# Symptoms: guides and answers · Unpaused > Source: https://unpaused.cc/topics/symptoms ## Symptoms The physical and mental changes of perimenopause and menopause, and which ones deserve a call to your doctor. 1 guide * [Perimenopause](/topics/perimenopause) * [Hormone therapy (HRT)](/topics/hrt) * [Hot flashes](/topics/hot-flashes) * [Sleep](/topics/sleep) * [Weight and diet](/topics/weight-and-diet) ### Guides on this topic [ ](/articles/menopause-symptom-checklist-to-print-and-take-to-your-gp) #### [Menopause symptom checklist for your GP ](/articles/menopause-symptom-checklist-to-print-and-take-to-your-gp) A printable list of perimenopause and menopause symptoms, with how often each occurs and how much it bothers you, for a GP visit about hormone therapy. 17 Oct 2026 ### Symptoms: the overview Hot flushes and night sweats are the symptoms everyone has heard of, but they are only part of the list. The NHS also names anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, difficulty sleeping, a lower sex drive, vaginal dryness, discomfort during sex, and problems with memory and concentration ([the NHS symptom list](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms/)). They can start years before periods stop and carry on after. How long they last is one of the questions readers ask most. Most ease within about four years of the last period, while roughly one woman in ten has them for up to twelve years ([nidirect: Menopause](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/conditions/menopause)). ### Changes that are easy to miss Joint aches, itchy or dry skin, headaches, a racing heart and needing to pee more often all turn up in this window. They are easy to blame on age or stress, and many women only link them to hormones when a treatment for something else does not help. ### When to see a doctor Bleeding after your periods have stopped for a year, very heavy or prolonged bleeding, or symptoms before 45 all need a GP appointment rather than a wait-and-see approach. So does low mood that is getting in the way of work or family life. Our editors' view: if one problem is wearing you down, start there. Hot flushes, sleep and vaginal dryness each have treatments with good evidence, and you do not need every piece to fit the picture before asking for help. For the appointment itself, the [symptom checklist to print for a GP](/articles/menopause-symptom-checklist-to-print-and-take-to-your-gp) records how often each problem shows up and how much it bothers you. Written by the Unpaused editors. Updated 2026-10-17. ### Questions readers ask What is usually the first symptom of menopause? For many women it is a change in the menstrual cycle: periods closer together, further apart, heavier or lighter. Can menopause cause anxiety? Yes. The NHS lists anxiety and mood swings among common menopause symptoms, and NICE recommends CBT as one option for low mood linked to menopause. Do symptoms stop after the last period? Not straight away. Most ease within about four years, but around one in ten women have symptoms for up to twelve years. ### Other topics * [Perimenopause: Perimenopause symptoms and the first signs, how long the stage lasts, and hormone replacement therapy while periods continue.](/topics/perimenopause) * [Hormone therapy (HRT): What HRT is, the forms it comes in, who it suits and how the risks really stack up.](/topics/hrt) * [Hot flashes: Why the heat comes on, and which treatments have trial evidence, with and without hormones.](/topics/hot-flashes) * [Sleep: Why sleep breaks down in perimenopause and menopause, from sweating at night to 3am waking, and what helps you stay asleep.](/topics/sleep) * [Weight and diet: Why weight changes in midlife, and how to eat for energy, bone strength and heart health.](/topics/weight-and-diet) [See all topics on one page](/topics) --- Plain, practical menopause advice Plain, practical guides to perimenopause and menopause: symptoms, hormone therapy, sleep, hot flashes, weight and food, each checked against health services and medical societies. [desk@unpaused.cc](mailto:desk@unpaused.cc) ### Topics * [Perimenopause](/topics/perimenopause) * [Symptoms](/topics/symptoms) * [Hormone therapy (HRT)](/topics/hrt) * [Hot flashes](/topics/hot-flashes) * [Sleep](/topics/sleep) * [Weight and diet](/topics/weight-and-diet) * [All guides](/articles) ### About us * [About](/about) * [Authors](/authors) * [Editorial policy](/editorial-policy) * [How we make money](/how-we-make-money) ### Legal * [Terms](/terms) * [Privacy](/privacy) * [Contact](/contact) Unpaused © 2026 Unpaused. General health information, written from sources we link. It does not replace advice from your own doctor, nurse or pharmacist. [How we make money](/how-we-make-money) [Editorial policy](/editorial-policy) [Who writes here](/authors)