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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:
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:
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.
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.
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
Discussing your menopausal experience takes time. Dr Jane says you’ll probably need more than one appointment, starting with a long booking. That way, you and your doctor can discuss your medical history and symptoms, plus treatment options and long-term strategies.
“I usually say, attend without children or a family member because so much of the menopausal experience can be very personal,” says Dr Jane. But, she adds, “This might not apply if you need a translator or support person.”
Before you step into your doctor’s office, try to think about how menopause is affecting your quality of life and what you’d like to know.
Dr Jane says that in each of your appointments, the important thing is to know that your symptoms and concerns are being addressed.
“It’s not only about what your doctor’s concerns of menopause are, but specifically what your concerns are.”
These are your appointments, so jot down your questions beforehand and then ask away. Dr Jane says that good questions to ask your GP are:
Dr Elizabeth Farrell, a gynaecologist at Jean Hailes, says it also might be worth asking about the risks and benefits of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). “If you have symptoms that are bothersome, heart health issues or a family history of osteoporosis, [discussing MHT] is a conversation worth having.”
According to Dr Jane, if your doctor is not confident in menopause care, it’s important to look for one who is. If you feel that you’re being dismissed or not taken seriously, get a second opinion as well.
This information has been reviewed by clinical experts and is based on the latest evidence.
Our content review process ensures our health information is accurate, trustworthy, current and useful.
We regularly check our information to make sure it reflects the latest clinical guidelines and key findings from large, reliable studies.
Where possible, we focus on Australian research to make our information more relevant locally.
Experts play a key role in reviewing our content. Clinicians at Jean Hailes check information for accuracy and real‑world relevance. These include GPs, gynaecologists, endocrinologists, psychologists and allied health professionals.
We also work with partner organisations, independent specialists and people with lived experience to make sure our content reflects both expert knowledge and the experiences of the community.
How to manage menopausal symptoms • How to use gel – menopausal hormone therapy • How to use patches – menopausal hormone therapy • How to use vaginal estrogen cream – menopausal hormone therapy • How to use vaginal pessaries – menopausal hormone therapy • Looking after yourself around the time of menopause • Medically induced menopause • Menopausal symptom treatments • Menopause information for partners • Premature and early menopause
