For Women and their families

Symptoms of the peri-menopause and menopause

The peri-menopause and menopause are stages of life that each woman will experience differently. The peri-menopause (time surrounding the menopause) can last for eight to ten years, although some women will notice symptoms for a shorter or longer period, and to a varying degree.

Common symptoms of menopause include hot flushes, night sweats, problems sleeping and mood changes. As well as these it is common to notice a change in your menstrual cycle if you are still having periods - perhaps longer or shorter cycles, or very heavy or light periods.

Lots of other symptoms can happen during the menopause transition - symptoms like new or worse anxiety, lower energy levels or fatigue, difficulty with memory or concentration, joint pain, loss of sex drive or difficulties with sex. If you have experienced other symptoms that you're not sure about, speak to your GP - these might also be related to menopause or they could be a sign of something else that your GP will also need to know about.

Lifestyle advice

Sticking to a healthy lifestyle can make a significant difference to how a woman experiences the menopause and how severe her symptoms are. Did you know that smoking is associated with more frequent and more severe hot flushes?

Women are living longer now than ever. This means that around 40% of our lifespan is now after the menopause, so reflecting on your health and paying close attention to your lifestyle is important for your whole body. Some basic steps to take include:

• stopping smoking
• getting a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5 days a week
• quitting or reducing your alcohol intake
• ensuring you have a varied and balanced diet
• attending your over-40s health check and any other screening you are offered such as a cervical smear test or mammogram

Paying attention to all of these can make a difference to your symptoms as well as being an investment in your future health.

When to seek help and who from

You should see your pharmacist or GP if you have menopause symptoms that you feel you would like help to manage. To find out more about topics related to menopause and HRT there are lots of resources below, but your pharmacist or GP can also help you here if needed.

If you have previously been told you shouldn't be given HRT and you have symptoms of the menopause that you would like help with, please see your GP. Even if you cannot have HRT your GP will discuss what alternatives are suitable for you. If your medical history or family history mean that HRT needs to be discussed with a menopause specialist, your case will be referred on to the team for advice. As above, sometimes this means having an appointment in the specialist menopause clinic.

You can see what happens when GPs refer patients to the Menopause clinic in the flowchart below.