Common symptoms of menopause and perimenopause
Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a big impact on your daily life, including relationships, social life, family life and work.
It can feel different for everyone. You may have a number of symptoms or none.
Symptoms usually start months or years before your periods stop. This is called the perimenopause.
Changes to your periods
The first sign of the perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern of your periods, for example they become irregular.
Eventually you'll stop having periods altogether.
Mental health symptoms
Common mental health symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include:
- changes to your mood, like low mood, anxiety, mood swings and low self-esteem
- problems with memory or concentration (brain fog)
Physical symptoms
Common physical symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include:
- hot flushes, when you have sudden feelings of hot or cold in your face, neck and chest which can make you dizzy
- difficulty sleeping, which may be a result of night sweats and make you feel tired and irritable during the day
- palpitations, when your heartbeats suddenly become more noticeable
- headaches and migraines that are worse than usual
- muscle aches and joint pains
- changed body shape and weight gain
- skin changes including dry and itchy skin
- reduced sex drive
- vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
- recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
How long symptoms last
Symptoms can last for months or years, and can change with time.
For example, hot flushes and night sweats may improve, and then you may develop low mood and anxiety.
Some symptoms, such as joint pain and vaginal dryness, can carry on after your periods stop.