A  free 'life-saving' support group is changing women's lives in Braehead.

Menopause Warriors Scotland has been supporting women who are going through stages of menopause at sessions which they call 'life-saving'.

We previously reported Jacqui Dillon and Caroline Spalding founded the organisation in 2019 after suffering in their own experiences getting help.

READ MORE: Menopause support group hosting sessions in Renfrewshire

They invited the Renfrewshire Gazette to attend a session and meet their members.

The night, which was hosted in Braehead Shopping Centre, is one of four locations the organisers host.

Women from across Glasgow and beyond have been attending sessions by the charity where they are greeted with welcome packs and advice.

They are free to ask questions, share their stories and hear about other people's journeys.

Information packs include publications from the British Menopause Society and leading physicians.  They are then invited to tick off which of the 55 common symptoms associated with menopause.

Jackie Foye attends the sessions as much as possible and says for her it was 'life-changing' after she hit 'rock bottom'.

She said: "I couldn't get out of bed, that's when I first noticed. I've got two young children, three and six. I just felt like a 90-year-old woman. After taking them to go to school, I had to go to work.

"I had a male boss and I wrote him a letter saying I'm not coping here. I sat at his desk and I burst into floods of tears.

"I've got a healthy lifestyle and I exercise on a regular basis and I'm having an endless list of symptoms. I was feeling like I had dementia, I had brain fog, I couldn’t concentrate, and insomnia. I was sleeping two hours a night."

Jackie was referred to a menopause clinic several months after first going to her GP and was diagnosed as perimenopausal.

She explained: "I said to my GP I think I’ve got the start of perimenopause and she went 'I don't know anything about menopause'."

Following trials, Jackie is now getting better with the help of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) patches which are used to treat menopausal symptoms by replacing the oestrogen and progesterone which fall to low levels.

Jackie is now helping with the set-up of a support group in East Kilbride and says she would never have had the confidence before the group.

"They saved my life."

Another member Sharon Waters said going to sessions gave her the support she needed after having a hard time with getting testosterone.

Sharon struggled with her symptoms but was refused the hormone.

She said: "I've hit brick walls with GPs. I just had a blanket no. My GP practice is two miles from somebody else in the room and they are on it.

"Why are two GPs in Glasgow that are within walking distance not giving the same consistency?

"It's a minefield of different things and you just don't know what's going to be right for you. You've got the support network here, you have the Facebook page which is good if you're having a bad day you can just throw in a note.

"It's just nice to feel supported. I'm on holiday this week and my husband said why are you going?

"I said 'this is about me'. It's giving me time to be me, not mum, not work. The support from everybody is immense.

"I don’t know where I’d be without them."

Attendees on the night included three new members who were introduced to other members and given a chance to ask questions about their symptoms.

The sessions are held every month across Renfrewshire and Glasgow.

Information on support sessions in Braehead, Govan, Corkerhill, and Woodside Library can be found HERE.