Menopause symptoms? You don’t have to tough it out.

For years, Libby McClure thought hot flashes were just something she had to live with.

She was busy teaching high school English, raising a family, and doing everything else life asked of her.

“Honestly, I didn’t think there was anything I could do about it,” she said. “You just kind of suffer through stuff.”

McClure, now 64, started menopause early, in her early 40s. For 2 decades, hot flashes showed up almost every day.

“I would walk into the classroom every morning, and I would flush bright red and start to sweat,” she said. “I was embarrassed because my students would notice and say, ‘Oh yeah, Ms. McClure’s having a hot flash again.’”

After learning more about menopause and talking with her doctor, McClure realized she had options — and she could actually feel better.

What you need to know about menopause

Menopause is a normal part of life. It happens when a woman’s menstrual periods stop and pregnancy is no longer possible. The official marker of menopause is when you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period.

Many people also have symptoms in the years before and after menopause begins. The time before menopause is called perimenopause. It often starts in your mid-40s and can last for a few years.

During perimenopause, your periods may be irregular.

Common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause include:

• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Vaginal and bladder changes
• Weight gain
• Trouble sleeping
• Mood or mental health changes
• Memory issues and brain fog
• Changes in sex drive
• Joint and muscle pain

Most of these symptoms are due to shifting hormone levels, though aging also plays a role. Your symptoms may range from mild to severe, and they often evolve over time.

Treating menopause symptoms

McClure was a Kaiser Permanente member, but she didn’t realize that there were evidence-based medical treatments for the symptoms she was experiencing. So she looked for answers in different places.

“I’d been suffering all this time, and I just didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I wasn’t ‘sick,’ I was just uncomfortable sometimes, so it didn’t occur to me to talk with my doctor about my menopause symptoms.”

Eventually, she started virtual appointments with a functional medicine practitioner outside of Kaiser Permanente on the suggestion of a friend. McClure started hormone therapy and felt some improvement.

Hormone therapy can help relieve menopause symptoms. It helps stabilize fluctuating hormone levels and supplements declining levels, providing symptom relief within weeks.

“The care helped, but it was expensive to pay for out of pocket,” McClure said. “And when my primary care doctor learned I was taking hormones, he strongly recommended that I see an ob-gyn.”

McClure made an appointment with Parastoo Farhady, MD. Dr. Farhady leads Kaiser Permanente’s menopause and midlife women’s health care in Northern California, and she’s certified by The Menopause Society.

During the visit, they talked about McClure’s symptoms and the hormones she was taking. Dr. Farhady said hormone therapy can help some people feel better, especially when hot flashes or sleep problems are getting in the way of daily life.

But she cautions that hormone therapy isn’t for everyone. There are pros and cons based on your age, symptoms, and health history.

Short-term use of hormone therapy early in menopause is usually safe for most people. But long-term use later in life, especially at higher doses, can increase the risk of certain health problems.

An individual’s risk varies based on many factors, including the dose, timing, delivery method, and type of hormones involved.

For most women, it’s safest to start hormone therapy within the 10-year period after starting menopause and before age 60.

If you’re outside that range and have symptoms that are bothering you, it’s still worth talking with your doctor. Together, you can weigh the benefits and risks of different treatment options, including hormone therapy.

“Dr. Farhady really knows her stuff, and she reassured me that there were effective ways to handle everything I was feeling,” McClure said. “She made me suddenly feel like ‘There’s a whole great new menopausal world out there.’”

After their conversation, Dr. Farhady helped McClure transition to a safer, Food and Drug Administration-regulated, lower-dose hormone product that was covered by her Kaiser Permanente health plan.

What you can do to manage menopause symptoms

Menopause is different for each person. Your family traits, stress, daily habits, and other health factors can affect your symptoms and what treatments may help.

Talk with your doctor about what you’re experiencing. The treatment they provide may include hormone therapy or non-hormonal options.

Dr. Farhady recommends taking a class or joining a peer support group. Learning from experts can help you understand menopause better. And talking with other people going through the same thing can help you feel less alone. Studies have shown social connections and support make this transition easier.

Healthy lifestyle changes may also help you manage symptoms effectively. Try to get regular physical activity and eat healthy foods. It’s also important to limit caffeine and alcohol, manage your stress, and stay connected with friends and family.

While these habits aren’t likely to get rid of your menopause symptoms entirely, they can help make them feel less severe and easier to deal with. They can also contribute to healthier aging.

“Cognitive behavioral therapy is a well-established treatment for sleep and mood symptoms — which as we know are also two defining features of midlife,” said Dr. Farhady. “We now have strong evidence that it also effectively improves hot flashes and night sweats. For patients who cannot or choose not to use hormone therapy, including cancer survivors, this can be transformative.”

The main message: You deserve support

If you’re experiencing menopause symptoms, it’s important to know that what you’re feeling is real and there are a variety of effective treatments. You deserve to be heard and cared for.

McClure’s symptoms are currently under control. Looking back, she wishes she had learned about menopause earlier — and knew that help was available.

“I feel great now,” she said. “And I love knowing there’s somewhere I can go to get the treatment and support I need.”

She hopes more people will realize they have options and make a plan with a trusted care team. If symptoms are affecting your sleep, mood, or daily life, talk with your clinician.

“Don’t suffer with hot flashes for 20 years like I did,” McClure said.

Learn more about menopause care at Kaiser Permanente.