Peri/Menopause symptoms list

Every time I have an appointment with a lady who could be going through her menopausal journey, we talk about all the various different symptoms that can be related to this life stage for a woman.

Looking for answers to all the symptoms...

Often it's a confusing array of symptoms which are hard to put our fingers on because they may or may not be because of the menopausal journey, or they are because of other changes we have had in our body because of the menopausal journey.

I'll give an example; I believed for a nearly a year that I was having terrible bleeding gums. I thought I had the worst case of gingivitis... which was weird because my dental hygiene routine had not changed.

But when I started my HRT and found the right dose, my "gingivitis" went away. There is nothing in scientific literature that says that bleeding gums or gingivitis can be caused by your menopausal journey. Still, for me, there was a definite direct correlation to my oestrogen levels getting back up to "my" healthy level again.

Below is a list, is based on my own personal experience, and what I've seen in clinic, as common ailments in women going through their menopausal journey:

If you would like to create a list of your own symptoms, which you can take to your Dr and use in your conversation with them, please fill in my "menopause symptoms list" - a copy will be sent to the email you provide.

Temperature issues:

Hot flushes/flashes
Night sweats
Heat intolerance
Overheating (without flushing)

Physical ailments which are not temperature related:

Fatigue
Insomnia
Joint pain
Weight gain
Heart palpitations

Mood changes:

Irritability
Depression
Anxiety
Loss of joy
Loss of motivation and drive

Other head related issues:

Brain-fog
Poor memory
Headaches
- NOTE, some headache sufferers can get less headaches when hormones are stabilised.
Inability to deal with stress

Urogenital issues:

Vaginal dryness
- can be a stingy feeling similar to thrush
- general burning sensation
- pain during sex
- or just itchiness
Irritation of the bladder
- frequent urination
- recurrent urinary tract infections
Pelvic floor incontinence
Reduced sex drive
- although some women have increased drive

Skin issues:

Hair loss
Dry skin
Gingivitis/bleeding gums
- actually referred to by a dentist on a podcast, as “meno-mouth” – he sees issues with women's mouth health regularly in our age-group
Breaking nails
Cellulite

The issues your Dr may recognise:

Hot flushes
Night sweats
Vaginal dryness
Irregular periods
- However, it's important to realise, this may not be a problem until later in your journey, do not get hung up on this!

I've added the list of the symptoms your Dr is most likely to accept as menopausal symptoms at the end, so you can arm yourself with a list when going to see them. Some Drs are more astute than others, some Drs need a helping hand recognising what's in front of them...

What is really important for women to learn (and Drs!), is that untreated menopause symptoms, IE when we go through this journey without trying to alleviate the above symptoms, can actually increase our long-term risk for heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia.

Finding a doctor and/or a natural health practitioner that can support your health the way that you want to have it supported through this journey, is really important for your health and well-being right now, but also for your longevity.

For more information, I really like this website, it explains menopause well, and also discusses the benefits and risks of HRT. https://www.newsonhealth.co.uk

Louise' podcast is great for information about menopause, especially HRT.
Unfortunately she doesn't understand the value of natural health in this space, but maybe one day I can change her mind...

Here is another great online resource https://www.mymenopausecentre.com/