The sharing of personal medical details in a UK missing person’s case sends the wrong message, according to a Tipperary-based consultant endocrinologist.
The missing persons case of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire has captivated the world after the mother of two seemingly vanished into thin air, with Lancashire police stating that Nicola suffered with alcohol issues and brain fog brought on by the menopause.
However, Dr Mary Ryan, consultant endocrinologist has questioned whether this information needed to be released, saying she doesn’t know how this would help in the search for the missing woman.
Speaking to Tipp Today, Dr Ryan said that blaming Nicola’s disappearance on the menopause sends the wrong message about how menopause affects women.
“But certainly brain fog due to menopause – yes you can be very anxious, yes you can forget things, but you wouldn’t certainly go off and do something like this, you wouldn’t be gone missing, so it wouldn’t have any connection with it.
“That was the only worry I had, I thought when they mentioned that like ‘God, is there a suggestion that women with menopause and brain fog forget when they’re going or causes this sort of loss of their memory?'”
Dr Ryan also said that misconceptions about the menopause only serve to worry perimenopausal and women in early menopause saying that accurate information is really important so women know what to expect.
“We wish her (Nicola Bulley) all the very best and I hope they find her speedily, well and all that, but I just didn’t want women to be worrying that god, this is going to happen.
“Brain fog isn’t dementia, it’s just where you’re tired, you’re exhausted, not sleeping, whole hormone imbalance going on, but with the right support and lifestyle change and maybe medication if you need it, you will do very, very well.”
