Menopausal Symptoms
Those fairly specific to the menopause:
- Hot Flushes - The sudden onset of a feeling of heat, usually arising from the feet and spreading up, with associated sweating and loss of concentration. Usually lasts 30 seconds to a few minutes. May occur before the cessation of periods. An early onset symptom which resolves quickly on treatment.
- Formication - The feeling of ants (formic acid) crawling on the skin.
Other common Early symptoms:
Mood changes, depression, reduced feelings of well-being, and of being loved, reduced libido. Poor concentration, difficulty coping with normal work tasks. Poor sleep patternsThese are possibly related and may all represent sleep deprivation from hot flushes. They may be the only symptoms, however, and can be quite severe and incapacitating.
These symptoms are not specific to the menopause and may have other causes. Most will be present with the disease Depression (as distinct from the symptom "depression"), with P.M.T., with stress and with chronic illnesses. You don't have to be female to have these symptoms, but if they occur as a cluster at the time of the menopause, Oestrogen replacement may work miracles!
Less common symptoms
Headaches, backaches, painful jointsThese can also be purely from oestrogen defeciency, but,of course, have a myriad of other causes.
Late onset symptoms
Skin dryness, vaginal dryness and soreness, pain with sex, bladder urgency etcThese are often also oestrogen deficiency symptoms but usually take much longer to develop.
Download Menopausal Score Sheet as a .PDF File
