Michelle Heaton has revealed that she lost her libido after going through early menopause at the age of 34.
Michelle Heaton found her libido was “massively lacking” after she went through early menopause.
The Liberty X star underwent a hysterectomy and a double mastectomy after discovering she was carrying the BRCA2 gene which can cause cancer – and she was plunged into menopause aged just 34 which left her in need of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
She told New! magazine: “When going through menopause, I found my libido was massively lacking and I had no energy to do anything. I had no ‘oomph’. So my GP recommended testosterone and oestrogen, and yes it might have given me a couple more hairs on my chin, but it completely changed my life.”
The 42-year-old star explained going through such a huge hormonal change with the menopause left her miserable as she struggled to talk about what she was going through.
She credits her husband Hugh Hanley with supporting her through the ordeal, as well as standing by her in her battle with drug and alcohol abuse which led to a stint in rehab last year.
The singer added: “Throughout everything that happened to me, Hugh was as lost as I was. It’s only been in the last year or so that we’ve felt like our old selves again. Through the marriage, careers, kids, menopause, drinking, we’ve had our highs and lows but he’s absolutely always been my rock. We can only go up from here.”
The couple married in 2010 and they are parents to two kids, Faith, 10, and eight-year-old AJ.
Michelle previously admitted she felt like a “bad mother” when she was struggling with addiction.
She said: “I felt like a bad mother — the worst. I’m so lucky I’ve got two beautiful children. “They just want to see mummy well and they want to have ‘fun mummy’. They want me to play football with them, they want me to do their hair. It was those simple things that I wasn’t able to give them.
“I never put them at risk in a physical way, but they saw me being sick and were worried about mummy and wondering why she shouted. And my husband wondered if I’d be alive when he woke up.”
Does Menopause Affect Your Libido?
As you go through menopause, you might notice that your libido, or sex drive, is changing. Some women may experience an increase in libido, while others experience a decrease. Not all women go through this libido decrease, though it is very common. In most cases, a lower libido during menopause is due to decreased hormone levels.
These decreased hormone levels can lead to vaginal dryness and tightness, which can cause pain during sex. Menopause symptoms can also make you less interested in sex. These symptoms include:
- depression
- mood swings
- weight gain
- hot flashes
If you’re experiencing a loss of libido, you can try to increase your sex drive with lifestyle changes or sex aids, such as lubricants. If at-home remedies don’t help, your doctor can help you find the right treatment.
Menopause and libido
Menopause can negatively affect libido in several ways. During menopause, your testosterone and estrogen levels both decrease, which may make it more difficult for you to get aroused.
A decrease in estrogen can also lead to vaginal dryness. Lower levels of estrogen lead to a drop in blood supply in the vagina, which can then negatively affect vaginal lubrication. It can also lead to thinning of the vaginal wall, known as vaginal atrophy. Vaginal dryness and atrophy often lead to discomfort during sex.
Other physical changes during menopause might also affect your libido. For example, many women gain weight during menopause, and discomfort with your new body can decrease your desire for sex. Hot flashes and night sweats are also common symptoms. These symptoms can leave you feeling too tired for sex. Other symptoms include mood symptoms, such as depression and irritability, which can turn you off from sex.
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