Davina McCall, 53, says she worried she had Alzheimer's after hitting menopause

'Please help me, I think I've got Alzheimer's': Davina McCall says she is 'paranoid' after her father's diagnosis and she went to her doctor after the menopause affected her memory

The presenter, 53, emotionally revealed that she is 'always paranoid' as her father Andrew, 76, continues to battle Alzheimer's

Davina said that she went to her doctor after the menopause started to affect her memory with the star told she has 'cognitive overload'

The Masked Singer judge first started developing symptoms aged 44 and is on hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Menopause is defined as the changes a woman goes through just before and after she stops her periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally

Common symptoms include hot flushes, night sweats, disrupted sleep, decreased sex drive, and problems with memory and concentration

In November, Davina wished her father Andrew a happy 76th birthday as he continues to battle Alzheimer's, he was diagnosed aged 73

Published: 19:34 EDT, 26 January 2021 | Updated: 21:37 EDT, 26 January 2021

Davina McCall has said that she worried she had developed Alzheimer's after the menopause affected her memory.

The presenter, 53, emotionally revealed that she is 'always paranoid' as her father Andrew, 76, continues to battle Alzheimer's.

Davina said that she went to her doctor after the menopause affected her memory with the star instead told she has 'cognitive overload'.

Upsetting: Davina McCall has said that she worried she had developed Alzheimer's after the menopause affected her memory (pictured earlier this month on This Morning)

Talking to Gabby Logan on her The Mid.Point podcast, the star said that she is on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which does the work of oestrogen as levels decrease after the menopause. Davina first developed symptoms aged 44.

Talking on the podcast, The Masked Singer judge said: 'I'm on HRT so I have absolutely no excuse to be going doolally but I'm still going doolally on the HRT.

'I am less angry. I don't get night sweats. I don't get hot flushes. These are the things that have gone. My joints feel, my bones feel lubricated and strong, but my memory, and like you Gabby, I work, I've got kids, I have a partner.

Heartbreaking: The presenter, 53, emotionally revealed that she is 'always paranoid' as her father Andrew, 76, continues to battle Alzheimer's

Symptoms: Davina said that she went to her doctor after the menopause affected her memory with the star told she has 'cognitive overload' (pictured in December)

'Life is very busy and chaotic and you have to know a lot of stuff in your business about sort of everything. And I do lots of different jobs. So I have a hundred different hats on.

'I could be going from Long Lost Family one day, to The Masked Singer the next, to a Garnier job, to something else.

WHAT IS THE MENOPAUSE?

Menopause is when a woman stops having periods, and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.

It usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.

It is a normal part of ageing and caused by levels of the sex hormone oestrogen dropping.

Some women go through this time with few, if any, symptoms.

Others suffer from hot flushes, sleeping difficulties, mood swings and brain fog, which can last for months or years and might change over time.

HRT replaces the hormones and is the main treatment used to treat symptoms — which can be severe and disrupt day-to-day life.

Menopause happens when your ovaries stop producing as much of the hormone oestrogen and no longer release an egg each month.

'And I'm learning different things for everything in my brain sometimes, because when I went to my doctor and I said, "Look, please help me, I think I've got Alzheimer's" because obviously my dad's got Alzheimer's.

'And I was like, "I'm always paranoid – I know I haven't really got it but am I okay?" to her.

'She said, "It's called cognitive overload". And at our stage in life often our kids are all older. We thought it was going to get easier. It does not.'

Earlier this month, Davina reflected on being perimenopausal and going through the menopause, as she claimed it should be a topic taught in schools.

The TV presenter spoke candidly about the diagnosis, saying she had no idea why she had symptoms because she hadn't known about the signs before being diagnosed.

The presenter has previously said the menopause reminded her of when she was abusing drugs as Davina, who is a reformed addict, said she 'was waking up soaked in sweat' and would have mood swings.

Menopause is defined as the changes a woman goes through just before and after she stops her periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.

Common symptoms include hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness leading to discomfort during sex, disrupted sleep, decreased sex drive, problems with memory and concentration and mood swings.

Davina has three children Holly, 19, Tilly, 17, and Chester, 14, with her ex-husband Matthew Robertson. The star is now in a relationship with hairdresser Michael Douglas.

In November, the star wished her father Andrew a happy 76th birthday as he continues to battle Alzheimer's.

HRT: Talking to Gabby Logan on her The Mid.Point podcast, the star said that she is on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which does the work of oestrogen as levels decrease after the menopause. Davina first developed symptoms aged 44 (pictured over the summer)

Davina took to Instagram to share a snapshot of her beloved parent as she said his 'soul is still shining through' amid his 'cruel' Alzheimer's battle.

Captioning an image of a bespectacled Andrew posing for the camera, she wrote: 'Happy birthday Daddy!!!! Sorry I can’t be with you... but thank you for giving the Best Hugs! And always picking up the pieces when my world fell apart.'

She continued: 'You have taught me so much... Alzheimers is a very cruel illness, but your soul is still shining through ... love you so . And thank you mumma for taking such beautiful care of him and auntie Becca too ❤️ love you both x.'

Four years ago, Davina spoke emotionally about the tell-tale signs she picked up on which made her suspect her father had Alzheimer's.

Beloved: In November, the star wished her father Andrew a happy 76th birthday as he continues to battle Alzheimer's

The presenter said the family started noticing Andrew, who was diagnosed aged 73, was showing subtle changes in his behaviour and personality.

They picked up on him repeating a story he had told only 15 minutes earlier and how he had forgot about events that happened in the previous few days.

Eventually, Andrew started struggling to find the words he wanted to say and to find everyday items around the home, as well as making odd remarks.

Davina said at the time: 'My dad has always been my rock. He's way smarter than me, funnier, stronger. I've always slightly hero-worshipped him.

'So when he started saying funny things like, "I took the overland train" and "Call me when your work is less explosive", it didn't take us long to all come together and ask each other if we should be concerned.

Sad: Davina's father Andrew was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 73, while her late grandmother Pippy also battled dementia (both above)

WHAT IS ALZHEIMER'S?

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die.

This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink.

More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have it.

WHAT HAPPENS?

As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost.

That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason.

The progress of the disease is slow and gradual.

On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years.

EARLY SYMPTOMS:

Loss of short-term memory
Disorientation
Behavioral changes
Mood swings
Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call

LATER SYMPTOMS:

Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places
Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior
Eventually lose ability to walk
May have problems eating
The majority will eventually need 24-hour care

Source: Alzheimer's Association

'The psychologist that first assessed him said that he could have been affected for a while – but he is so clever that he had come up with strategies. That's my dad – see a problem, come up with a strategy.'

She continued: 'My dad is very charming, everyone he meets falls in love with him. That's one thing that hasn't changed.

'He still gives the best hugs and my kids adore him. Since he's had Alzheimer's, he has become calmer and kids respond very well to that.

'I have grieved the loss of my old dad. But we are forging a new relationship, a different one – one where perhaps he might need me more. Our dynamic has changed, but he's still my dad.'

Q&A: What is HRT? by Thea Jourdan

WHAT IS HRT AND WHAT DOES IT DO?

HRT does the work of oestrogen, levels of which plummet after the menopause. Women usually take a combination of synthetic oestrogen and a second hormone, progesterone.

‘Most women in the UK take combined HRT because taking oestrogen on its own can increase the risk of developing cancer of the womb,’ says Kathy Abernethy, chair of the British Menopause Society. ‘Oestrogen-only HRT is usually only given to women who have had their wombs removed.’

ARE THERE ANY RISKS TO CONSIDER?

A major U.S. study in 2002, from the Women’s Health Initiative USA, was the first to ring alarm bells that HRT may lead to an raised risk of heart disease and breast cancer. As a result, many doctors stopped prescribing it overnight.

But the study was found to be flawed — the average age of the women in the study was 63, when the risk of breast cancer naturally rises anyway, and half were smokers.

‘The risks were overestimated for women of normal menopausal age between 50 and 60,’ says Kathy. ‘For most women under the age of 60, and for many over age 60, the benefits of HRT are clear.’

SO DOES HRT REALLY CAUSE CANCER?

Any risk comes with longer use, says Kathy.

Cancer Research UK says there is strong evidence HRT can cause breast, womb and ovarian cancer, but the chance is low compared to other risk factors. To put it in perspective, while minimising HRT could prevent 1,400 cancer deaths per year, keeping to a healthy weight could prevent 13,200 and stopping smoking could prevent 22,000.

ARE THERE OTHER SIDE-EFFECTS?

‘Women who take HRT may have side-effects including breast tenderness, headaches, nausea, indigestion, tummy pain and vaginal bleeding,’ says Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Royal College of GPs’ professional development vice-chair. Taking HRT as tablets (not patches or gels) may slightly raise the risk of blood clots.

WHO SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN HRT?

Those who have a personal or family history of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as ovarian and breast, and women who have had deep vein thrombosis. High blood pressure should be controlled before starting HRT.

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?

Non-hormonal options include Tibolone (Livial), derived from the Mexican yam, which mimics oestrogen. Blood pressure medication Clonidine, which affects the dilation of blood vessels, can alleviate hot flushes and night sweats.

Bio-identical hormones, derived from plant oestrogens and prescribed by private clinics, are said to be similar to human sex hormones. But the NHS does not recommend these as they are not regulated.

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