When does menopause actually end?

A question I hear surprisingly often is:

“When does menopause actually end?”

For some women, the expectation is that you go through menopause, get to the other side, and eventually everything goes back to normal.

Unfortunately, our bodies don’t follow quite such a tidy timeline.

Menopause is actually a point in time.

Clinically, it is reached after 12 months without a period. But menopause symptoms do not obey a neat calendar.

The NHS says perimenopause and menopause symptoms usually last around 7 to 9 years, sometimes longer, and some symptoms can continue after menopause.

Hot flushes may improve while other problems, such as joint pain or vaginal dryness, persist.

Every woman’s pattern is different.

So if you are years beyond your final period and still experiencing symptoms, it does not mean you have somehow “failed” to finish menopause.

Equally, don’t assume every new symptom is hormonal.

If something is new, severe, persistent or affecting your quality of life, it is worth discussing it rather than simply accepting it as your age.

My view is simple:

You don’t get a prize for suffering through symptoms in silence.

If they’re affecting your life, ask what can be done.

"Your periods can be finished while symptoms continue. Post-menopause does not necessarily mean symptom-free."

- Danielle Frost

• RESEARCH / USEFUL SOURCES

•  NHS: Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause
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