Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her ovaries stop working and periods stop. This can happen over time when a woman reaches her 40’s and early 50’s. This is because women produce less oestrogen due to declining ovarian function. The average age of Menopause is 52.

The PERIMENOPAUSE is the time leading up to this transition, which can last many years before the periods stop. This can happen 5-10 years before Menopause. Many women begin to experience changes around this time which are linked to falling levels of oestrogen.

These include:

• Hot flushes
• Sweats (especially at night)
• Poor sleep
• Fatigue
• Aches and pains
• Vaginal dryness
• Low libido
• Urinary symptoms (increased UTIs, urinary frequency)
• Mood changes, increased anxiety, irritability.

These are some of the main changes that can occur, but the list is exhaustive.

Symptoms will vary from woman to woman, no two people are the same. Everyone will have a different experience. For women with troublesome symptoms HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (HRT) can be very effective. This replaces falling levels of oestrogen which can alleviate the troublesome symptoms and can have long term benefits.
HRT comes in the form of tablets, patches, gels, and sprays.
Lifestyle measures such as exercise, caffeine reduction, yoga, maintaining a healthy weight can all help also.

Yes. This is a very common issue and Dr Quigley is very experienced in prescription of HRT and in the provision of Women’s health services. She will discuss your issues and devise a treatment plan tailored to your needs.  The benefits and risks will be thoroughly discussed, and a follow up appointment will be planned to assess your response to treatment.

Please see the following websites for further information

• https://www.menopausematters.co.uk
• Women’s Health Concern | Confidential Advice, Reassurance and Education (womens-health-concern.org)