Symptoms

Symptoms of the menopause transition may vary in severity from minor to more troublesome and be experienced over long or short time periods. Examples include:

1. Changes to the menstrual pattern which can present as new bleeding problems and/ or irregular cycles.
2. Physical symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats (collectively called vasomotor symptoms), joint and muscle pain, headaches, sleep disturbance and palpitations.
3. Cognitive changes and effects on mood. These may include anxiety, mood swings, irritability, depressive symptoms, poor concentration, memory problems or difficulties multi-tasking. The constellation of those symptoms that affect cognition is often termed 'brain fog'.
4. Genitourinary symptoms and sexual difficulties such as vaginal dryness and itching, painful sex, an increased frequency of urinary infections and low sexual desire.

Other less common menopausal symptoms may exist outside of this list.