Symptoms of menopause

How long do menopausal symptoms last?

Many symptoms start during perimenopause and continue into postmenopause. Australian studies show that some women still experience symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats in their 60s

Physical symptoms of menopause

Physical symptoms of menopause may include:

• irregular periods
• hot flushes
• night sweats
• joint aches and pains
• sore breasts
• itchy, crawly or dry skin
• exhaustion and fatigue
• dry vagina.

They may also include:

• loss of sex drive (libido)
• headache or migraine
• more intense premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• sleep problems
• bloating
• urinary problems
• weight gain.

Mental and emotional symptoms of menopause

Mental and emotional symptoms of menopause may include:

• feeling irritable or frustrated
• feeling anxious
• difficulty concentrating
• brain fog
• forgetfulness
• lowered mood
• mood changes
• feeling you can’t cope as well as you used to.

Watch this video about common menopausal symptoms

Professor Rodney Baber, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney, describes the most common symptoms that women in Australia experience during menopause and perimenopause. Download the video transcript (DOCX 156KB).

Hot flushes and night sweats

About 80% of women experience hot flushes and night sweats around the time of menopause. These waves of heat usually start in your chest area and spread to your upper chest, neck and face. They can also spread over your whole body. The flushes may feel like a burning, overheating sensation. You may also have reddening of the skin and different degrees of sweating. When a flush happens at night, it’s called a ‘night sweat’.

Sleep problems

It’s common for your sleep patterns to change during perimenopause and menopause. About 25% of women aged 50 to 64 experience sleep problems. Sleep problems are more common after menopause.

Women who have experienced surgical menopause are more likely to report severe symptoms.

Poor sleep can cause other health issues. It’s been linked to cardiovascular disease, obesity, mood disorders and diabetes.

Sleep problems can be caused by:

• changes to your hormone levels, for example, e.g. growth hormone, prolactin, cortisol and melatonin
• hot flushes and night sweats
• abnormal circadian rhythms (24-hour cycles that regulate sleep and wakefulness)
• having other chronic conditions, for example, sleep apnoea
• having other sleep problems, for example, restless leg syndrome.

Visit the Sleep Health Foundation website for more information about menopause and sleep.

Mental and emotional health

Mood changes around the time of menopause may be due to changing hormone levels.

You may also experience mood changes due to different pressures at this stage of life, such as caring for children and parents.

You might experience:

• irritability
• increased anger
• low mood
• anxiety
• depression.

Research suggests that women are more likely to experience depression as they approach menopause.

Women who have a history of depression or premenstrual syndrome (PMS) may be more likely to develop depression during this time.

Visit the Beyond Blue website to learn more about signs and symptoms of depression.

Bladder, vaginal and vulval problems

As you move into perimenopause and menopause, low oestrogen levels change your vulval, vaginal and bladder tissues. These changes may affect up to half of postmenopausal women.

Vulvovaginal atrophy

Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) is the thinning of your vaginal lining and vulval skin caused by decreased oestrogen levels around the time of menopause.

This condition, also known as ‘genitourinary syndrome of menopause’ (GSM), causes vulvovaginal and urinary symptoms.

Symptoms can range from dry vagina to urinary incontinence (wee leakage).

Learn more about vulvovaginal atrophy.

Dry vagina and painful sex

Around the time of menopause, you might experience vaginal dryness and reduced vaginal elasticity. This can lead to painful sex and a loss of sex drive (libido).

Learn more about painful sex and treatment options.

Vulval irritation

You might experience vulval irritation during the menopause transition. Typical symptoms include:

• burning
• itching
• redness
• swelling
• vaginal discharge
• painful sex.

Urinary symptoms

Ageing and menopause can cause your pelvic floor muscles to become weaker. Your pelvic floor muscles help you hold your wee in.

Menopause also causes your bladder to become less elastic, which means it can’t hold as much wee as it used to. These changes can lead to urinary symptoms such as:

• needing to wee often and with a sense of urgency
• a burning sensation or pain when weeing
• blood in your wee
• wee leakage, especially when coughing, sneezing or laughing
• recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

While symptoms such as hot flushes usually disappear over time, bladder, vaginal and vulval problems can persist and may even get worse. But many treatments are available, so ask your doctor for recommendations.

Read the Continence Foundation of Australia Guide to bladder and bowel health.

Aches and pains

Changing hormones, particularly a drop in oestrogen levels, can cause aching, painful joints and other musculoskeletal symptoms.

Oestrogen is important for your joint health, as it protects against inflammation. It also helps regulate fluid around your joints.

Around the time of menopause, you may experience joint pain in the knees and hips. It may also occur in your shoulders, neck, elbows and hands. Your aches and pains might be stronger in the morning and fade later in the day.

Related resources

Learn more about menopause management options and managing menopausal symptoms.