Menopause symptoms: all 16, including the weird ones

Mostly, yes. People search "pre menopause symptoms", "perimenopause symptoms", "signs of menopause" and "menopause symptoms" as if they were different lists. They overlap heavily:

• Perimenopause (the years before your last period) is when hormones swing the most, so this is when symptoms usually start and are often strongest. "Pre menopause" in everyday use means the same thing.
• Menopause is a single day, 12 months after your last period. When people say "menopause symptoms" they usually mean the whole stretch around it.
• Postmenopause brings some relief from hot flashes for many women, while dryness and bone loss tend to build.

WHO lists the core symptoms as hot flushes and night sweats, period changes, vaginal dryness and pain with sex, incontinence, trouble sleeping, and changes in mood, depression and anxiety. Filipino women report more than that. In a 2012 study of Filipino women aged 41 to 60, the top complaints were hot flushes (48.1%), easy sweating, shoulder stiffness and lower back pain (31.6% each), sleep problems (27.8%), irritability and headaches (26.6% each). A 2024 study in Paete, Laguna found about a third of women felt symptoms hurt their quality of life.

Below is every symptom we cover, in the four groups used in our Symptom Wheel: body, mind, sleep and energy, and intimate health.

Hot flashes. A sudden wave of heat in the face, neck and chest, often with sweating. One Filipina described it as heat coming from inside her and escaping outward, even with the aircon on. They are internal events, so a cool room does not prevent them.

Weight gain and belly fat. "Bigger stomach, slower metabolism" is a common complaint. Falling estrogen shifts fat toward the belly, according to doctors at the 2025 UP Manila symposium.

Joint pain and frozen shoulder. Shoulder stiffness and lower back pain each affected nearly a third of Filipino women in the 2012 study. Frozen shoulder comes up again and again in PH threads, and it is under-recognised as a midlife symptom.

Palpitations. A racing or pounding heart, sometimes with a hot flash. In one case presented at the 2025 PGH symposium, palpitations led to repeated ER visits. Get them checked once, and treat chest pain as urgent.

Headaches. An older Filipino study presented at the PGH symposium found headache the most common symptom of all.

Skin and itchy ears. Dry, itchy skin, a crawling feeling, and yes, itchy ears. Filipinas on Reddit mention it often enough that it is worth knowing it is real.

Hair thinning. Female-pattern hair loss often speeds up around menopause. Thyroid and iron problems should be ruled out. Our sister site Hair Loss Philippines goes deeper.

Bone loss. Silent until a fracture. WHO notes that bone loss at menopause is a major contributor to osteoporosis.

Brain fog. Groping for words, losing your train of thought, forgetting things you have known for years. Forgetfulness affected about 1 in 4 Filipino women in the 2012 study. One Redditor had to ask her husband for her own cellphone number.

Mood swings, rage and anxiety. "Mabilis mag-init ulo", sudden rage, new anxiety, or feeling you are not the same person. Irritability affected about a quarter of Filipino women in the 2012 study. Daughters often notice before their mothers do; see paano tulungan si Mama.

Night sweats. Hot flashes while you sleep, sometimes soaking the sheets. Sweat may even smell different, which Filipinas on Reddit first blamed on their blood pressure medicine.

Sleep problems and 3 am waking. Waking before dawn and not getting back to sleep is one of the most common complaints we hear. Poor sleep then feeds brain fog and a short temper.

Irregular periods. Often the first sign: cycles shorter or longer, heavier or lighter, or skipped for two months at a time. Expected in perimenopause, but very heavy bleeding or bleeding between periods needs a check.

Vaginal dryness. Dryness, burning and pain with sex. Among Filipina-American women in a US study it was the most common estrogen-related symptom (39.4%). Unlike hot flashes, it tends to get worse over time without treatment, and it responds well to vaginal estrogen.

Low libido. Less interest in sex is common, and so, for some women, is a surprising increase. Both are worth talking about.

Bladder changes. Needing to go more often, leaking, or repeated urine infections. These are part of the same low-estrogen changes as vaginal dryness.

Some symptoms do not appear on most lists but come up again and again when Filipinas compare notes on r/kwarentahin:

• itchy ears
• sweat that suddenly smells different
• smelling smoke that is not there
• frozen shoulder
• "palpitations from hell"
• nausea and constant sleepiness
• feeling hot all the time, even with the aircon on full blast

These are reports, not evidence, and some have other causes. But if you have been told it is "just stress" or that you are being maarte, it may help to know other women have the same experience. Bring the list to your doctor.

Many menopause symptoms overlap with other conditions. Your doctor may want to rule out:

• Thyroid problems, which cause fatigue, weight change, palpitations and mood changes. See perimenopause or thyroid?.
• Anemia, B12 deficiency and depression, especially with brain fog and tiredness.
• PCOS, which can make periods irregular at any age. See our sister site PCOS Philippines.
• Medicine side effects.

Want a clear summary to bring to your doctor? Our symptom checker scores your symptoms by area. It does not diagnose, but it helps you explain what is going on.

Most symptoms respond to treatment. The Menopause Society (2022) calls hormone therapy the most effective treatment for hot flashes and vaginal symptoms. Non-hormonal medicines and CBT are also recommended for hot flashes (Menopause Society 2023). Herbal remedies and soy are not.

Start with HRT for menopause, non-hormonal treatments, or find a doctor who takes menopause seriously.

These are not "just menopause". See a doctor soon for:

• any bleeding 12 months or more after your last period (see bleeding after menopause)
• very heavy bleeding, or bleeding between periods
• a breast lump
• chest pain, or palpitations with fainting or shortness of breath
• swelling or pain in one leg
• a sudden severe headache
• thoughts of harming yourself