What is the impact of HMB?
“I was just mortified, it always made me really anxious. I would get very tearful…I think because I was just scared”5
Being able to offer advice and guidance on effective treatment is vital for sufferers as HMB has a profound and debilitating impact on many different aspects of their lives,5 including their physical, social, emotional and/or material quality of life.2
HMB is often passed off as being ‘normal’ and something they will ‘grow out of’4,5 and it is, therefore, important for pharmacists to be aware of customers who may be trying to manage symptoms silently. A further complication is that women may also feel a social pressure to hide their symptoms in the belief that it is a taboo subject.5
Pharmacists, have the potential to identify HMB as patients will try to manage or hide their blood loss by buying extra sanitary products.5 The purchase of larger than normal volumes of sanitary products or doubling up on types of sanitary products could, therefore, act as a cue to open a conversation with a customer about HMB. In addition, menstrual pain is another prominent symptom,4 therefore, those seeking strong analgesics for this indication could also be asked about HMB and its quality-of-life impact.
“Our sex life sort of dwindled because of all of this”5
HMB’s quality of life impact5
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| Avoid social events/activities | Reduces libido/affects intimate relationships | Anxiety |
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| Mood reduction | Lack of confidence | Embarrassment/stigma |
“I couldn’t go to work some days because I was just flooding…I started to think am I going to lose my job if I carry on like this, it really affected me”5