Menopause management

What is menopause?

Menopause is your final period. As you approach menopause, your reproductive hormones (e.g. oestrogen) drop. Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. In Australia, the average age to reach menopause is 51 to 52.

Menopausal symptoms

Menopause is different for everyone. Some women have no symptoms at all, while others have symptoms that interfere with their daily life.

Symptoms of menopause may include:

• hot flushes
• night sweats
• aches and pains
• low mood
• sleep problems
• headaches or migraines
• difficulty concentrating.

You may also experience:

• vaginal dryness
• urinary problems
• reduced sex drive (libido)
• painful sex.

Managing menopausal symptoms

There are many ways to manage menopausal symptoms. It may take time to find the right approach.

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)

Menopausal symptoms are caused by a drop in hormone levels, mainly oestrogen. MHT replaces these hormones and it's an effective and safe way to reduce symptoms. MHT may also reduce the risk of developing conditions, such as osteoporosis and heart disease, in the future.

If you’re thinking about taking MHT, talk to your doctor. Note that MHT is not suitable for everyone, for example if you are older than 60 or have hormone-dependent cancer.

Non-hormonal medicines

Some women cannot use MHT. Others don't want to use MHT and prefer to try non-hormonal prescription medicines for symptoms like hot flushes and sweating. Non-hormonal medicines include:

• certain antidepressants
• gabapentin (epilepsy medication)
• clonidine (used to treat migraine and blood pressure).

Your doctor can give you more information.

Menopause and natural therapies

Natural therapies are part of a broad range of complementary medicine and therapies (CMT).

Sometimes herbs are used to manage symptoms of menopause. There is some research supporting the use of black cohosh and red clover extract. Other herbs commonly used for insomnia, anxiety and fatigue include lemon balm, valerian and passionflower.

While these herbs may be commonly used, more research is needed to understand how effective and safe they are for managing menopausal symptoms.

Some studies suggest that cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) can help reduce menopausal symptoms.

Make sure you get advice from a qualified health practitioner before using natural and complementary therapies. It’s also important to tell your doctor if you use herbal remedies as they can affect other prescribed medicines.

Healthy lifestyle

Healthy lifestyle choices can help you manage symptoms of menopause and reduce the risk of developing health conditions. Try to:

• eat a healthy diet
• achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• do regular physical activity
• develop good sleep habits
• reduce or stop drinking alcohol
• quit smoking and other drugs.

It’s also important to look after your emotional health. For example:

• take time to do things you enjoy
• be kind to yourself
• talk to your partner, close friends or family about how you feel
• practise relaxation techniques
• work with a therapist.

When to see your doctor

See your doctor if your menopausal symptoms are affecting your quality of life. It's important to seek accurate and reliable information before you start any treatment.

More information

For more detailed information, related resources, articles and podcasts, visit Jean Hailes for Women's Health

Where to get help

• GP (doctor)
• Dietitians Australia
• Jean Hailes for Women’s Health