Wies: “Many women feel better after menopause than before"

Recently, I overheard someone say, “Oh, she’s been done with menopause for ages.” I understood what they meant, but is there really a definitive end point? When can you truly say that menopause is over?

A gynaecologist explained it to me like this: menopause is considered ‘over’ when the body has adjusted to the new hormonal state and the symptoms caused by fluctuations have subsided.

The postmenopause is the period following your last menstrual period and is confirmed once you’ve gone a full year without menstruating. From that point onwards, you are postmenopausal. Many women, an estimated 90 per cent, find that their symptoms gradually diminish over time.

However, there is also a smaller group, about 10 per cent of women, who continue to experience symptoms such as hot flushes, even when maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Based on this, I can conclude that my menopause is over. But I will always remain postmenopausal — good to know.

Once the sex hormones have settled, not much else happens. The downside is that after menopause, oestrogen production remains low, which increases the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, and other conditions compared to pre-menopause. Therefore, it’s important to continue paying attention to your lifestyle.

That said, we’re not entirely without oestrogen, as small amounts are still produced in fat tissue and by the adrenal glands. This is vital for maintaining bone density, metabolism, and mood.

The upside is that you feel balanced again thanks to this new hormonal equilibrium. In fact, many women report feeling better after menopause than they did before. According to research commissioned by the English magazine Health Plus, eight out of ten women experience an overwhelming sense of freedom after menopause, and six out of ten say they feel better than ever. That’s certainly encouraging.

I’m still using hormone therapy (estradiol and progesterone), and it makes me feel good. That’s why I find it difficult to stop. At the same time, other considerations come into play as I get older.

Research indicates that there’s no increased risk of breast cancer or cardiovascular diseases if you use hormone therapy for no more than five years and begin within ten years of your last menstrual period. Current studies are exploring whether it’s also safe to continue beyond the age of 60 if you started on time. The findings look promising, but further research is needed.

I’ve decided to stop when I turn 61. For now, I can confidently say that I’m among the 60 per cent who feel better than ever.

Wies Verbeek (58) is a journalist, founder of the website BLOW.nl, and author of the book ’n Beetje Leuk Ouder Worden, 101 verrassende en bewezen tips. She is currently navigating her way through menopause.