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Menopausal Symptoms

Menopause marks the point when periods stop permanently, typically between the ages of 45 and 55. The years around this transition, called perimenopause, bring a gradual fall in oestrogen that can trigger a wide range of physical and emotional changes. For many women, symptoms are experienced but often under-discussed, leading to years of disrupted sleep, discomfort, and lowered quality of life without treatment.

Estrace

Estradiol

1 · 2mg

Estrace is estradiol 1mg and 2mg tablets, used in the management of menopausal symptoms and low oestrogen states. An oestrogen taken by mouth.

From$0.94/ tabletView

Tibofem

Estradiol

2.5mg

Tibofem is an oestrogen tablet at 2.5mg for menopausal symptoms, supplementing the hormone that falls away as the ovaries wind down.

From$3.12/ tabletView

Premarin

Conjugated Oestrogens

0.625mg

Conjugated oestrogens 0.625mg film-coated tablets, used in the management of menopausal symptoms and oestrogen deficiency. A mixture, not a single hormone.

From$2.99/ tabletView

Key points

  • Declining oestrogen during the years around menopause can disturb sleep, unsettle mood and affect concentration, alongside the more familiar hot flushes.
  • Vaginal dryness, urinary changes and a longer-term decline in bone density are less recognised than the flushes and night sweats.
  • Hormone therapy, most often estradiol or conjugated oestrogens, is the best-studied option and can ease flushes, improve sleep and relieve vaginal symptoms.
  • Those who still have a uterus need added progestogen to guard its lining, which is why combined products contain both hormones.

What the Transition Feels Like

Hot flushes and night sweats are the most recognised signs, sudden waves of heat, often followed by chills and flushing of the face and chest. Sleep disturbance frequently follows, and poor sleep compounds mood changes, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Vaginal dryness and urinary changes are also common but less often reported. Bone density begins to decline as oestrogen falls, which matters more in the longer term.

Hormone Therapy

The most studied approach to managing menopausal symptoms is hormone therapy, which replaces some of the oestrogen the body is no longer producing. Options include estradiol, a bioidentical form of oestrogen, and conjugated oestrogens, derived from a blend of oestrogen compounds. Both reduce hot flushes, improve sleep, and relieve vaginal symptoms. The women’s health section of the catalogue lists the available preparations and their forms (tablets, patches, gels).

Women who still have a uterus need progestogen alongside oestrogen to protect the uterine lining; those preparations are included in combined hormone products. A doctor can advise on the most suitable form based on personal health history.

Further reading