MENOPAUSE
Could Your Symptoms Be Related to Menopause?
Your periods may have stopped, but other changes may be continuing or just beginning. If you are experiencing hot flashes, disrupted sleep, brain fog, vaginal dryness, changes in weight or simply do not feel like yourself, lower hormone levels may be part of the explanation.
Menopause Is More Than the End of Your Period
Some women reach menopause with symptoms that began during perimenopause. Others notice that certain concerns become more persistent after their periods stop. Hot flashes may continue, sleep can remain disrupted and vaginal or urinary symptoms may appear or worsen over time. Understanding what is happening in your body is the first step toward feeling like yourself again. With the right information and support, you can move through this stage with greater clarity, confidence and well-being.
Menopause is reached after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. It marks the end of the reproductive years, but it is also the beginning of a new hormonal stage. Lower levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone can influence the brain, sleep, mood, metabolism, muscles, joints, bones, skin, hair, sexual health and urinary system.
Symptoms That May Be Connected to Menopause
You may experience urinary urgency, frequency, leakage, discomfort or recurring urinary tract infections.
Urinary Changes
You may have difficulty falling asleep, wake up during the night, or feel unrested even after a full night’s sleep.
Trouble Sleeping
Brain Fog
It can be harder to concentrate, find the right words, remember details, or stay focused on tasks.
Mood Changes
You may feel more irritable, emotional, or unlike yourself as sleep, stress and hormonal changes overlap.
You may notice more weight around your abdomen or changes in body composition, even without major changes to your routine.
Weight Redistribution
Sudden feelings of heat and sweating may continue after your periods stop and can persist for several years.
Hot Flashes + Night Sweats
Disrupted sleep and other menopause symptoms can leave you feeling tired, depleted or less energetic throughout the day.
Fatigue + Low Energy
Some women experience increased anxiety, worry, low mood or even panic attacks during the menopause transition and afterward.
Anxiety + Panic Attacks
You may notice a racing, pounding or fluttering heartbeat, particularly during a hot flash or period of anxiety.
Heart Palpitations
Aches, stiffness and changes in strength or muscle mass may become more noticeable during and after menopause.
Joint + Muscle Pain
Lower estrogen levels can lead to dryness, burning, irritation and changes in the comfort and elasticity of vaginal tissue.
Vaginal Dryness
Changes in hormones, sleep, mood and vaginal comfort can affect sexual desire and make intimacy uncomfortable.
Low Libido + Painful Sex
A PERSONALIZED APPROACH
You Do Not Need to Have Every Symptom
Menopause looks different for every woman. You may experience just a few of these changes, or many. Some symptoms may improve with time, while others may continue or become more noticeable. What matters most is how you feel and whether your symptoms are affecting your quality of life.
You deserve…
Relationship-based care
To feel heard and understood
Evidence-based treatment options
What’s prescribed in a typical treatment plan?
Treatment plans are individual and vary based on your specific needs. There are many options available and we make sure your plan helps to relieve your symptoms, fits in your lifestyle and takes into account your health history.
Some treatment plans include:
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supports heart, brain, and bone health while easing stress
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relieves dryness, itching, and discomfort during intimacy
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promotes better sleep, mood, and overall balance
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preserves muscle, bone strength, and a healthy libido
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improves arousal and orgasm intensity
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helps to support healthy weight loss
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acts as insurance to fill in nutritional gaps
Questions Women Often Ask
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You have reached menopause when you have gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period and there is no other medical reason for your periods to have stopped. Menopause is typically determined by your menstrual history rather than a single hormone test. If you experience any bleeding after menopause, it is important to have it medically evaluated.
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Yes. Hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disruption and other symptoms may continue for years after the final menstrual period. Vaginal and urinary symptoms may also begin or become more noticeable after menopause.
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Yes. For women over age 45, menopause is generally identified by menstrual history, symptoms, age and overall health rather than a single hormone test. Laboratory testing may be appropriate in certain situations or to investigate other possible causes of symptoms.
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Hormonal changes, interrupted sleep, hot flashes and life stress may contribute to new or worsening anxiety. New anxiety should still be evaluated so other physical and mental health causes are not overlooked.
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Women may not immediately connect brain fog, disrupted sleep, fatigue, heart palpitations, joint pain, hair changes, dry eyes, painful sex, urinary symptoms or changes in body composition with menopause.
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Consider consulting with a menopause specialist when symptoms are persistent, disruptive or affecting your quality of life. You should also seek medical evaluation for any bleeding after menopause or symptoms that could have another underlying cause.
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Yes. Treatment should be individualized. Depending on your symptoms and health history, options may include lifestyle changes, nonhormonal prescription medications, localized vaginal treatments and other targeted therapies.
When You Know Something Has Changed, It’s Worth a Conversation
Alan McCool, MD, FACS
Menopause Society Certified Practitioner