How Long Do Menopause Symptoms Last, Anyway?

Technically talking, menopause is the purpose when menstruation stops utterly, marked by a 12 months passing since your final interval, in accordance with the Mayo Clinic. It’s throughout perimenopause—the transitional interval main as much as the top of menstruation—when signs normally start.

And these signs can proceed by way of menopause and into postmenopause—generally for a decade (or longer) after your final interval, in accordance with the Cleveland Clinic.

Typical menopause symptoms embody the next, in accordance with the National Institute on Aging (NIA):

• Interval adjustments: For many individuals, durations are typically related month after month. Throughout perimenopause, although, that adjustments: Durations could also be shorter or longer, heavier or lighter. Plus, you could skip a interval or a number of.
• Scorching flashes: Whereas they might be brief, lasting mere seconds or as much as 10 minutes, scorching flashes are uncomfortable. Throughout one, you’ll really feel scorching and flushed, and your pores and skin might get blotchy. As soon as the recent flash passes, you could really feel sweaty or chilled. (Excellent news: There are pure remedies for hot flashes, together with the easy tactic of ingesting chilly water as a scorching flash kicks in.)
• Adjustments to your physique: This consists of incontinence, weight adjustments, and probably complications and different aches and pains all through your physique. Sleeping effectively may also develop into tougher (partly as a consequence of night time sweats, aka, nighttime scorching flashes).
• Temper adjustments: You might discover you’re fast to get irritated or feel more moody.
• Vaginal and libido adjustments: Reducing estrogen ranges can result in vaginal dryness. This, in flip, can result in painful sex. And, talking of intercourse: You might discover your libido has shifted, and you could want intercourse extra (or much less) than earlier than.

One other widespread menopause symptom: mind fog, or points with focus and reminiscence, in accordance with the Mayo Clinic.

Perimenopause usually begins between the ages of 45 and 55, in accordance with the NIA. As for a way lengthy it lasts, estimates are broad and diverse.

As an illustration, in accordance with the NIA, perimenopause lasts between seven and 14 years. The Office on Women’s Health, alternatively, estimates two to eight years. And the Cleveland Clinic says signs stick round for 4 years, on common.

So, whereas 4 years could also be a great ballpark for a way lengthy to count on your menopause signs to final, it’s attainable they’ll final far longer (or, extra optimistically, might ease up far sooner).

For our Real Talk Rx series, we requested readers to ship us their greatest well being questions after which posed the commonest to a panel of medical doctors. We discovered many readers puzzled how lengthy menopause signs would final (or, extra to the purpose: when menopause signs would finish). This is what the specialists needed to say.

How lengthy do menopause signs final?

“We do not have a set timeframe for menopause—it’s very individualized. The traditional onset of menopause is after age 45, with the standard age round 51. It could final six months, a 12 months, a pair years …and even longer than that.

The most typical unintended effects are scorching flashes, which most individuals wish to finish sooner fairly than later.

There are good therapeutic interventions which are secure for many [people]. In case you use hormone [therapy], we like to offer that remedy inside 10 years of the onset of menopause, and we advocate three to 5 years of use. Past that, we would counsel way of life modifications or testing for different hormonal deficiencies.”

“This query is just a little powerful to reply as a result of some sufferers by no means cease having menopause signs, so they might have scorching flashes for the remainder of their lives.

However normally, if folks’s menopause signs are lasting longer than one to 2 years, they need to most likely contact base with their physician. Or if the signs are extreme sufficient that it’s inflicting important disruption to their life, they need to speak with their physician about choices to assist handle these signs.”

“As quickly as an individual begins to expertise menopause signs, they need to speak with their household doctor, regardless of how lengthy they’ve had them. We do have remedies for all of the totally different signs that folks might expertise. So for instance, scorching flashes, sleep disturbances, weight achieve, temper adjustments—this isn’t one thing that folks essentially should undergo by way of.”

The takeaway

There isn’t any set timeline for menopause signs, which may final from months to years, extending into postmenopause. Our professional panel, in addition to respected on-line well being sources, shared a variety of estimates concerning the period of signs.

This may occasionally all sound a bit obscure—and dire, when you’re discovering these signs disruptive to your sleep, intercourse life, and day by day life normally—however know that remedies, similar to hormone remedy, can be found and might help. Discuss to your well being care supplier about your choices.

‌Confused about your well being? Get solutions to extra widespread questions in our Real Talk Rx series.