Oprah, 68, has opened up about the horrific symptoms she experienced during menopause, revealing she suffered from heart palpitations so bad she “thought she was going to die”.
The TV presenter recently detailed her struggles with menopause – a process signaled by the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle and which can involve mild to mild symptoms – in hopes of destigmatizing the natural aging process.
She sat down with her longtime friend Maria Shriver for an episode of Paramount Plus’ The Checkup. with dr David Agus explained to the media mogul that while she didn’t have hot flashes like many women, she was going through terrible palpitations that subsided and she fears for her life.
Winfrey explained that her symptoms were getting worse, with the TV mogul admitting she was often up at night, desperately wondering if she would make it through the next day.
“I have journals that are filled with, ‘I don’t know if I’ll make it until tomorrow morning,'” she shared. “I thought I would die every night.”
Oprah has spoken openly about her experience with menopause in hopes of destigmatizing the culture around women’s aging
The 68-year-old media mogul appeared on an episode of The Checkup With Dr. David Agus and stated that she suffers from a lack of knowledge alongside Maria Shriver
Winfrey added that she struggled with severe symptoms including heart palpitations, lack of concentration and restlessness
The symptoms that made Oprah feel like she was dying: what is menopause and what does it involve?
- Menopause is a process signaled by the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle and can include mild to mild symptoms.
- Menopause can occur in your 40s or 50s, but the median age in the United States is 51, according to the Mayo Clinic.
- Symptoms vary from woman to woman but include irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, chills, night sweats, trouble sleeping, mood swings, weight gain and slowed metabolism, thinning hair and dry skin, loss of breast fullness
- Winfrey noticed that she also had palpitations
During menopause, the host added that she felt restless and couldn’t concentrate enough to read – which prompted her to quit Oprah’s Book Club.
Perhaps one of her most extreme symptoms was heart palpitations, she revealed.
“I was perimenopausal, like late 40s, and had palpitations.
“Go to every doctor you can and try to figure out what it is, what it is, what it is,” she recalled.
Winfrey explained she went to five different doctors, trying desperately to find a treatment and a cause for the palpitations.
She described a time when she went to a heart doctor who prescribed her heart medication and gave her an angiogram, a scan that shows blood flow through arteries, veins, or the heart.
“No one ever suggested it could be menopause,” Winfrey said.
Part of the reason Winfrey said she was in pain was because she suffered from a lack of knowledge on the subject and had never had anyone in her life to talk to about it – adding that her mother is a “very quiet person”.
“I couldn’t get my mother to talk about it. I was just trying to figure out the chances of me getting hot flashes or something like that,” the author said, before noting that her mom didn’t even remember her body going through menopause.
“My mother was a very, you know, disconnected person [and] I don’t think she had any symptoms that she recognized.
“I think if you don’t have hot flashes, which I didn’t have, then you don’t understand the mood swings.”
The media mogul said she suffers from a lack of knowledge on the subject and has never had anyone to discuss it with in her life
Winfrey explained that her symptoms were getting worse, prompting her to seek more information
During menopause, the host added that she felt restless and couldn’t concentrate enough to read – which prompted her to quit Oprah’s Book Club.
Oprah said her mother (pictured left) never discussed menopause with her
Shriver echoed Winfrey’s concerns about the lack of information and stigma surrounding menopause, noting that the couple is “relentless” in drawing attention to it, as many women often fail to recognize the various symptoms.
“I think women think, ‘Oh, menopause means the end of my period,’ but they don’t connect heart palpitations, anxiety, depression, lethargy and lack of focus.
“They don’t understand that it actually happens in the brain first and that all of these emotions that they might be going through are physical changes that they might be going through that can be mapped or attributed to perimenopause or menopause.”
Throughout their discussion, both Winfrey and Shriver stated that society has misrepresented women’s aging and failed to provide a significant body of knowledge.
“The whole culture is geared towards telling you that’s the most natural thing. We’re surrounded by these beautiful trees here,” she said, pointing to the interview backdrop.
“It literally gets better with age. I think we all get better with age – the culture is geared towards telling us in our particular society it’s the wrong thing to do,” Winfrey said.
Winfrey stated that society has misrepresented women’s aging and failed to provide a significant body of knowledge
Shriver agreed, adding, “I think having women remarketing menopause is not something to be scared of, not something that drives you crazy
The Checkup With Dr. David Agus also offers “intimate talks” about various health issues with celebrities including Ashton Kutcher, Nick Cannon, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin
Shriver agreed, adding, “I think having women remarketing menopause is not something to be scared of, not something that drives you crazy.
“There’s this whole thing out there in the zeitgeist that menopausal women are crazy, and then women in general are crazy.
“The stigma will go away when women feel empowered and that there’s nothing wrong with them for speaking out about these issues they’re going through.”
“Especially for black women,” Winfrey added. “We’re known for taking a lot and being the strong ones and keeping moving no matter what.”
The Checkup With Dr. David Agus also offers “intimate talks” about various health issues with celebrities including Ashton Kutcher, Howie Mandel, Amy Schumer, Nick Cannon, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
The cancer specialist and CBS News medical worker hosts the show and talks about difficult health issues the stars have faced and how those struggles have impacted their family members.
“These artists were willing to take us deep into their own health stories, often in such an insightful way for the first time.
“Their stories are compelling and scary, but ultimately uplifting and inspiring,” said Agus.
The Checkup With Dr. David Agus with guest Oprah will premiere on Paramount Plus.