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Post-Menopause Fact Sheet

Post-Menopause refers to the stage of a woman's life that begins after she has experienced menopause. Post-Menopause is associated with various physical and hormonal changes in a woman's body due to decreased levels of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Through our private consultations we support you to understand your changes and where necessary create treatment plans to alleviate your symptoms.

Post Menopause fact sheet nz
Menopause & Wellness NZ Services

What is Post Menopause?

  • The time after menopause when a woman hasn’t experienced a period for over a year.
  • Four in five women will experience menopausal symptoms at this stage.
  • Around 70% of women will also experience Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) symptoms.
  • A Health check and Lifestyle Treatment are essential components of a woman’s care needs postmenopause to support good future health.

What are the symptoms of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM)?

  • Vaginal dryness, burning or itching.
  • Reduced lubrication during sexual activity.
  • Discomfort or pain during sex.
  • Bleeding during or after sex
  • Reduced sexual arousal/loss of libido.
  • Increased frequency to pass urine – often results in women getting up to pass urine overnight.
  • Urgency to pass urine
  • Pain in passing urine.
  • Urinary Incontinence
  • Recurrent urinary infections.

Unlike other menopause symptoms, GSM symptoms are progressive and get worse over time. They are not normally time limited like other menopausal symptoms so women can experience these for decades from menopause.

It’s important for women to receive treatment for GSM symptoms early to stop further progression and worsening of their symptoms. Highly effective, long term safe treatment is available for GSM symptoms.

Menopause & Wellness NZ Services
Menopause & Wellness NZ Services

What treatments are available in Post-Menopause?

  • Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) including vaginal oestrogen therapy.
  • Non-Hormonal Treatment including menopause cognitive behaviour therapy.
  • Lifestyle Treatment – to treat physical changes often triggered by hormonal changes experienced in menopause.
  • Unsure if you need advice? Email us and one of our clinicians will give you a call to discuss if our services may help you
"I am 59 and my periods stopped when I was 52. Since then I had menopause issues but was hellbent on getting through without HRT so I trundled on and got on with life. Last year I had problems with headaches and my sight was blurry and I felt dizzy. I was then put on medication for high blood pressure. I was stumbled as to why my blood pressure had gone high as nothing had changed in how I ate or exercised and I had never had problems before. My neighbour encouraged me to book with Monica as she had been learning about things like blood pressure and cholesterol changing in menopause from Monica and how you need to have checks. I am so glad I did as it turned out my cholesterol test was high! My GP and Monica are working together on helping me change what I eat and exercise more and I am hoping to avoid having to take pills to sort out my cholesterol."
Menopause & Wellness NZ Services

Rachel, 59.

“Since working with Monica, my GP is treating me for perimenopause symptoms. I am now sleeping better, feeling happier with less mood swings and my hot flushes and night sweats have completely gone. My energy levels are better too and for the first time in a long time I feel able to exercise and start to make some changes that will support my long-term health. I am now looking forward to the future which is a very different place to where I was before”.
Menopause & Wellness NZ Services

Linda, 47

“After four years of suffering symptoms a work colleague talked to me about the work Monica is doing to help women with menopause. I was scared of HRT so I sat on it for a couple of weeks and then took the plunge to see her. When I saw her I was feeling scared that things would never be the same again and that my life was on a downward spiral. Thank you for helping me Monica! She validated what I felt and explained why I was feeling like this. I felt like I finally had an ally who really got what was going on with me. With her help I am back to my old self enjoying life again”.
Menopause & Wellness NZ Services

Lucy, 54

I booked in for an appointment with Monica and the information shared was actually life-changing in my understanding of what's been happening to me over the past few years. Before seeing her I had been given some antidepressant tablets which didn’t help. It was comforting for her to tell me that I wasn’t depressed (which I already knew) and that antidepressant medicine doesn’t work for problems women have with their mood when it’s due to menopause. She talked me through what choices I had for treatment and helped me to get the treatment I needed to feel better. I would never have been able to get this if I had not had her help.
Menopause & Wellness NZ Services

Helen 49

“ Monica listened to me about the changes I had been having and then she spoke to me about how these were to do with menopause. I honestly hadn’t made the connection that what was happening to me. I thought I was just getting older and had to put up with it. She helped me realise that I didn’t need to put up with not sleeping and being anxious and tired all of the time. I was so irritable and felt angry at nothing a lot of the time. I also had sore joints and my skin was constantly itchy.  She worked with me on a treatment plan and three months on I honestly feel like I have been given my life back”.  
Menopause & Wellness NZ Services

Toni, 53

FAQs

For more information and advice get in touch today.

What is Post Menopause?

Post Menopause is a term used to describe the time after someone has gone through menopause, where their periods have been stopped for 12 consecutive months. Once a woman experiences menopause she is considered to be post-menopausal.

What are the symptoms of post-menopause?

Post-menopause 4 in every 5 women will experience menopausal symptoms. There are currently 34 recognised symptoms of menopause. These include:

  • Hot flushes/Night sweats
  • Mood changes – sadness/low mood/depression/mood swings/irritability/anger
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia or sleep difficulties
  • Fatigue
  • Joint and muscle pain.
  • Weight gain
  • Digestive symptoms – constipation.
  • Skin changes – dry or itchy skin
  • Hair loss
  • Heart palpitations/irregular heartbeat
  • Weight gain – particularly around the stomach area.
  • Brain Fog – poor concentration/poor memory
  • Tingling hands and feet.
Do women have sexual problems after menopause?

Yes. Women can experience problems with vaginal dryness, reduced lubrication,  discomfort or pain during sex, reduced sex drive and reduced sexual arousal related to low oestrogen levels. These symptoms are called Genitourinary Syndrome Menopause (GSM) symptoms. Several different treatments are available to help women with these symptoms.

Why do I need to understand GSM symptoms post menopause?

Post-menopause 7 in 10 women will experience Genitourinary Syndrome Menopause (GSM) symptoms. These include:

  • Vaginal dryness/itching/burning
  • Reduced lubrication during sexual activity
  • Discomfort or pain during sex
  • Bleeding after sex
  • Loss/reduced sex drive and arousal
  • Increased frequency to pass urine
  • Pain when passing urine
  • Urgency to pass urine quickly
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Recurrent Urine Infections.

Despite 70% of post-menopausal women experiencing GSM symptoms current data indicates that only 7% of these women will receive treatment. GSM symptoms are often undiagnosed and under-treated which leads many women to needlessly suffer with unbearable symptoms.

Unlike other menopause symptoms, GSM symptoms are progressive and get worse over time. They are not normally time-limited like other menopausal symptoms can be so women can experience these for decades from menopause.

It’s important for women to receive treatment for GSM symptoms early to stop further progression and worsening of their symptoms. Highly effective, long-term safe treatment is available for GSM symptoms

As I mature past menopause, how can I achieve the best possible health?

Get an annual menopause health screening check and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer all rise
after menopause. Yearly health check screening and lifestyle treatment post
menopause significantly support women to maintain good health and minimise
premature death.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, high blood sugar levels, physical
inactivity, obesity, an unhealthy diet, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption
increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, blood clots, diabetes, and
certain cancers. 

Our team helps post-menopausal women to make lifestyle changes that support their
health and reduce their risks for future ill health. These include support to:

  • Reduce/stop smoking/vaping
  • Control blood pressure
  • Control cholesterol levels
  • Control of blood sugar levels
  • Prevention of diabetes
  • Exercise support
  • Healthy weight support
  • Improved nutrition
  • Reduced stress

Transform the health and wellbeing of your organisation.

Book a free 15 minute consultation to find out how we can support you to build a thriving culture for menopausal women in your workplace.