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Menopause: how to talk to your doctor

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Overview

Get the most out of your medical appointments when discussing menopause and the years surrounding it.

Here, you’ll find advice and support for talking about menopause and hormonal changes to your doctor or other health professionals.

This page is part of our women’s health series, offering simple, practical tips to help you make the most of your medical appointments. This includes advice for:

Sections on this page

Get to know menopause

One of the challenges with menopause is that it’s not always obvious you’re approaching it. Symptoms can range in severity and type, some include:

  • hot flushes
  • mood changes
  • urinary (wee) problems
  • tiredness.

While no one expects you to have all the answers, Dr Fiona Jane. a woman’s health GP, recommends arming yourself with knowledge.

“It’s about getting the right information from the right sites and the right people.”

If you want to know the wide-ranging, perhaps surprising, symptoms of menopause, start by completing our simple perimenopause and menopause symptom checklist. You can take it with you to your appointment to help your doctor understand what you’re experiencing.

Jo’s personal experience of menopause

When Jo Clark first experienced menopausal symptoms, she didn’t know what was happening to her. A stressful working life, ageing parents and moving house, collided with symptoms of:

  • night sweats
  • poor sleep
  • achy joints
  • brain fog.

“It was quite overwhelming,” she recalls.

After doing a lot of research, Jo suspected she might be approaching menopause and visited her GP. But the appointment didn’t help. “He told me he really didn’t know anything about [menopause].”

It wasn’t until Jo sought treatment from a doctor interested in the topic and made lifestyle changes that things started to improve. “Not all of my symptoms have gone, but the severity has been greatly reduced,” says the now 56-year-old.

Unfortunately, for many people, getting effective health care for menopause isn’t always straightforward. So, how do you remove the obstacles? Here, experts in menopause care share their tips.

When to go to the doctor

Many women think that because menopause is a natural occurrence, they shouldn’t need medical support, says Dr Jane.

“Even those with mild to moderate symptoms who would actually benefit from a menopause consultation may not seek help because they think, ‘Well, others are going through this, I should be able to manage as well.”

The bottom line, she says, is that if you’re struggling, you deserve support, so speak up.

If you’re not struggling, Dr Jane still recommends visiting your GP, as menopause can affect your heart, bones and overall health in the long term. It’s also a good opportunity to ensure your health checks are up to date.

When you go to the doctor – Easy read

Easy Read fact sheets are about what happens when you go to the doctor, including tips on what you can do before, during and after your appointment.

Doctors appointments for menopause

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Topic

Menopause

How to manage menopausal symptoms  • Looking after yourself around the time of menopause  • Medically induced menopause • Menopause information for partners  • Premature and early menopause   • Treatments for menopause 
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