How Long Does Menopause Last?

Just how long does menopause last? Typically around 7 years, but this varies. Symptoms will tend to vary in severity within this period.
It’s important to know, whilst “menopause” is often the term used for the entire transition, there are 3 stages to the process.

Menopause is a major transition.

Hot flashes, night sweats, low libido, and trouble sleeping aren’t exactly symptoms to get excited about — but the thought of becoming menopausal doesn’t have to be completely scary.

It’s a challenging, but natural, part of the aging process, and we’re here for you every step of the way.

Perimenopause, which is often when symptoms arise and your menstrual cycle becomes irregular, menopause which is the term for when you haven’t had a period for 12 months, and postmenopause, which is the term for life after menopause.

Everyone’s journey will be different, so it’s best to speak to your doctor if you have any concerns.

Bearing that in mind, here we go.

The answers to all of your burning questions about how long menopause might last.

In this article: 📝

How long does a woman go through menopause?

The average length of time menopausal symptoms may be present is around 7 years in total, and around 4.5 years after reaching menopause.

Having said that, it can last much less time, or linger on for longer, sometimes into your 60s, 70s, or even 80s.

What are the signs of coming to the end of menopause?

Your periods will become more and more irregular — either more frequent, or less frequent, heavier, or lighter — before stopping completely.

You may have a break between bleeds of several months before they start again, but you need a full 12 months since your last period to know you’ve reached menopause.

When does menopause end?

You might feel like asking, does menopause ever end? if you’ve been suffering from symptoms for years already, and the answer is, kind of.

When you reach menopause, it means you haven’t had a period for 12 months and your body has stopped producing estrogen.

Your symptoms may actually get temporarily worse than in the perimenopausal phase as your body adapts to this new balance.

“Postmenopause” is the term for life after menopause when, typically, symptoms ease off after 2-3 years.

However, they might never completely disappear.

What is the average age for menopause to end?

In America, the average age to reach menopause is 51, however, it’s considered normal for it to be any age between 45 and 55.

It’s considered early menopause to start having symptoms before the age of 45, and premature menopause if symptoms occur before age 40.

The age at which you go through menopause can be hereditary.

Speaking with other women in your family about when they went through the transition might give you a relatively good indicator as to when you might expect the changes.

How long does menopause weight gain last?

Metabolism tends to slow down whilst you go through menopause, and it can be harder to lose weight when you’re postmenopausal.

If possible, keeping active and eating healthily throughout will help keep any weight gain in check.

Learn more about menopause and weight gain.

How long does surgical menopause last?

Surgical menopause is a result of the removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) and/or ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy) or damage caused by treatments such as chemotherapy.

The onset of menopausal symptoms will be immediate after surgery if you have both your uterus and ovaries removed and how long they last will be dependent on your post-op treatment plan.

Can menopause last 10 years?

Unfortunately, some menopause symptoms like hot flashes can last for 10 years or more, especially if they start at the beginning of your perimenopausal phase.

Remember, everyone’s menopause journey will be individual, so let’s take it one step at a time.