It's World Menopause Day today. The International Menopause Society's theme this year is "Chronic Pain At Midlife": the aches and pains that many women live with during and after the menopause transition. If that's you, it's a fair thing to raise at your next HRT review.
One useful thing for today: choose one of the five things further down this page and do it. My two countdown pieces from this week are just below, with a guide to telling whether your HRT is working. And if aches are part of your menopause, HRTMe's body map lets you tap where it aches when you log joint or muscle pain.
World Menopause Day 2026 is today, Sunday 18 October 2026. It falls on 18 October every year, and was started by the International Menopause Society to raise awareness of menopause and to improve things for women going through it. Everything below still applies after the day.
I want to use the day for something useful: a few practical things you can do today if you're on HRT, so you get the most out of it and walk into your next review with more than a vague feeling.
This week on HRTMe
- Why HRT is hard to keep track of. Why a routine of two or more medicines is so easy to lose track of.
- Midlife aches and pains on HRT. This year's theme for women on HRT, and what to write down before your next review.
- Is your HRT working? How to tell whether your HRT is working, and what to take to your review.
Quick answers: World Menopause Day 2026
When is World Menopause Day 2026?
Sunday 18 October 2026. World Menopause Day is held on 18 October every year, and was created by the International Menopause Society to raise awareness of menopause and improve the experience of women everywhere.
What is the theme of World Menopause Day 2026?
The International Menopause Society's theme for 2026 is "Chronic Pain At Midlife". In plain words: the aches and pains that many women live with during and after the menopause transition.
Can joint pain be a menopause symptom?
It can be. The NHS lists "muscle aches and joint pains" among the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Pain has lots of possible causes, so it's worth getting yours checked by your GP. If it's new, getting worse or worrying you, book an appointment.
How often should my HRT be reviewed?
The NHS says a GP will usually recommend a review "3 months after you start taking HRT, or if you change your type of HRT", and that if everything is OK you'll usually have one review a year. If you can't remember when your last one was, it's worth asking your surgery.
Where should I put my HRT patch?
The NHS says to stick it "onto an area of skin below your waist, such as on your thigh or buttock", to remove the old patch when you put on a new one, and to put the new patch on a different area of skin. Always follow the leaflet that comes with your own brand too.
Five things you can do today
None of these need a new prescription or an appointment. They're small, and they add up.
1. Make your doses hard to miss
HRT only helps if it actually goes in or on. The NHS's own suggestion if you often forget is simple: it "may help to set an alarm to remind you", and you can ask a pharmacist for other ways to help you remember. If you do slip, don't panic and don't double up. I've written up what the NHS says to do if you forget your HRT.
2. Move your patch each time
If you use patches, it's easy to fall into putting them in the same spot every time. The NHS says to put each new patch on a different area of skin below your waist, and not near your breasts, on cuts, spots or irritated skin, under elasticated or tight clothing, on creases or folds, on skin with cream, talc or moisturiser on it, or on skin in direct sunlight. A simple habit, like alternating left and right sides, means you don't have to think about it on change day.
3. Notice how you actually feel
It's very hard to judge whether HRT is working from memory. The NHS says "it can take up to 3 months" for HRT to work fully in improving your symptoms. That's a long stretch to keep in your head. A quick daily note of how you are, including sleep, mood, hot flushes, brain fog and, in the spirit of this year's theme, any aches and pains, gives you a real before-and-after. I wrote more about this in is my HRT dose working?
4. Know when your review is due
Put your next HRT review in your diary now. The NHS says it's usually 3 months after starting HRT or changing the type of HRT you take, then once a year if everything is OK. If you've been on the same HRT for a while and can't remember your last review, that's your nudge to ask.
5. Write your questions down before you go
Appointments are short and it's easy to forget what you meant to say. A few you might want to take with you:
- Is my current HRT still the right one for me?
- I've been having aches in my joints or muscles. Could that be the menopause, or something else?
- If I'm not feeling better, what are my options?
- What should I do if I miss a dose of my HRT?
- When should my next review be?
If you don't feel better after 3 months on HRT, the NHS says to speak to your doctor, and what to bring to that conversation is in is my HRT working?
Where HRTMe fits
I built HRTMe for exactly this sort of everyday HRT admin, because I needed it myself. It reminds you on the right days, patch change days included, and lets you log symptoms with a quick daily tap. Joint and muscle pain is already on the list, and you can add your own symptoms if yours aren't. When your review comes round, a one-tap GP report puts your medications, how consistently you've taken them and your symptoms together in one PDF. What any of it means medically stays with you and your doctor. It's on the App Store, and you can see which HRT brands it sets up for you.
If aches and pains are part of your menopause, HRTMe's new body map lets you tap where it aches each day, and shows the pattern in Insights and in your GP report.
On the day, and every day after
World Menopause Day is one day a year. HRT is every day. If this year's theme gets more women talking to their GP about pain they've been quietly putting up with, that's a good day's work. And if one of the five things above makes your HRT a bit easier to stay on top of, even better.
General information only, not medical advice. Always follow the NHS guidance and the leaflet for your specific HRT product, and talk to your GP or prescriber about any change to your treatment.
— Jane