Perimenopause and menopause, in plain words
Start with what you’re feeling.
Perimenopause and menopause, one symptom at a time: what’s going on, what helps and how well, and what to ask your clinician.
- Hot flashesRead the guide
- SleepRead the guide
- Brain fogRead the guide
- MoodRead the guide
- JointsGuide coming soon
- PeriodsGuide coming soon
- Vaginal healthRead the guide
- BonesRead the guide
Latest guides
All articlesMenopause Supplements: What the Evidence Actually Shows
An evidence-based review of common menopause supplements including black cohosh, soy isoflavones, evening primrose oil, red clover and others, with study sizes and honest readings.
How to Prepare for a Menopause Appointment
What to track before a menopause visit, which questions to ask about diagnosis and treatment, and how to leave with a follow-up plan.
Mood Changes in Perimenopause: When to Ask for Help
How mood symptoms can relate to perimenopause, what else may contribute, and how CBT, depression care and menopause treatments fit together.
Brain Fog in Perimenopause: Real Symptom, More Than One Cause
What research says about cognitive changes during perimenopause, how sleep and mood contribute, and what to discuss before trying treatment.
Heavy, Irregular or Postmenopausal Bleeding: What Needs Checking
How to distinguish expected cycle changes from bleeding that needs assessment, and what current ACOG guidance says about postmenopausal bleeding.
Vaginal Dryness and Urinary Symptoms After Menopause
What genitourinary syndrome of menopause means, how it differs from infection, and the evidence for moisturizers, lubricants and local vaginal treatment.
How every guide works
Walk in with better questions.
“It’s just your age” is not a treatment plan. Every guide ends with questions to take to your appointment.
- The plain version. The answer first, in a few sentences, no jargon.
- Is it the change, or something else? What overlaps with thyroid, iron, mood and sleep problems.
- What helps, and how well. Hormonal and non-hormonal options, with honest evidence.
- Take this to your appointment. Questions you can read straight off your phone.
General education, not medical advice
See a clinician promptly for any bleeding after 12 months without a period, chest pain, a painful swollen leg or low mood that won’t lift. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the US.