Your Menopause Roadmap: Tracking Symptoms and What to Expect

Written by: Victoria Biddick

• NZ Associate Registered Nutritionist (ARNutr)
• BAppSc (Human Nutrition), BAppSc (Food Science)

The advice below is general advice. For any specific tailored advice relevant to any health conditions, please talk to your health professional.

Where are you on your Menopause Journey? Use the Everee Women™ symptom tracker to navigate your journey.

Menopause is a journey, moving through the stages of perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.

How do I know where I am on my Menopause Journey?

The way to determine where you are on your menopause journey is by tracking menstrual cycle patterns and symptoms. Age is also a factor, and most women will become naturally menopausal between the ages of 45 and 55 years (1). The symptoms of menopause are experienced in the perimenopause stage 2-10 years before the last menstrual period. Symptoms are caused by fluctuations in the sex hormones oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Around 80% of women will experience symptoms during perimenopause, and they are likely to change as you move from the early to the advanced stages. Twelve months after your last menstrual period (menopause), you become post-menopausal, your sex hormones will return to pre-puberty levels, and most symptoms will subside (1).

What changes will I experience in my menstrual cycle during Perimenopause?

If you notice irregular periods or changes in flow, this can be an indicator that menopause is underway (1). Changes in menstrual cycle patterns are experienced by women not on birth control. In early perimenopause, you may experience irregular or changeable cycles with at least a 7-day variation between each period. In the later stage of perimenopause, the cycle is longer than 60 days, with two or missed periods until menopause is complete (2). It can be useful to track your menstrual cycle with a journal, using your fitness app or one of the menstrual cycle apps available. One of our favourite apps is Balance by Newson Health, which you can use for free or pay extra for Balance+ Balance App. When tracking your menstrual cycle, useful information to log can include start date, duration, flow heaviness, and any mid-cycle spotting. If you experience heavy or more frequent periods or are concerned by any changes in your menstrual cycle, you should visit your GP.

What are the other symptoms of Perimenopause?

Alongside changes in the menstrual cycle, most women will experience a range of symptoms and body changes (3). Looking at the list of symptoms can be overwhelming, but it’s important to note you won’t have all of these. Each woman is unique, and so is her menopause journey. Symptoms may also come and go due to fluctuating hormone levels, and this can create a feeling of uncertainty about what to do to manage or cope with the situation.

The list below shows some of the more common symptoms:
• Hot flushes and night sweats
• Brain fog, lack of concentration, memory issues
• Mood changes – depression, anxiety, panic attacks, anger, rage
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Insomnia and sleep issues
• Joint pain, onset osteoarthritis
• Muscle aches, loss of muscle (sarcopenia)
• Headaches, migraines
• Eyesight changes, dry eyes
• Weight gain, redistribution of weight to trunk and waist
• IBS, bloating, constipation
• Vaginal dryness, pain during sex
• Loss of libido
• Recurrent UTIs, overactive bladder, incontinence
• Breast pain
• Dry skin, acne, itching crawling skin
• Racing heart, palpitations

As with your menstrual cycle, it can be useful to track perimenopause symptoms. To assist you with this, we have created a downloadable symptom tracker (insert link to tracker here). This information can help you identify any patterns or triggers to symptoms and be a useful reference if you are planning on a visit to your GP. You can read more about body changes in perimenopause in our article here Embrace Perimenopause.

Are Menopause testing kits any good?

You may have seen menopause testing kits available online and through alternative health practitioners. These tests collect urine, blood, and saliva to measure levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and sometimes Estradiol (a form of oestrogen) and luteinizing hormone (LH) too. Due to the fluctuating nature of hormones during perimenopause, these tests are not conclusive or recommended. Tests that measure these hormones are not used by medical professionals in the assessment of menopause (1).

I think I’m through Menopause, what happens now?

If you haven’t experienced a menstrual period in 12 months, you are now post-menopausal. You can also experience medical menopause after removal of the ovaries and chemotherapy or radiation treatment (1).

In the early stage of post-menopause (the first five years), you may notice some symptoms beginning to subside. As you transition into late-stage post-menopause (the rest of your life), some symptoms will disappear, others may become your new normal, and it’s likely you’ll feel more settled (1).

For many women, post-menopause can be seen as a new beginning, a time to assess your lifestyle and make plans to age awesomely.

Now I know my Menopause stage, what should I do next?

We highly recommend a visit to your GP for a midlife check-up. This is an opportunity to talk about menopause symptoms, body changes, and if HRT or other treatments might be suitable for you. It’s also good to check to make sure that the symptoms you are experiencing aren’t something else. Christchurch-based GP, Dr Sarah Marr recommends booking a double appointment to allow plenty of time for a general check-up and to discuss and explore options that could support your symptoms.

There are also different natural remedies, and lifestyle changes you can make to support your menopause journey.

If you are new to our Women’s Wisdom blog, you can find information alongside practical tips for your menopause journey here: Women’s Wisdom Blog.

Look out for next week’s instalment, where we will explore body changes in post-menopause and how you can support this stage of your journey to live a great midlife and beyond.

References

1. Australasian Menopause Society (2020). What is menopause? Australasian Menopause Society. Link
2. Harlow, S. D., Gass, M., Hall, J. E., Lobo, R., Maki, P., Rebar, R. W., Sherman, S., Sluss, P. M., de Villiers, T. J., & STRAW + 10 Collaborative Group (2012). Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 97(4), 1159–1168. Link
3. Australasian Menopause Society (2024). Menopause, what are the symptoms? Link