Perimenopause and menopause can mean major change for many women. Dr Maree really hears your concerns, and designs a treatment plan that reduces disruption, so you feel like you again.
For way too long, we as women didn’t talk openly about the impact that the long list of perimenopause and menopause challenges can have on every aspect of our lives. We suffered through sudden hot flushes, fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, stomach issues, mood changes, body changes and more, feeling like no one would listen and nothing could be done.
Thankfully times are changing, and there is a strong shift towards focusing on improving quality of life for women experiencing symptoms.
Perimenopause and everything that comes with it can start years, even more than a decade before periods stop, and that’s the time to start a conversation so you don’t need to struggle through this alone.
Talk to Dr Maree about what’s happening with your mind and body, explore treatments from MHT (HRT) to non-hormonal approaches, and feel supported and strengthened well before this change feels unmanageable.
Menopause insights
Few areas of women's health have been reshaped as significantly as the management of perimenopause and menopause over recent years.
For decades, menopausal hormone therapy was prescribed widely in countries like the USA, though it was less common in Australia. This changed in 2002, when a Women’s Health Initiative study triggered alarm, later shown to be largely overstated, over links between MHT and breast cancer, stroke and blood clots. Prescriptions fell sharply. What the headline missed was the crucial context: the trial population was, on average, a decade past menopause, yet the findings were generalised to everyone.
Reanalysis has since made clear that for healthy women under 60 or within ten years of their final period, the benefits of MHT for symptoms and cardiovascular and bone protection generally outweigh the risks. The same therapy carries a different risk profile depending on when it is started. Formulation has also evolved: transdermal oestrogen avoids much of the clot risk of oral forms, while lower individualised doses and body-identical hormones have refined how treatment is tailored.
Still, many Australian women live with untreated symptoms. They are held back by limited awareness and a fear of being dismissed. There is a long way to go, but we’re heading in the right direction.
Visit The Waiting Room to learn more.
Oral oestrogen scripts fell by millions in the two years after 2002.
Around 80% of women experience HOT FLUSHES OR SIMILAR during menopause.
Vasomotor EFFECTS (inc. hot flushes) last a median of 7.4 years.
Around 1 in 4 women have symptoms severe enough to affect daily activities.
One in three (32%) women are unable to link common symptoms to menopause.
Your first appointment with Dr Maree is a conversation, so get ready to share and have someone really listen! The doctor will ask you to walk through what’s happening, how it’s affecting you and your history. Then she will answer any questions you have about what you could experience in future years.
Sometimes blood work is useful, sometimes it isn’t, depending on your age and other factors. Dr Maree will explain what testing can and can’t tell you at this stage, and will take the time to develop a strong awareness of your situation, before helping you plan your treatment approach.
Treatment paths will vary from person to person, but may include MHT (previously HRT), non-hormonal treatments, or lifestyle modifications, with clear information about the benefits and risks of each so you can make a decision that fits how you live.
Perimenopause and menopause can shift over time, and Dr Maree remains available to adjust your plan, or just to talk, as things change.
If perimenopause or menopause is affecting the way you live and how you enjoy life, you do have options that don’t start with ‘grin and bear it’. Talk to Dr Maree and find out if MHT, non-hormonal or other treatments can help this life stage pass easier.
Menopause and perimenopause come with a lot of questions, and at Dr Maree’s practice, we are all about delivering the answers. Here are some of the most common queries we receive.
A referral from your GP can help you receive a Medicare rebate for your appointment. Dr Maree provides perimenopause and menopause services from all of her office locations.
Irregular periods, changes in mood, sleep disruption and hot flushes are common signs of perimenopause, though symptoms vary widely between women. There’s no single test that confirms perimenopause on its own, it’s usually based on your symptoms and history.
For most healthy women, current guidance shows the benefits of MHT (previously HRT) outweigh the risks, particularly when started within ten years of menopause or before age sixty. Dr Maree will go through your individual risk factors before recommending anything.
Perimenopause is the lead up to menopause, when hormone levels become unpredictable, while menopause is the point 12 months after your final period. Many of the symptoms people associate with menopause actually happen during perimenopause.
No. Non-hormonal treatments and lifestyle approaches are available, and Dr Maree will respect whatever approach feels right for you.
Yes, it’s still possible during perimenopause, since ovulation can continue irregularly until you’ve gone twelve full months without a period. This is worth discussing if pregnancy is something you want to avoid. If it’s something you want to achieve, talk to the doctor about fertility testing.
The Waiting Room is the perfect place to take a few minutes and read through the latest research, emerging practices, and insights shared by Dr Maree. The more you know, the more effectively you can consider and discuss your options and make informed decisions that are right for you.
Male factor affects around half of couples trying to conceive, yet the man is often the last to be tested. Dr Maree Lee explains what a semen analysis really tells you and why both partners should be investigated from the start.
Age is information, not a verdict. Dr Maree Lee explains what fertility decline after 35 really means, why AMH doesn’t tell the whole story, and when to investigate.
An evidence-based guide to elective egg freezing by fertility specialist Dr Maree Lee: what it preserves, success rates by age, the process and the Australian rules.
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Surgical expertise, paired with the same attentiveness and support you have come to expect.
Whether you’re noticing early changes or you’re well into perimenopause or menopause, Dr Maree can help you understand what’s happening and what you can do. Book a consultation and start the conversation.
