Printable checklist
Menopause symptoms checklist
This is a printable menopause symptoms checklist to take to your GP, grouped by type: vasomotor (hot flushes, night sweats), psychological and cognitive (mood, anxiety, brain fog), physical (sleep, aches, palpitations, skin and hair, periods) and urogenital and sexual (dryness, bladder, libido). It is a conversation aid, not a diagnostic test: there is no score. Tick what you notice, add how long and how much it affects you, and take it to your appointment. Information only, not medical advice.
Download this checklist
The full checklist with space to note when each symptom started and how much it affects you. Everything in it is also shown on this page.
Taking this to your GP? Our GP appointment prep sheet helps you note your periods, your medical history and the medicines you take, and lists questions to ask about your options. Want a record over a few weeks first? Use the perimenopause symptom tracker. Both are free downloads.
There is no score and no cut-off. Tick anything you have noticed, then note when it started, how often it happens and how much it affects your daily life. The groups below are our own way of arranging the symptoms listed on the NHS menopause and perimenopause symptoms page.
Vasomotor (temperature)
- Hot flushes (face, neck and chest suddenly feel very hot or cold)
- Night sweats
- Palpitations with flushes
Psychological and cognitive
- Low mood or feeling depressed
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Problems with memory or concentration (brain fog)
Physical
- Difficulty sleeping
- Headaches or migraines that are worse than usual
- Muscle aches and joint pains
- Palpitations
- Weight gain or a change in body shape
- Skin changes, including dry or itchy skin
- Hair thinning or hair loss
- Sensitive teeth, painful gums or other mouth problems
- Weakening bones (loss of bone density)
- Changes to your periods
Urogenital and sexual
- Vaginal dryness, burning, irritation or itching
- Pain or discomfort during sex
- Reduced sex drive
- Needing to pee more often or urgently, or leaking
- Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
For each symptom you ticked, note
When it started How often it happens How much it affects daily life (a little or a lot)
Questions you might ask your GP
Are these likely to be perimenopause or menopause symptoms? What are my options, including HRT and non-hormonal approaches? What are the benefits and risks for me specifically? Should anything else be checked first?
Read more
Read our menopause symptoms pages for what each one feels like and what helps, prepare for the appointment with the HRT conversation prep sheet, or use our menopause questionnaire and symptom record. If you feel very tired, low iron is one possible cause: the NHS says heavy periods are a very common cause of iron deficiency anaemia, which a GP checks with a blood test. Our guide to iron and iron supplements for women explains more. More free printables.
Frequently asked questions
Is this checklist a diagnosis?
No. It is a conversation aid to help you describe your symptoms clearly to your GP. There is no score and no cut-off. Menopause and perimenopause are usually identified by a clinician from your symptoms and age, and NICE advises that women over 45 with typical symptoms do not usually need a blood test.
How do I use it?
Tick anything you have noticed, then for each one note when it started, how often it happens and how much it affects your daily life. Take it to your appointment. Having it written down means the conversation starts from a clear picture rather than trying to remember everything on the spot.
When should I see my GP?
The NHS says to contact your GP if you want to know your options, if you have palpitations, if you are bleeding more, not less, than before, or if you have any vaginal bleeding after 12 months or more without a period. The box above lists these in full.
This is information, not medical advice, and is not a substitute for a registered clinician. This checklist does not diagnose anything; it helps you describe your symptoms to your GP.
Editor, Her Vitals
Oliver leads Her Vitals's editorial coverage of women's life-stage health and supplements. He curates and reviews existing branded products across trying to conceive, pregnancy, postnatal, perimenopause, menopause and the senior years, weighing what the evidence supports against guidance from bodies such as EFSA, the NHS and NICE, and is clear that the content is information rather than medical advice.
Reviewed by TribElle Clinical Team (Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council; 9012688) on . Confirms clinical accuracy against published guidance; not an endorsement of Her Vitals or its products.