6 Women Share How They Feel After Menopause

Menopause and perimenopause – the lead-up to losing your period, which can last for years – are linked to symptoms like hot flushes, palpitations, poor sleep, stiff joints, and many more.

All in, the entire process can take over a decade. But less is said about the next life stage – postmenopause – in which women remain for the rest of their lives.

The Cleveland Clinic points out that this is not always a neutral or symptomless state. Some menopause symptoms can continue years into postmenopause, and low oestrogen levels increase the risk of heart conditions and osteoporosis.

Postmenopause is also linked to depression, urinary incontinence, changes in sex drive, and dry skin.

Nonetheless, there are some benefits to the life stage, too.

Compared to those in menopause, women in postmenopause have better memory. In general, over-70s sleep better, and following a lull in our mid-50s, life satisfaction rates seem to rise again soon, peaking at about 69.

So what do postmenopausal women themselves say about the experience?

On Reddit’s r/Menopause, site user u/wlftn asked: “when menopause is finally over do you feel better mentally, physically?”

Here are some of the top responses:

For poster u/leftylibra, the experience of menopause never really felt “over”, even though she found her mood swings settled as her hormones stopped fluctuating as “wildly”.

“We are led to believe that all other symptoms stop once we reach post-menopause, and this simply isn’t true,” she wrote.

“For instance, according to Harvard Health, studies indicate that 30% of women still had hot flashes 10 to 19 years after menopause, and 20% had hot flashes more than 20 years after menopause.”

Postmenopausal symptoms, including aches, the thinning and drying of the vaginal lining, and bone and muscle loss, continue, the poster added.

She saw some benefits from lifting weights (which has been described as “critical” for maintaining muscle mass and improving bone health after menopause).

“Menopause is a time to look inward and figure out how we want to spend the next 40-50 years of our lives, and that means taking an active role in our health by managing exercise, sleep, stress, dietary needs, etc. Overall, we do feel better without the nagging cycles, but it’s a whole new different way of being,” the Redditor ended.

Site user u/curiously71 said that her long-standing issues with sleeplessness seem to have stopped after menopause. Early postmenopause seems a particularly good period for sleep, especially compared to menopause.

But this poster added that for her, a “lack of energy and motivation” has continued three years after menopause.

One study found that “postmenopausal women endorsed higher levels of anxiety, as well as lower levels of vitality and overall mental wellbeing compared to perimenopausal women”.

Another showed that early postmenopausal women were about two to four times more likely to experience a major depressive episode than women who hadn’t experienced menopause yet.

The NHS has information on its site on how to access its mental health services.

“I think there is a sense of relief that the ‘ride’ of peri[menopause] has concluded,” writes u/citychickindesert.

“Once you know the periods are over, for example, there is some sense of calm – there is for me anyway.”

The Cleveland Clinic notes on its site that while issues remain for some, many women feel relief from menopause symptoms during postmenopause.

Though postmenopause can bring its own challenges, one survey showed that about 65% of women feel happier than they did before menopause.

This seems to be the case for u/HelicopterJazzLike73, who shared that leaving menopause “was like a weight being lifted from my shoulders and 30 lbs from my body.

“I feel a lot less angry, and the hot flashes are once every six months now. I’m so glad it’s over”.

Redditor u/Secretvault-tH20 added, “I actually do not feel like any hormones are out of balance. The only problem I have is less tolerance to being hot.”

Some experts think changes in temperature tolerance like these are down to differences in vascular function, which is controlled in part by oestrogen.

A now-deleted user said that for her, things did get better after menopause.

“Some symptoms may stay, but they are way less intense. My insomnia is almost gone; I get hot flashes maybe once or twice a week, but less intense,” the poster stated.

“Anxiety got… better, but [I] still sometimes feel the waves. It’s definitely better than in the midst of it.”

Still, she pointed out that everyone is “different”.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, research has her back here. The NHS says that some women will see a complete cessation of menopause symptoms once it’s done, but for others, they can remain for years.

While a high percentage of postmenopausal women say they’re happier and more confident than they’ve ever been, a notable section faces mental health issues.

Physically and mentally, the postmenopause experience can vary from person to person. The NHS says you should speak to your GP if you experience vaginal bleeding after sex and/or recurring or chronic UTIs, and if your mental health is suffering, reach out to a qualified expert.

A healthy diet, strength training, and attending scheduled screenings can also help to keep you well during postmenopause.