Businesswoman says doctors ignored debilitating menopause symptoms for years

A Hertfordshire businesswoman and television personality says she was ignored by doctors for years after developing severe symptoms she and clinicians now associate with the menopause.

Tracy Higgs, 55, told the Daily Mail that she began experiencing what she described as a "swathe of symptoms" around age 51, including depression, anxiety, recurrent migraines, lack of motivation and difficulty recalling simple words. The mother of two said the condition left her unable to get up in the morning and fearful of leaving her home.

Higgs, who appears on television as TJ Higgs, said she felt as though she was "in the dark with no light around me at all" and likened her state to being "a mushroom." "I just didn't want to be anymore," she told the newspaper. "I just didn't know how to be me. I just wanted to shut the door and be left alone."

She said a general practitioner initially arranged hormone replacement therapy (HRT) but later told her blood tests showed she had not reached menopause. According to Higgs, the GP said she was not even in perimenopause, the transitional period before menopause, leaving her feeling dismissed and as if she were "faking it."

Perimenopause and menopause are associated with a wide range of symptoms that can include hot flashes, sleep disturbance, mood changes and cognitive difficulties often described as "brain fog." Hormone levels fluctuate during the perimenopausal transition, and those fluctuations can make single blood tests unhelpful in establishing a diagnosis.

Medical guidelines in many countries advise clinicians to assess symptoms and medical history as part of diagnosis and to consider HRT for appropriate candidates. Patient groups and health advocates have highlighted that some people seeking help for menopausal symptoms report delays in diagnosis or difficulty accessing treatment.

Higgs said the prolonged lack of recognition from clinicians compounded the impact on her work and personal life. She described episodes in which she could not remember simple words or found routine tasks overwhelming. Those cognitive and emotional changes prompted her to seek help and to speak publicly about her experience.

The case underscores challenges clinicians and patients can face when menopausal symptoms present predominantly as psychological or cognitive complaints rather than the more widely recognised physical signs. People experiencing persistent changes in mood, cognition or daily functioning are advised to consult a healthcare professional for assessment and to discuss potential treatment options, including but not limited to HRT.

Higgs' account was reported by the Daily Mail, which covered her description of feeling ignored by doctors for years. The report adds to ongoing public discussion about recognition, diagnosis and treatment of menopausal and perimenopausal conditions.

Healthcare systems and clinicians continue to review approaches to diagnosis and care as researchers and patient groups call for improved awareness of the varied ways hormonal transitions can affect health and quality of life. Tracy Higgs said she spoke to the newspaper to raise awareness of the condition and to encourage others experiencing similar symptoms to seek help.