Does your period just stop with menopause?

Menopause is reached after twelve months without a menstrual period when there is no other explanation. The years before it are called perimenopause. During this transition, periods may arrive closer together or further apart, last for a different length of time, or become lighter or heavier. Some people have a final period that feels ordinary, while others notice a gradual pattern of change.

Hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood changes, and reduced sex drive may occur during the transition, but symptoms vary. Periods stopping can also have other explanations, including pregnancy, some medicines, significant stress, changes in weight, or medical conditions.

Track bleeding dates, flow changes, pain, and other symptoms. If pregnancy is possible, take a pregnancy test and arrange medical advice about missed periods. A GP or gynaecologist can review your age, symptoms, medicines, contraception, and health history, then decide whether an examination or tests are appropriate. Contraception may still be needed during perimenopause because ovulation can occur before periods have fully stopped.

Arrange an appointment for very heavy bleeding, bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex, new severe pain, or a change that interferes with daily life. Any vaginal bleeding after twelve months without periods needs medical assessment. Seek urgent care for bleeding that makes you faint, feel weak, or short of breath.

Could this pattern be perimenopause or another cause? Do I still need contraception? How should I manage troublesome flushes, sleep problems, or dryness? What bleeding pattern should prompt an urgent review?