Perimenopause or postmenopause - What is the difference?

You may be experiencing new symptoms or maybe your cycle is unpredictable and you’re wondering whether you’re entering perimenopause or have already crossed into postmenopause. Understanding the difference between these two stages is helpful in managing your health and well-being as you transition through this natural phase of life.

Perimenopause refers to the period leading up to menopause where the body gradually produces less estrogen and progesterone. This decrease in hormones leads to a regular periods in various physical and emotional changes. This period can last anywhere from two to as many as 10 years.

Common symptoms of perimenopause include:

• Irregular periods: cycles that are shorter or longer or skipped periods altogether. Some women may experience, lighter, bleeding, or other others may have heavier bleeding.

• Hot flashes, and night sweats

• Mood swings: hormonal fluctuations can affect mood, causing irritability, anxiety, depression

• Sleep disturbances: a combination of night sweats and other factors can make it hard to get a good nights rest

• Vaginal dryness: due to the lower estrogen levels that affects the vaginal tissue. This may cause discomfort with intimacy

• Memory issues and brain fog: many women report experiencing difficult, difficulty focusing or remembering things during this time

• And many other symptoms

Postmenopause is the stage that comes after a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. Most women experience post menopause between age 50 and 55.

Common symptoms of post menopause:

• Continued hot flashes, and night sweats: some women continue to experience these symptoms and post-menopause although they become less frequent over overtime

• Vaginal dryness: this typically persist and is considered to be progressive due to the lack of estrogen

• Urinary issues: lower estrogen levels can weaken the tissues of the urethra and bladder that leads to urinary urgency or incontinence

• Osteoporosis risk: less estrogen to protect bones means that women in post menopause may be at higher risk for bone, thinning and fractures

• Heart health changes: the drop in estrogen after menopause can affect cardiovascular health leading to an increased risk of heart disease

What marks menopause is being without a menstrual cycle for 12 months.

Whether you are in perimenopause postmenopause, hormone replacement therapy can be an effective way to manage the symptoms as well as the long-term health implications.

During perimenopause HRT can help stabilize fluctuating hormone levels to reduce symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and irregular periods. For some women, starting HRT during perimenopause may help to make the transition smoother.

During postmenopause, HRT can help alleviate persistence symptoms, such as hot flashes, as well as prevent osteoporosis, as well as treat and prevent genitourinary symptoms.

If you’re experiencing symptoms that could be related to perimenopause or postmenopause- let's talk about it! We can determine where you’re at with blood tests and symptom tracking. Keep in mind, not all medications require labs or a physical exam. For example, it’s not always required for topical/vaginal estrogen used to treat local symptoms.

If you are ready to take the next step in managing your symptoms, feel free to contact our clinic for personalized guidance on hormone therapy! CONTACT