Dear WDDTY

Re Vol 4 Nos 9-11: In 1988, when I was 52 I was prescribed HRT (Cyclo-Progynova) for severe menopausal symptoms, including osteoporosis. I was told by the hospital doctor who took the x-ray and also my GP that there was no alternative and that my bones would crumble if I did not take it.

After three weeks I felt wonderful, but during the fifth week not only did all my previous symptoms return with a vengeance, but I also experienced urinary incontinence, sight, speech, memory and motor difficulties. Some days I could not walk unaided, and often my husband had to drag me out of bed and make me move because my body felt encased in lead. I also became severely dyslexic.

I stopped taking the tablets immediately the first symptoms occurred, but my condition continued to deteriorate. My GP just did not believe me because I could only visit the surgery on "good" days. I was told that all I needed was "counselling". I declined and turned to alternative therapies. Within 18 months my central nervous system was almost back to normal, although the HRT had left me with a serious intolerance of petrochemicals. A strict diet and nutritional supplements (including a course of intravenous vitamins and minerals) has helped to restore my immune system, and now I do not have severe attacks. Helen Woollin, Westcliff-on-Sea......