Menopause symptoms

Written by the HRTMe team at Forgeyard Digital. Medical facts from the NHS, last checked 6 November 2026.

Do symptoms start in perimenopause or menopause?

Symptoms can start in perimenopause, while you still have periods, carry on through menopause, and sometimes continue after it. Perimenopause is when your periods become irregular. Menopause is when you have not had a period for 12 months. The time after menopause is called postmenopause. If you are not sure which stage is which, read what perimenopause and menopause mean.

The NHS says perimenopause and menopause are different for everyone. You may get symptoms that have a big impact on your daily life, including relationships, social life, family life and work, or you may hardly have any symptoms at all.

What are the common symptoms of menopause?

The main symptoms the NHS describes for perimenopause and menopause are changes to your periods, hot flushes and night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes and brain fog, weight gain, vaginal problems and UTIs.

• Changes to your periods. One of the first signs of perimenopause is usually a change to your periods. They may happen more often or less often, and bleeding may get heavier or lighter. Eventually, you stop having periods altogether.
• Hot flushes and night sweats. Your face, neck and chest suddenly feel very hot or cold. It can make you sweat a lot, cause palpitations or anxiety, or make you feel dizzy. It can happen during the day or at night (night sweats) and last for several minutes.
• Sleep problems. Not being able to get to sleep or stay asleep. It can make you feel irritable, stressed and anxious, and may be worse if you also have night sweats.
• Mood changes, poor memory and brain fog. Mood swings, low mood or depression, and problems with your memory or concentration. These can feel worse if you are sleeping badly and feel very tired.
• Weight gain. The NHS says weight gain during perimenopause and menopause is common. It often happens around the stomach and upper body.
• Vaginal problems. Dryness, a burning feeling, irritation or itching in and around the vagina. These can also make sex feel painful.
• UTIs (urinary tract infections). More UTIs, or symptoms that feel like a UTI, such as pain or a burning feeling when you pee and needing to pee more often than usual, including at night.

Source: NHS: Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.

What are the less common symptoms of menopause?

The NHS says menopause and perimenopause may affect you in other ways too, including:

• a faster, slower or more noticeable heartbeat (palpitations)
• weakening bones (loss of bone density), which can lead to osteoporosis
• feeling the need to pee more, or not being able to control when you pee (urinary incontinence)
• headaches and migraines that are worse than usual
• muscle aches and joint pains
• hair thinning or hair loss
• skin changes, including dry and itchy skin
• reduced sex drive (loss of libido)
• sensitive teeth, painful gums or other mouth problems

Source: NHS: Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.

How long do menopause symptoms last?

The NHS says symptoms usually last for 7 to 9 years, sometimes longer, and that they can change during this time. For example, you may get hot flushes and night sweats for a while, then find they improve and are replaced by other symptoms such as low mood and anxiety. Some symptoms, such as joint pain and vaginal dryness, can continue after menopause.

Because your symptoms can change over the years, a record of how you actually feel, week by week, is worth having.

When should you talk to a GP about menopause symptoms?

The NHS says to contact your GP if you want to know your options, or if your heartbeat or bleeding changes in any of these ways. Contact your GP if:

• you think you have symptoms of menopause or perimenopause and want to know what your options are
• you have symptoms like a fast heartbeat (palpitations)
• you still have periods but your bleeding pattern has changed and you are bleeding more, not less, than before
• you have not had a period for 12 months or more, and you have any vaginal bleeding

If you are taking HRT and still have irregular or heavier bleeding or spotting after 6 months, the NHS says to talk to your GP.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you are worried about a symptom, talk to your GP or pharmacist.

How does HRTMe track your symptoms and wellbeing?

HRTMe lets you log your symptoms, mood, energy, mental clarity, aches on a body map and your periods in quick daily check-ins. The picture of how you feel builds up without it becoming a chore.

• Symptom check-ins. Log the symptoms you are feeling. Ten are built in: hot flushes, night sweats, joint and muscle pain, sleep problems, anxiety, heart palpitations, headaches, lowered sex drive, irritability and difficulty concentrating. You can also add your own.
• Wellbeing check-ins. Log your mood, energy and mental clarity each day, on your iPhone or from your Apple Watch.
• The body map. Muscle aches and joint pains are on the NHS list. On HRTMe's body map you answer "Where does it ache?" by tapping the places on a front and back view of a body, each day. The pattern then shows in Insights and in your GP report.
• Periods and bleeding. Track your periods, flow and spotting alongside everything else, so changes to your bleeding pattern are easy to see.

Does HRTMe remind you to take your HRT?

Yes. If you choose to add your HRT, HRTMe reminds you when each dose is due. You set it up from your own prescription: choose your brand and the schedule is filled in for you, whether it is a patch, gel, tablet, spray or a sequential or cyclical routine that changes partway through your cycle. Several medicines can each have their own schedule, and reminders respect your sleep, so you are never woken by a notification.

See the UK HRT medicines HRTMe sets up for you, or the US HRT medications.

How can HRTMe help you see whether your HRT is helping?

HRTMe lines up your symptoms, aches, mood, energy, clarity and periods with the HRT you actually took, so over weeks and months you and your GP can see whether your HRT is helping you or not. On their own, a symptom log and a medication reminder are useful. Together they become a powerful picture.

• Insights show your symptoms by cycle day and as a 90-day trend, so you can see whether hot flushes, aches or low mood are easing.
• HRTMe also compares your mood, energy and clarity on days you took your medication on time, early or late.
• The GP report puts your symptoms, medications and wellbeing into one PDF in one tap, ready to share with your GP at your next appointment.

HRTMe does not tell you whether to change your treatment. It gives you and your GP the facts to decide together. Your health data stays on your device.

Sources

• NHS: Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause
• NHS: What are menopause and perimenopause?

NHS pages last reviewed 19 May 2026. Checked by us on 6 November 2026.