LIKE death and taxes, for women, menopause is one of life’s certainties.
And many are more educated on menopause than ever before, after centuries of it being a taboo subject.
Thanks to the Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign and others like it, awareness of the symptoms and treatments is soaring.
However, given there are more than 50 menopause symptoms, there is undoubtedly some crossover with other health conditions, many of which start in mid-life.
Women may believe their symptoms are caused by the menopause, and fail to get checked out.
On the other hand, they may also worry that they have another condition and end up having the wrong treatment, such as antidepressants.
Dr Stella George, chief medical officer at global health service company Cigna Healthcare, says: “You can start blaming everything on other conditions.
“If there is tenderness in the breasts, you can worry it’s cancer, or you might think you have multiple sclerosis if you suffer from tingling in hands and feet, or even dementia because you are more forgetful.
“Many symptoms of menopause can mimic something more grave so educating women about this issue can help give peace of mind.”
Dr Ravina Bhanot, NHS doctor and Founder of Zonas Fertility, tells The Sun: “The main menopause symptoms include concentration issues, mood changes, weight gain, hot flushes, joint aches, migraines, low sex drive and night sweats.
“These symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions such as endocrine issues like hypothyroidism, mental health conditions like depression, and rheumatological conditions like fibromyalgia.
“Menopause can affect every organ and system in the body, therefore menopause must be a top potential diagnosis with women presenting to their doctor with a range of broad symptoms.”
Common menopause symptoms
Dr Bhanot says: “Menopause is defined as a year without a period. The average age in the UK is 51, however, perimenopause can start up to 10 years before.”
Perimenopause is the lead-up to menopause – when periods have stopped – and can occur over several years.
During this time, women may face a number of other health issues.
So, what symptoms are specific to menopause?
Dr Bhanot says: “The most specific symptom of menopause is irregular periods and disruption to your normal cycles.
“The pattern of periods may change; they may be unusually heavy or light. Periods may become more or less frequent ranging from every two to three weeks or every few months.”
As hormones begin to change, a number of symptoms may be triggered, the most well-known being hot flushes, irregular periods and night sweats.
Dr Sarah Brewer, a GP, author and founder of Origins, tells The Sun: “You may also notice anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, changes in libido, joint pains, digestive issues (indigestion, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea) and a tendency towards skin, hair and intimate dryness.”
Here, Dr Bhanot and Dr Brewer reveal the conditions that may be confused for menopause.
1. Thyroid issues
An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), like menopause, is a hormonal condition.
When the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormone, it speeds up the metabolism, which “can cause anxiety, irritability, restlessness and over-activity, tiredness, insomnia, sensitivity to heat, sweating, diarrhoea and menstrual changes,” says Dr Brewer, “which may be mistaken for menopause”.
On the other hand, an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is when insufficient thyroid hormone is produced.
It causes a general slowing down of the body which can be akin to menopause, causing weight gain, tiredness and feelings of depression.
Symptoms also include “muscle cramps, pain and weakness, joint pains, dry skin, brittle hair, loss of outer third of eyebrows, constipation, heavy periods, poor concentration and memory,” Dr Brewer says.
Around three per cent of the population are thought to suffer with a thyroid problem, whether diagnosed or not.
2. Mental health issues
Mental health symptoms can occur during menopause due to dwindling hormones.
It is common for women to experience low mood, irritability, anxiety, and lack of interest.
Antidepressants should not be used as a first-line treatment for low mood associated with menopause.
However, GPs may not always recognise hormones as the cause.
On the other hand, it is possible to experience depression – which affects around five per cent of adults – separate from menopause.
This may be more likely in someone who has experienced bouts of mental illness previously.
Dr Brewer says: “Depression is a biological illness associated with an imbalance of brain chemicals such as serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine.
“These neurotransmitters pass messages from one brain cell to another, and imbalances slow you up both physically and mentally.
“Typical symptoms include exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, sadness and crying for no apparent reason.
“You may comfort eat and gain weight initially, but as depression takes hold, you tend to lose your appetite, have difficulty sleeping, and wake early in the morning.
“Some of these symptoms can also be associated with menopause.”
3. Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Women are more affected than men by multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological condition that an estimated 130,000 people in the UK live with.
It tends to be diagnosed between 20 and 50 years old and is one of the most common causes of disability in younger adults.
The autoimmune condition occurs because the immune system wrongly attacks the brain or spinal cord of the nervous system.
“Repeated episodes of inflammation cause loss of the insulating fatty (myelin) sheath surrounding nerves in the brain and spinal cord,” says Dr Brewer.
“This slows or blocks the transmission of nerve signals.”
The result is symptoms including fatigue, problems with thinking and controlling the bladder.
Dr Brewer says: “This is less likely to be misdiagnosed as menopause. Although it’s possible that non-specific early symptoms may be dismissed as such initially”.
4. Cancers
Both menopause and cancer – of which there are more than 200 types – cause a wide array of symptoms, many of which overlap.
Night sweats, for example, are considered one of the main, general symptoms of cancer.
It also affects some 60 per cent of women in menopause, according to a survey of predominantly British women over 40.
“Different cancers can cause different sitcoms depending on their location,” says Dr Brewer.
“Often, cancer is associated with tiredness and loss of energy and some can cause flushing and sweating (eg if they secrete certain neurotransmitters).”
But Dr Brewer said a red flag symptom specific to cancer is weight loss that can’t be explained.
Unusual lumps, pain and aches are also top general cancer symptoms.
5. Dementia
Many women going through menopause say they feel as though they’re getting dementia or ‘losing their mind’.
Brain fog is a symptom that some 68 per cent of women have experienced during their transition period.
It covers an inability to think or concentrate properly, forgetfulness and confusion.
Meanwhile, over 42,000 people under the age of 65 are living with dementia, known as ‘young-onset dementia’.
Dementia UK says: “Dementia is frequently and wrongly thought of as a condition that is just associated with old age.
“The early symptoms of young onset dementia are not always recognised and may be attributed to other causes including depression, stress, menopause, physical health problems and relationship issues.
“This can lead to a significant delay (on average four years) in getting an accurate diagnosis.”
6. Fibromyalgia
Like menopause, fibromyalgia is most likely to strike before the age of 55. It is also more commonly seen in women.
Dr Bhanot said rheumatological conditions like fibromyalgia are one of the conditions that can be masked by menopause, causing “symptoms of painful joints, tiredness and change in concentration”.
The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but it’s thought to be related to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes in the way the central nervous system processes pain messages carried around the body, the NHS says.
It adds that some estimates suggest nearly one in 20 people may be affected by fibromyalgia to some degree, with other symptoms including headaches and sensitivity to pain.
Sadly there is no cure for fibromyalgia. However, if it does so happen your symptoms are due to menopause, they should be manageable with treatment, such as HRT.
How to approach your GP
With all that being said, how can you make the most of your GP appointment to talk about the symptoms you have been experiencing?
Dr Brewer says if you think there is a chance you are menopausal, tell your doctor so they can assess it.
She added: “General practice is an art as much as a science, and if it’s not initially certain what is going on, we monitor the person to see how things progress, so don’t be afraid to keep going back to your doctor if symptoms worsen or don’t resolve.”
Dr Bhanot said before seeing your doctor about menopause:
- Write down all the symptoms you are experiencing from head to toe; including all the embarrassing ones like changes in sexual drive, urinary incontinence and period cycle changes.
- Track your periods over time to see if any irregularity. There are lots of helpful apps for this.
- Have regular reviews with your doctor to assess if your symptoms improve or not.