Menopause – You Are Not Alone
Menopause is a natural stage of life that every woman will go through, yet it can often feel confusing or isolating. Understanding what’s happening to your body and knowing where to turn for support can make a big difference. This page is here to help you feel informed, supported, and empowered throughout your menopause journey.
Are you going through the menopause?
You are not alone (approx. 30% of women in society will be going through the same) and help is here for you.
There are over 40 symptoms of menopause. You may only be experiencing 1 or 2 and by taking a supplement, doing more exercise, drinking more water, watching what you eat and accessing support you may be able to keep them under control. If symptoms are troubling you quite a bit or all of the time, you may need to speak to your Doctor/Nurse.
Women who start to experience menopause symptoms but are still having monthly/intermittent periods this phase is known as peri-menopause, when a woman has not had a period for over 12months then for the first day after the 12months they are now in the menopause, day 2 after the 12months the woman is in the post-menopausal phase.
A woman will normally experience symptoms aged between 45 – 65, but we are all different, and therefore symptoms could start earlier or last longer.
Symptom Checking – A Peri/Post Menopause Questionnaire
Women experience different symptoms that indicate that they are going through the menopause. Follow the links below to download our Menopause questionnaire in different languages to help you, and those around you, understand and check if you’re experiencing menopause symptoms.
Please click on the link below to open a symptom diary to use or print out a symptom diary. This can be used to keep a check on your symptoms of the menopause. This symptom diary can be taken to your GP/Nurse to discuss support with managing your symptoms.
Recognising the Menopause – Self-Help and Useful Resources
While it’s true every person’s menopause experience is different, knowing how to successfully manage the bodily changes that accompany this stage of life has the potential to be both frustrating and isolating. It’s for this reason that using self-help, educating ourselves, and using natural methods is so important. By taking a supplement, doing more exercise, drinking more water, watching what you eat and accessing support you may be able to keep them under control.
Click here for an Informational Guide on Female Hormonal Changes designed by Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners from Sunderland IAPT Service. This is a really useful resource for professionals and women’s self care.
Find out more about taking care of yourself and accessing support through the useful resources listed within the page below
Personal Stories
Easy Read Menopause Leaflet
Apps for menopause
Balance App – My Menopause Doctor
Looking for knowledge and guidance so you can be certain about what’s right for your body during the perimenopause and menopause? Brought to you by renowned menopause specialist, Dr Louise Newson and the thousands of people who’ve shared their perimenopause and menopause insights with us, balance allows you to track your symptoms, access personalised expert content, share stories and lots more.
Click here to find out more and download the app.
Articles
Why research and conversation about menopause is letting down Black and Asian people – Good Housekeeping
The most recent study on Black women’s experiences of menopause in the UK was carried out 13 years ago. Despite menopause being a process that half the population are directly impacted by, it remains a taboo topic, shrouded in mystery and stigma. Work has taken place in attempts to demystify menopause, from parliament debating NHS menopause services to Menopause: The Musical embarking on a tour across the UK and Ireland in 2019. However, certain groups of people have been left out in the cold.
Click here to access the article.
6 Things to know about the menopause – Age UK
The menopause is a natural part of ageing, and occurs when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to have children. It’s a gradual process which happens over months or years.
Click here to access the Age UK Article.
BBC News Articles
Through the BBC News website, you can search through all recent menopause related articles.
Click here to access them now.
Menopause hasn’t been taken seriously enough in workplaces – but these people are here to change that – Good Housekeeping
Menopause-friendly policies are vital and when they’re not in place, the effects can be devastating. Fewer than 5% of UK businesses offer a dedicated menopause policy while 59% of people experiencing menopausal symptoms say it negatively affects their work. Menopause can affect confidence, ambition, and career progression, yet those issues are seldom talked about.
Click here to access the full Good Housekeeping article.
Talking to your Doctor about Menopause – Miss Menopause
Many women who are going through the menopause, or suspect they are, will visit their doctor. Miss Menopause shares tips on how to access support, what your support options are and how to get the best out of your appointments.
Click here to access the article and tips now.
‘My bosses were happy to destroy me’ – the women forced out of work by menopause
Almost a million women in the UK have left their jobs because of menopausal symptoms. Countless others are discriminated against, denied support and openly mocked. Do they need new legal protections?
Click here to access an article from The Guardian on menopause in the workplace and personal stories from women who have been experiencing menopause in the workplace.
HRT Prescription Prepayment Certificate: What You Need to Know
Women can access HRT for menopausal symptoms at a reduced cost by paying a one-off fee for up to a year’s worth of treatment.
The new HRT prescription prepayment certificate, known as the HRT PPC, has been introduced after calls to widen access to HRT.
Click here to find out more from the Menopause Doctor.
Books
Â
The Menopause Manual – Menopause Doctor
Get the recently published Haynes Manual on Menopause – a definitive guide to help women, their partners and families cut through the plethora of misinformation and take a straightforward look at menopause. Written by renowned menopause specialist, Dr Louise Newson, to empower women and help them make informed choices about how to have the best possible experience as their bodies change.
Click here to find out more and get the book.
Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause – Menopause Doctor
So much is still misunderstood about the menopause and how to manage it successfully – GP and menopause specialist, Dr Louise Newson, is here to change that. In her new book, Dr Newson will explain what happens in your body as you approach the perimenopause, identify main symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause, and provide readers with simple tips to enable them manage and reduce discomfort of their symptoms through exercise, nutrition and lifestyle choices.
Click here to find out more and get the book.
The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause – Menopause Doctor
It’s time to talk about the menopause openly, to dispel the myths and inform every woman of their choices for this important stage of life.
Dr Louise Newson is one of the UK’s leading medical experts on the menopause; the doctor “who kick started the menopause revolution”. Having transformed the lives of hundreds and thousands of women and their families through her work, Dr Louise is determined to help even more women thrive, to debunk myths and break taboos, and to educate everyone – including men – about the menopause.
Click here to find out more and order the book.
Me & My Menopausal Vagina – Jane Lewis
One women’s journey of menopause and vaginal atrophy. Written in collaboration with her daughter in a `tongue in cheek’ way to help break taboos of vaginal atrophy. This book is informative, serious, tear-jerking and guaranteed to make you laugh. Through this book you’ll learn the hidden secrets of menopause aimed to help you during your own experiences, informing women, men and health professionals of all ages.
Click here to find out more and get the book.
Older and Wider – Jenny Eclair
Older and Wider is Jenny Eclair’s hilarious, irreverent and refreshingly honest compendium of the menopause. From C for Carb-loading and G for Getting Your Shit Together to I for Invisibility and V for Vaginas, Jenny’s whistle-stop tour of the menopause in all its glory will make you realise that it really isn’t just you.
Click here to find out more and get the book.
New Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way – Susun S. Weed
The best book on menopause is now better. Herbal solutions for osteoporosis, hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue, flooding, fibroids, low libido, incontinence, anxiety, depression. Completely revised with 100 new pages. All the remedies women know and trust plus hundreds of new ones. New sections on thyroid health, fibromyalgia, hairy problems, male menopause, and herbs for women taking hormones.
Click here to find out more about Susun S. Weed’s book and click here to buy it in the UK.
Activate Your Vagus Nerve: Unleash Your Body’s Natural Ability to Heal – Dr Navaz Habib
This book contains the most valuable tools and exercises to understand the root cause of your health concerns, and the best exercises and therapies to help you to take back control of your health! The Vagus Nerve is the most important nerve in the body, in regards to living a healthy and optimal life. When it is not working well, our health suffers significantly and results in major chronic health challenges that many people are dealing with.
Click here to find out more about Dr. Navaz Habib’s book and click here to buy it in the UK.
Perimenopause Power: Navigating your hormones on the journey to menopause – Maisie Hill
During perimenopause three quarters of women will experience symptoms such as mood changes, insomnia, hot flushes, and night sweats, but there is little in the way of evidence-based information out there to help and guide us. Perimenopause Power is the essential handbook to understanding what the hell’s going on and to empower us to improve our experience of the dreaded ‘change’.
Click here to find out more and buy the book.
Oestrogen Matters – Avrum Bluming & Carol Travis
An indepth book about the effect of decreasing oestrogen. Dr Bluming was a Professor of medical oncology and senior investigator for the National Cancer Institute studying the benefits and risks of hrt use in women with a history of breast cancer. A sobering and revelatory read, Oestrogen Matters sets the record straight on this beneficial treatment and provides an empowering path to wellness for women everywhere.
Click here to find out more and get the book.
Making Friends with the Menopause – Sarah Rayner & Dr Patrick Fitzgerald
Many women consider the menopause anything but a friend, yet in this clear and comforting guide, Sarah Rayner and her co-author, Dr Patrick Fitzgerald, explain that rather than fighting the changes women go through, understanding the experience can help us feel a whole heap better.
Click here to find out more and get the book.
The Good Menopause Guide – Liz Earle
Liz Earle, MBE, shares The Good Menopause Guide, an illustrated guide containing all of the information, tips and advice you need for a healthy menopause. She provides guidance on how to balance your hormones, the importance of a nourishing diet, the myths and facts about HRT, osteoporosis, how to optimise bone health, and how to boost energy and self-esteem.
Click here to find out more and get the book.
Benefits of Exercise
Age UK Sunderland – Schedule of Activities
Age UK Sunderland offer a range of activities for women aged 50+, including those experiencing the menopause. Click here to visit their service page to find out about their services and upcoming events.Â
PositivePause – Why it’s important to stay active
If you are a woman looking to introduce some exercise into your life, you have come to the right page! Many exercise classes now specifically cater for women going through menopause, such as Menohealth.
Click here to find out more about exercise and menopause.
Sea Swimming and Wellbeing
Sea and open water swimming is rapidly growing in popularity and many participants are noting the benefits to their mental and physical health. To find out about sea swimming, its link with wellbeing, local groups and getting started, click here.Â
Women in Sport – Summary Report
Menopause is an important time to engage women in regular sport and physical activity and an opportunity to embed positive long-term exercise habits into their lives as they get older.
Click here for more information on the benefits of exercise whilst experiencing the menopause.Â
Small Steps To Feeling Good
The Small Steps To Feeling Good Booklet and Website gives you information and advice of simple exercises anyone can do at home! They are NHS approved exercises that benefit your physical health, including mobility, coordination, strength, and cardiovascular health. There are also three different levels of exercises, so you can choose a level that suits your own level of fitness best.
Click here to visit the How Fit Today website. Or click here to download the Small Steps To Feeling Good Booklet.
Staying Active and Eating Healthy at Home from Sunderland City Council
It is now more important than ever to keep active and lead a healthy lifestyle, both in body and mind. Sunderland City Council have put together some information and links to support active living for both you and your family. Click here to view this page.
Menopause DoctorÂ
Finding it hard to stay motivated to exercise during the perimenopause and menopause? Dr Louise Newson (aka Menopause Doctor) shares some quick tips in this short Instagram video and its caption.Â
Benefits of Healthy Eating
Gut Health and Menopause
Reasons to boost your gut health include boosting your mood, relieving stress, strengthening your immune system, preventing weight gain and increasing energy levels.
To find out more about reasons to boost gut health from balance expert and Clinical Nutritionist Emma Ellice-Flint about gut health and the menopause, click here to check out a video on the Balance Instagram page, or click here for 5 reasons to improve gut health on the Balance Website.
Healthy Eating and The Menopause
A healthy, varied diet and a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, doing physical activity and maintaining a healthy bodyweight, can help to reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms and protect against long-term health problems associated with loss of oestrogen, such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Click here for more information from the British Nutritional Foundation.
Staying Active and Eating Healthy at Home from Sunderland City Council
It is now more important than ever to keep active and lead a healthy lifestyle, both in body and mind. Sunderland City Council have put together some information and links to support active living for both you and your family. Click here to view this page.
Menopause, Heart Health and Cholesterol
If you are a professional looking to support peri- and post-menopausal women to eat well for a healthy heart and cholesterol levels, you can access a free webinar from MyNutriWeb by clicking here. They also have a number of key resources related to the webinar and the subject of menopause, heart health and cholesterol as a whole, you can access them by clicking here.Â
Local Support Services and Groups
Â
NHS Sunderland Talking Therapies
Most people associate the menopause with hot flushes and night sweats, but these are actually the symptoms that bother my patients the least. It is the symptoms that other people cannot see that lead to the most difficulties and these are the psychological symptoms. Low mood and feelings of depression can be very common symptoms of the menopause and perimenopause. Other psychological symptoms include feelings of low self-esteem, having reduced motivation, anxiety, irritability, panic attacks, poor concentration and low energy. Click here to find out how NHS Sunderland Talking Therapies’ support can help your mental health.
Hormones and Me Course with NHS Sunderland Talking Therapies
Menopause and Me is a psychoeducational group delivered by two Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners from Sunderland Talking Therapies. The group is specifically focused on helping service users to better understand the relationship between female hormonal changes linked to perimenopause and menopause and mental health and manage their current difficulties more effectively. The group runs over 4 weeks and will introduce a range of interventions using the principles of Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Each session is 1 hour long with a short break in the middle.
Click here to find out more about the course, and click here to visit the NHS Sunderland Talking Therapies website to self-refer.
Sunderland Women’s Centre – Support Group
Starting a women’s health group ring for more information call: 0191 567 7495 email swc@btconnect.com
Easington Lane Community Action Point (ELCAP) – Support Group
ELCAP are starting a menopause group contact Christine Willis on Tel: 0191 526 1071 or email: info@elcap.org.uk for more information.
Menopause Booklet
Â
Menopause Booklet
Menopause Support have collated everything you need to know in one handy booklet including:
- What is menopause
- Diagnosing menopause
- Menopause symptoms
- Menopause support symptom checker
- Genitourinary symptom checker
- Periods
- Managing menopause
- Treatment options
- Long-term health
- Contraception
- Menopause after cancer treatment
- Menopause myths
- Talking to others about menopause
- Resources
- And more …Â
Click here to download the booklet.
Podcasts
Â
Balance Menopause Nutrition Podcast
Eating a well-balanced diet has a multitude of health benefits both around the time of the menopause and in the future, even if you’re taking HRT. Click here to access the podcast video now.
BBC Three – What it feels like to go through early menopause
1% of women under 40 will undergo early menopause. BBC Three share one woman’s story through their podcast.
Click here to access the podcast video now.
Dr Louise Newson Podcast: Learning disabilities and the menopause
Dr Louise Newson podcast, Dr Louise welcomes Sharon Saunders, a menopausal woman with learning disabilities and is a wheelchair user. They discuss symptoms and their impacts and talk about treatment options. Sharon also offers some important advice to other women with learning disabilities who are going through the perimenopause and menopause. Click here to listen to the podcast.
Menopause Support – You are not alone
Hear about the You Are Not Alone menopause support sub-group from it’s members, what the group aims to do, and what it means to members to be a part of the group.
Click here to access the Podcast video on YouTube.
Menopause Whilst Black
Opening a well overdue conversation about diversity in Menopause. Placing the menopausal experience of Black UK based women front and centre by sharing their stories. Giving a hug, a hand or a high five to those supporting, dreading, suffering or thriving through menopause. Because, believe it or not, there’s a lot to celebrate too.
The Podcast is available to access via Spotify, Apple and Google.
Miss Menopause – BBC
Sharon MacArthur A.K.A. Miss Menopause marks the start of Menopause awareness month talking about the joys of the ‘change’. Click here to listen to the episode now.Â
My Menopause DoctorÂ
In a fast-growing series of podcasts, Dr Louise Newson, her colleagues and expert guests, discuss a wide range of menopause-related topics to give listeners unbiased, evidence-based and holistic information and advice to help them, and their loved ones, manage the symptoms and challenges of the menopause and perimenopause.
Click here to access the podcast videos now which are also available to listen to via Spotify, Apple, and Google.
University of Sunderland – World Menopause Day
For World Menopause Day, Justine Gillespie at Sunderland University speaks with with a member of the Menopause Network about their experiences of the menopause.
Click here to access the podcast video now.
Shows and Programmes
Bombay Begums – Netflix Show putting the spotlight on menopause
Popular culture is generally associated with youth. But a new Netflix series that has a 49-year-old female lead, fighting the ravages of middle age, is being hailed for putting the spotlight on women’s lifelong battle with their own bodies.
Click here to find out more about the show from BBC News, or click here to access the show from Netflix (account required).
BBC Programmes
Through the BBC website, you can search for an access all recent BBC programmes relating to menopause.
Click here to access the programmes now.Â
Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause
Davina was 44 and felt like she was losing it – hot flushes, depression, mental fog. Now she tells her menopause story, busting midlife taboos from sex to hormone treatment.
Click here to access the programme via the Channel 4 website
Social Media Links
Â
Dr Nighat Arif, NHS GP – Instagram
Dr Nighat is a family GP specialising in women’s health and family planning. Through her instagram account, Nighat shares a wealth of useful information around Menopause.
Click here to visit her Instagram account now.
Menopause Whilst Black – Instagram
Podcast committed to centering the menopause journey of Black UK women through research stories. Each one, teach one.
Click here to visit the Instagram account now.
Dr Becky Quicke, themenopausepsychologist – Instagram
Clinical Psychologist (HCPC) guiding you through the hormonal storms of peri/menopause. FREE Resources.
Click here to visit the Instagram account now.
Perimenopause Hub – Facebook Closed Group
This is a safe place to discuss all things perimenopause. For some women perimenopause lasts for up to 10 years before the menopause, yet the symptoms are often overlooked or bundled together with menopause. Nothing is off limit here. If it’s happening to you and you think it’s a symptom of peri, share away. Perimenopause Hub experts are on hand to help.
Click here to find out more and join the closed group
Perimenopause Support UK
Currently this group is about sharing experiences and offering support between peers, but we are planning to encourage more professionals to become involved. We held our first virtual live session in July where we invited a nutritionist to answer questions from the group about eating healthier and how to reduce weight gain that is experienced by many women during this time. We have more of these sessions planned over the next few months.
Click here to find out more about the group and click here to join the group.
The Menopause Support Network – Facebook Closed Group
The Menopause Support Network, this is the closed page of menopausesupport.co.uk. The page aims to offer a safe, confidential space for women to talk about all things menopause and mid life.
Click here to find out more and join the closed group.
UK Ladies Menopause Support Group – Facebook Closed Group
A place for ladies to discuss their menopausal issues in a safe & supportive environment. A place where women can let off steam and be supported by other members of the group at the times of need.
Click here to find out more and join the closed group
Yoga For Peri/Menopause – Facebook Closed Group
A place to come together to share all things related to yoga that can help alleviate the symptoms of menopause – both before, during and after.
Click here to find out more and join the closed group.
Websites
Â
Dr Newson, The Menopause Doctor
Louise Newson is a GP and menopause specialist and holds an Advanced Menopause Specialist certificate with FSRH and the BMS. The Menopause Doctor Website, aims to empower you with necessary information to make informed decisions regarding any treatment you may take to help turn your menopause into a positive experience that does not negatively impact your life.
Click here to visit the Menopause Doctor website now.
Dr Becky Quicke, The Menopause Psychologist
During the hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause, it’s common for women to feel like they’re not themselves anymore. The Menopause Psychologist shares resources, support and skills to completely change how to respond to anxiety so you can get back to feeling like you again.
Click here to visit The Menopause Psychologist website now.
Menopause Support
Through the Menopause Support website, you can access lots of free resources, Frequently Asked Questions about Menopause and treatments, plus details of their closed Facebook group, The Menopause Support Network. They also provide private support via telephone and video consultations and bespoke menopause training.
Click here to visit the Menopause Support website.
Menopause Exchange
The Menopause Exchange gives independent advice about the menopause, midlife and post-menopausal health. They send out a free quarterly newsletter with useful impartial help and support. They provide information on menopausal symptoms and coping with the menopause using HRT, prescribed medicine, alternatives to HRT and complementary therapies as well as nutrition, exercise and self-help lifestyle tips.
Click here to visit the Menopause Exchange website.
Menopause Matters
Menopausematters is a website providing up-to-date, accurate information about the menopause, menopausal symptoms and treatment options. Here you will find information on what happens leading up to, during and after the menopause, what the consequences can be, what you can do to help and what treatments are available.
Click here to visit the Menopause Matters website.
Menopause: diagnosis and management – NICE guideline
This guideline covers the diagnosis and management of menopause, including in women who have premature ovarian insufficiency. The guideline aims to improve the consistency of support and information provided to women in menopause.
Click here to find out more and access the guidelines.
The British Menopause Society
The British Menopause Society (BMS), educates, informs and guides Healthcare professionals on menopause and all aspects of post reproductive health. This is achieved through an annual programme of lectures, conferences, meetings and interactive website. Through their website, you can also find your nearest BMS-recognised menopause specialist for NHS or private support.
Click here to visit the BMS website now.
balance for Partners
Balance are on a mission to help as many people with their perimenopause and menopause as possible, and we need your support as partners and loved ones. On their website, they have created a page especially you to learn more about the impact of the perimenopause and menopause and find out ways to help those closest to you. Click here for more information from Balance.
Workplace Resources
Menopause hasn’t been taken seriously enough in workplaces – but these people are here to change that – Good Housekeeping
Menopause-friendly policies are vital and when they’re not in place, the effects can be devastating. Fewer than 5% of UK businesses offer a dedicated menopause policy while 59% of people experiencing menopausal symptoms say it negatively affects their work. Menopause can affect confidence, ambition, and career progression, yet those issues are seldom talked about.
Click here to access the full Good Housekeeping article.
CIPD – A Guide To Managing Menopause at Work, Guidance for line managers
Menopausal women are the fastest-growing demographic in the workplace; however, many of these women may be struggling to manage the psychological and physiological changes their bodies are going through. A quarter of menopausal women will experience debilitating symptoms and for some it forces them out of the workplace completely. These women are likely to be at the top of their game, but without the right support, at the right time, they are unable to reach their full potential for businesses to reap the benefits from. We need to protect this talent.
Click here to download the guide now.
ACAS Archive – Menopause at work
Managing the impact of the menopause at work is important for both workers and employers. Through their article, ACAS share the impact of the menopause on employees and employers. Through the article you can also find out how employees and managers can work together to find solutions and how employers can support employees.
Click here to access the article via the ACAS archive website.
Guidance on menopause and the workplace – Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians
The Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) is pleased to launch guidance on menopause in the workplace. This guidance is aimed at women going through menopause and experiencing the impact it has on their working lives. It also offers employers practical guidance on how to improve workplace environments for menopausal women.
Click here to access the guidance.
Taking a Targeted Approach: Menopause in the Workplace – NHS Employers
With our population now living longer, working longer, and with so many women working in the NHS, it’s vital that staff are supported to stay well and thrive in the workplace. Menopause is not just a female issue, it’s an organisational issue. All managers need to know about it and how they can support their staff.
Click here to for NHS employer resources and to find out what NHS is Trusts are doing for menopause in the workplace.
The Menopause is a workplace issue: Guidance and Model Policy – Unison
The Menopause is a Workplace Issue is aimed at supporting employers to create a working environment where female staff feel supported. The guide highlights how symptoms – from migraines to panic attacks – are an occupational health issue and can have a significant effect on staff.
Click here to access the guide.
Guidance on Menopause in the Workplace – University of Sunderland
This practical guide aims to raise awareness of the menopause in the workplace and to support those experiencing symptoms, colleagues and managers in tackling occupational aspects of menopausal symptoms.
Click here to access the guidance
