Menopause Experiences: Real Stories, Symptoms, and What Helps

We retrieved 76 social media thread comments reflecting women’s real-life experiences with menopause. This summary captures their lived experiences, not theoretical assumptions. Based on the collected data, our model identified 82% of the comments as expressing negative sentiment toward menopause, with an average confidence score of 98%, and 18% as positive sentiment, with an average confidence of 82%.

Women shared a wide range of menopause experiences, from minimal disruption to debilitating symptoms that disrupted daily life. Many symptoms developed gradually and were mistaken for normal aging such as anxiety, joint and muscle pain (hips, shoulders, back), frozen shoulder, dry eyes, tinnitus, hair thinning, gum recession, weight gain despite healthy habits, brain fog, insomnia, extreme hot flashes, heart palpitations, skin-crawling sensations when showering, vaginal dryness, shrinking of the labia and clitoris, acne, mouth ulcers, and prolonged or unusually heavy periods with severe cramping and back pain described as “like labor.” Some also reported insatiable hunger, mood swings, depression, and a preference for solitude.

Many women felt dismissed or misdiagnosed by doctors, leading to years of ineffective treatments and unnecessary expenses. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was life-changing for many as it provided benefits such as pain reduction, sleep and mood improvement, easing anxiety, and restoring temperature regulation, sometimes within weeks. A few noticed unexpected benefits, like relief from plantar fasciitis. However, not everyone tolerated HRT; some experienced intolerable side effects such as severe depression, anxiety, or acne, even after trying different combinations and doses, leading them to stop treatment. Others avoided HRT due to health concerns or mild symptoms. Check out hormone balance here

Access and cost were recurring issues, particularly in Australia, where prescriptions are required and not all types are covered. Some women found affordable care through Family Planning clinics. Alternatives like acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and naturopathy brought partial relief for certain symptoms, especially anxiety, palpitations, and energy loss.

For women in surgical menopause, symptoms often hit suddenly and severely, prompting consideration of both estrogen and testosterone therapy. Across all experiences, women stressed the importance of self-advocacy, seeking menopause-informed care, and openly sharing information to counter the widespread lack of education and awareness about what menopause can truly be like.