Words by Jo Barry // photo by Marko Brecic
At 37, while my friends compared holiday plans and skincare routines, I injected my stomach with a thick needle designed to switch off my hormones. It was Zoladex, a goserelin implant that temporarily switches off ovarian function to cut estrogen levels. It’s used to treat endometriosis (to “starve” lesions of estrogen) and appears in protocols for fibroids and premenopausal breast cancer.
For me, it was both a lifeline and a nightmare: a break from the grinding pain of endo and adeno, and an abrupt, chemically induced menopause that arrived with hot flushes, insomnia, and a libido that ghosted me almost overnight.
My First Menopause: By Needle
The logic made sense: endometriosis is estrogen-sensitive, so suppressing estrogen can calm symptoms. For the first time in years, I wasn’t doubled over. But the trade-off was brutal: flushes like spontaneous combustion, desert-dry skin, nights broken by sweat and tears.
But after multiple rounds of Zoladex, my organs were fixed together by disease; I couldn’t bear the pain. I chose a radical hysterectomy (uterus, cervix, both ovaries), and with it, surgical menopause.
Surgical Menopause: The Overnight Switch
They call menopause gradual. Mine happened on a Tuesday. The mood crash felt less like sadness and more like a hormonal free-fall. Everything plummeted overnight: my energy, connection to my body, even my sense of self. I felt detached, as if I were watching my life from the outside.
When estrogen drops suddenly, the hypothalamus, the brain’s thermostat, misfires, which is why surgical menopause often brings more intense symptoms than a gradual transition: the body has no time to adapt.
I started HRT immediately: estrogen to stabilise, progesterone to keep any residual endo quiet. Within a week, the fog lifted. Used appropriately, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT/HRT) can have benefits for most women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause.
What No One Tells You About Menopause
Skin
Skin takes a hit when estrogen drops fast. You lose some of the collagen support and barrier strength, so everything feels a little drier and thinner than it used to. What helped was doubling down on my barrier repair with ceramides and glycerin, then using a gentle retinoid at night for collagen support and vitamin C in the morning for brightness, always topped with SPF 50+. The inside-out piece matters more than you think: omega-3s, electrolytes, solid protein, and collagen peptides gave my skin back some of what the hormonal crash had taken.
Temperature
Estrogen is the body’s temperature stabiliser. When it drops fast, the whole system glitches. I went from heat surges that felt volcanic to bone-deep chills that hit minutes later. What helped was keeping everything breathable and easy to adjust: natural fibres, linen sheets, a cooling pillow, and a wardrobe I could layer on or peel off as my body demanded.
Sleep
Between night sweats and 3 a.m. overthinking, I became a magnesium and (doctor-approved) melatonin devotee, plus strict sleep hygiene (cool, dark room; consistent bedtime; no doom-scrolling). My rae wearable device is still my nightly wind-down, and the steady warmth settles my system.
Moods & clarity
Once HRT levelled me out, I discovered menopausal honesty. I say what I mean. Less people-pleasing, more boundaries. On rough days, I treat my mood like the weather: real, passing, manageable.
Sex & hormones
Comfort and desire didn’t come rushing back. After IVF, surgeries, and surgical menopause, my libido packed its bags and left the country. Turns out, when you remove the hormones that make you want sex, you kind of stop wanting sex. Who knew?!! Finding the right HRT mix eventually brought the spark back.
The Hidden Costs (and what the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme is doing)
Periods stop, but new bills start rolling in: HRT, bloods, bone scans, specialist reviews. Australia’s PBS has taken steps to expand subsidised HRT options (including new additions in 2025) and to manage shortages with easier substitutions. Still, access can be bumpy, and costs add up. I frame it as insurance for my brain, bones and mood.
The Long Game: Bones, Heart, Brain
Losing estrogen years earlier than average (around age 51) can deplete the hormones that support bone remodeling, vascular health, and cognitive function. The result, diseases like osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and cognitive change risks rise unless we actively protect against them.
Bones
Do: resistance training 2-3x/week; vitamin D and adequate calcium (diet first, supplement if needed); limit alcohol & stop smoking.
Check: a baseline bone density (DEXA) after diagnosis of early/surgical menopause, then monitor at intervals set by your doctor.
Heart
Do: build cardio and strength; prioritise sleep and stress care; review lipids, blood pressure, glucose with your GP.
Consider: transdermal estrogen may help maintain vascular health when started early; check your personal risk factors. Also, the heart takes estrogen’s exit personally, so movement, good fats, and a calm nervous system are your love letters back.
Brain
Do: regular exercise (great for mood and cognition), social connection, good sleep, iron and B12 checks if fatigued.
Know: estrogen interacts with neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, so mood and focus can nosedive when it drops. HRT can help stabilise this, and I promise the “fog” does lift; it just needs oxygen, movement, and a little hormonal kindness.
How Common Is Early or Premature Menopause?
Most women reach menopause between 45-55. About 5% experience early menopause (40-45), and about 1% experience premature menopause/POI (before 40). Endometriosis itself is linked with a higher risk of early or surgical menopause, which tracks my own story.
Not the End, Just the Reset
That chapter reshaped everything I believe about women’s health. For too long, we’ve been handed pastel-packaged “solutions” that ignore real needs. Creating Scarlet Period became part of that lesson, a reminder that care can be craft, not compromise. The same precision we expect in headphones or watches should exist in women’s wellness, because pain, hormones, and heat aren’t niche; they are realities that deserve serious thought and design.
Menopause at 37 wasn’t an ending but a recalibration, a forced pause that gave me perspective and, eventually, purpose. If you’re facing it early, know this: you’re not broken, you’re rewiring. And with the proper care, knowledge, and community, you don’t just survive menopause, you rebuild.
