Claire Richards has opened up about her challenging experience with perimenopause.
The Steps band member has admitted to experiencing ‘extreme symptoms’ and feelings of anxiousness since discovering she is going through perimenopause.
As she wants to spread awareness and highlight the different symptoms you can have when experiencing perimenopause, the 45-year-old has detailed the battle she’s been having over the last year.
Revealing she’s been suffering with severe anxiety, night sweats, rage and struggling to leave the house, Claire opened up to OK! in a new interview.
“Around the time I was doing The Masked Singer, I started really noticing symptoms that threw me a little bit. The anxiety while doing that show… I get nervous anyway, but it was off the scale”.
“I was having these really bad palpitations that I’ve never had before - and it was every single day. I would just be sitting in my dressing room and my heart was beating out of my neck”.
Richards went on to speak about other famous faces who highlighted perimenopause to her so she soon learned about what she was going through.
“At first, I didn’t realise what it was. I feel quite lucky that I’m going through it at a time where it’s being spoken about by other female celebrities who’ve really brought it to the forefront. It’s amazing how little anybody really knows about it”.
The Tragedy singer then admitted her symptoms got so bad that she found it difficult to socialise with loved ones.
“I couldn’t face going out because I was feeling anxious about going out and socialising”.
Since discovering it was perimenopause she was experiencing last August, Claire revealed she’s been on supplements and medicines for only a few weeks.
“I’ve only been using the medicines and vitamins for six weeks - it took me all that time to do something about it and see somebody. I think we as women need to be armed with information”.
“Some people are like, ‘I’m just going to ride it out’. But you don’t have to. I don’t want to shrivel up and lose all my collagen - I like having plump cheeks, I don’t want my hair to break off”.
Claire candidly added, “There are so many symptoms and I don’t think people realise just how extreme it can get. Don’t just put up with it - because it’s pretty miserable to be honest”.
