being part of my condition
I was already under the care of an endocrinology consultant regarding hormones and bone density as I take medication and have regular scans for this. I’ve been speaking with them for the past few years about whether starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could help slow down my muscle deterioration. Unfortunately, there’s very little research about how the menopause affects muscle wasting conditions, so my GP has been sceptical to start me on HRT patches.
To add to these challenges, I caught Covid-19 around the time of my asking about HRT. The hormonal changes and muscle weakness of Long Covid can be similar to menopause symptoms, so my GP wants to wait until that was definitely out of my system before prescribing HRT patches. I need to go back for blood tests, blood pressure monitoring, and other checks before they’ll reconsider. It’s quite frustrating as the longer I wait the more I can feel my strength deteriorating.
There needs to be a better understanding of menopause and disability
There’s a tendency for medical professionals to put all my symptoms down to my disability, but I know my weakness is directly related to menopause and it’s hard to not be listened to. I’m part of my workplace menopause community group, so I’ve been using that as a platform to advocate for better information around disability and menopause.
When I went on the Muscular Dystrophy UK website and found that the charity run a Women’s health WhatsApp group, I thought I’d give it a try. I haven’t been part of the group long, but it’s a really helpful and safe space to share your story with people who are experiencing similar things.
Speaking up about how menopause impacts us
Raising awareness of the impact menopause has on women is always important, but it also creates an opportunity to have discussions about intersectionality, like disability and menopause, that are lacking in research and understanding.
I’d encourage anyone in the muscle weakening community to start speaking to your GP and consultants before you become perimenopausal, or as early as possible. This will allow you to discuss options and research to hopefully reduce the impact on your condition. I hope if more people start having these discussions, more information and resources around how menopause affects muscle wasting conditions will start becoming available.
Our group is open to women aged 30+ living with a muscle wasting or weakening condition in the UK, to share experiences, get advice and support other women.