Signs You Have Completed The Menopause
By molly atherton
11 months ago
1. No menstrual periods for at least 12 consecutive months
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The menopause is no joke. If you're going through it, it's reassuring to know that there is an end in sight and you will get your life back! Kicking off with possibly the clearest sign, if you've gone a full 12 months with no period, it looks like you're out of the menopause!2. Improved mood swings and irritability
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Your body has spent years navigating through a huge hormonal imbalance and is settling into a new normal. Lots of women report mood swings and irritability during the menopause. When you start to feel less snappy, this is very good news for you (and those around you).3. Hot flashes and night sweats have stopped
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A stereotypical symptom of a women who is menopausal are the hot flashes. Well, they're real, and they're tough! When you finally notice these wearing off, it's a sure sign that you're on the right track to getting through and coming out of the other side.4. Vaginal dryness and itching have improved
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Due to changes in oestrogen levels, some women report suffering from vaginal dryness and itching when the menopause hits. If you're one the unlucky ones here, the good news is that your hormones will settle back down, and this nasty symptom does usually ease off as a result!5. Decreased frequency of urination
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A reduced level of oestrogen also has a surprising effect on your need to go to the loo. You might have noticed you're needing to wee far more often, especially at night. Once the menopause has finished, you'll be pleased to know that you may now return to your normal, less frequent toilet visits.6. Reduced breast tenderness
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Tenderness, burning, soreness, stabbing, sharp and throbbing. Sound fun? All of these types of pain are experienced by some women in their breasts whilst they're navigating the menopause. Once these pains start to subside, you're likely to be heading towards the finish line.7. Improved concentration
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Research has shown that 1 in 10 women have quit their jobs because of menopause symptoms. And this rises to 1 in 4 women when it comes to severe symptoms. A huge reason for this is down to the genuine difficulty to concentrate! I'm here to reassure you this won't last forever, concentration returns once the menopause is over.8. Less facial hair and body hair growth
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When your body goes through the menopause, it stops circulating oestrogen but continues with the same amount of testosterone. This creates an imbalance to your usual hormones. So, it's no surprise that a lot of women notice increased unwanted hair growth. Once hormones settle back down, your hair growth should return to your normal.9. Improved energy levels
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Your usual daily activities can sometimes feel a lot more tiring when you're going through the menopause. Women say that they have a decreased level of energy which usually does rise again once they come out the other side. Once you start feeling more awake, you're on the way up.10. No more menstrual cramps or PMS
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Of course, a huge positive that comes with your periods ending is being able to say goodbye to the cramps and PMS! When you're no longer experiencing the pain associated with periods, this can sometimes be because they're stopping and the menopause has almost completed.11. Increased libido
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A big complaint for a lot of menopausal women is that their attitude to sex just isn't the same. This is down to a number of things, some examples may be decreased energy, low mood, hormone changes, pain or vaginal dryness. The good news is that once the menopause has ended, these symptoms subside and your libido will return!12. Hair texture changes
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Some women experience changes in their hair texture during the menopause. This could be hair thinning, becoming more brittle or less soft. Once this has ended, some women have reported that their hair did seem to soften again and became easier to manage.13. Decreased muscle mass and increased body fat
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When levels of oestrogen drop, it changes how your body stores fat. Unfortunately, this often means fat is stored around the waist instead of on the hips and thighs. This can be highly frustrating for some women! This change in body shape can sometimes reverse once the menopause has ended.14. Joint pain and stiffness
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There are actually oestrogen receptors in your joints, which help to protect your bones and manage inflammation. When oestrogen levels drop, some women experience swelling and pain. Luckily, once your oestrogen levels rise again, this pain should ease off.15. Improved sleep quality
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Sleep disturbances are a common symptom during the menopause. Some women have this difficulty due to night sweats, whilst others suffer from insomnia or anxiety and worries preventing them from sleeping. These issues are temporary and should go away!16. Improved memory
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A lot of women can panic when they notice a decline in their memory as they're getting older, with some women even mistaking this symptom for dementia. Memory loss is a completely normal part of the menopause, but this doesn't make it any easier! Memory should improve once the menopause nears the end.17. Less fatigue
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It's common for menopausal women to complain that fatigue has a big negative impact on their lives. Feeling zapped of energy and drained by life can be a huge hurdle to overcome every day. You'll be pleased to know this feeling won't last forever and energy levels do return!18. Your life feels more balanced
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After the menopause, not only are you no longer having monthly periods, but your body stops releasing an egg each month. Since you first began your period as a young girl, up until now, you've lived with constant ups and downs of energy and hormone levels throughout your menstrual cycle. Now, your energy levels will feel more balanced all month round!19. Improved overall health
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It's reported by some women that they feel more run down and may have a weaker immune system whilst going through the menopause. Which makes sense, as your body is busy dealing with huge hormonal changes! Once this has finished, you may start to feel more in control of your overall health.20. Improved relationships
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The menopause can be a strain on relationships for some people. Whether this is with your partner, children, wider family or even work colleagues! It may have been hard to find the energy to socialise, difficult to hide your irritation, or due to a decreased libido. Each of these issues should subside once the menopause is over.21. Motivation is higher
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Fatigue, hot sweats, period cramps and mood swings can all wreak havoc on your motivation. Some people notice this is at work, gym, or other areas of your life. Once your body is no longer fighting with its hormones, your motivation and productivity should return to how it was!22. Less confusion
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If you've been through the menopause, you're likely all too familiar with the brain fog! Some women describe this by explaining that their brain feels like cotton wool. You may feel confused, forgetful and slower thinking. You'll be pleased to know that this frustrating and debilitating symptom wears off!23. Decreased anxiety
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If you're one of the unlucky ones who suffer from increased anxiety levels during the menopause, you're not alone! It's a fairly common symptom that can happen due to hormone imbalances and also worries about work or relationships. These aspects improve for most people.24. Skin texture changes
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When your hormone levels are dropping, this can provide external, physical symptoms as well as internal. An example of this can be changes to the texture of your skin! Some women notice their skin becomes more dry, flakey and thin during the menopause. Afterwards, your skin may return to normal.25. More control over weight
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It's hard to keep your weight under control when your motivation to exercise is at an all time low. Even women who keep up the same routine reported a struggle with weight management due to hormones gone wild! Once they have settled back down, you should find it easier to watch the pounds.26. Less urinary tract infections
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The dreaded UTIs - not fun! Some women notice an increased number of urinary tract infections whilst they're going through the menopause. As if we didn't already have enough to deal with! Luckily, once menopause has completed, the UTIs usually stop too.27. Decreased muscle aches
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As you know, Oestrogen levels plummet during the menopause. Another nasty symptom of this can be increased muscle pain and stiffness throughout your body. You might have found that you're extra sore after a workout. When your hormones balance back out, so should your muscle pain!28. Improvement with urinary continence
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As we've described, menopause can have a weakening effect on your muscles. Unfortunately, this goes for your pelvic floor muscles, too! It's no surprise therefore that some women notice a bigger struggle when it comes to their urinary continence. Along with exercises and some lifestyle changes, urinary continence can be improved.29. Decreased palpitations
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Another symptom can be heart palpitations or flutters during the menopause. Whilst this sensation can be potentially alarming to some people, they're usually harmless. They happen due to the changes in hormone levels and usually do go away once your body is more balanced.30. Decreased headaches
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