Newstalk presenter Henry McKean has participated in the Menovest Challenge, which encourages what it’s like to experience a hot flash during menopause
The prototype early-stage garment described by Over The Bloody Moon attempts to mimic some of the symptoms of menopause.
Mr McKean wore the vest for 24 hours and described feeling uncomfortable, warm and confused.
“I’m hot, I’m bothered and I’ve been wearing this particular vest since about three o’clock yesterday afternoon. I have a battery and wires attached to me, and the idea is to try and experience that hot flash,” he told Newstalk.
“As we speak, my neck is really heating up and the idea is to turn it on during physical or mental stress so that you feel even hotter.
“It’s been tough and I’ve been given this challenge and the idea is to wear this in bed all night, drink more water, have a sweet snack before bed to interrupt your sleep, set the alarm for 3 a.m.” at night, your clothes and sheets and then the alarm at 5 in the morning, and that was a big battle.”
As part of the challenge, Mr. McKean had to take an ice cold shower in the morning to get chills.
He also had to miss his morning coffee and skip breakfast to induce the feeling of brain fog.
“The idea is getting chills, feeling menopause and skipping breakfast would mess up my blood sugar and make me feel characterless and a little weak and just not myself,” he said.
“It brings a whole new level of forgetfulness, you scramble through the room, I actually walked into a meeting earlier and shouldn’t have been there. You start doing things that maybe you shouldn’t.
“I have a headache, I feel a little crazy. I’ve even lost my confidence. I just don’t feel good about myself right now.”
The founder of The Menopause Hub, Ireland’s first dedicated menopause clinic, said the median age of perimenopause is 45, while the median age of menopause is 51.
Loretta Dignam said the Menovest is a “wonderful device” that encourages people to talk more openly about menopause. Ms Dignam said 75 percent of women experience hot flashes.
“I personally started my menopause at age 49, my periods stopped and very soon after that I started having hot flashes. I would have had what you describe, 20 or 30 of those a day, every day, for three years.
“I also had night sweats and broken sleep and the myriad other symptoms that are psychological, which are physiological, some women get anxiety, depression, palpitations and so on.
“After three years I found that I just felt a slow flat tire and the energy just seeped out of me and I saw no end in sight.
“I would like a public awareness campaign on menopause for women and men, accessibility of quality care for every woman in Ireland and affordability of HRT. The HRT is expensive, but if you can’t afford it, it’s very difficult.”