Menopause is known for hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness. Most of the time, people experience menopause in their late forties or early fifties as a natural part of aging, and those symptoms can even occur during the early part of the transition, which is known as perimenopause.
Additionally, there’s a condition called medical menopause, which can happen due to a variety of conditions and procedures, including gender-affirming care.
Regardless of the reason you're experiencing medical menopause, there are ways you can care for yourself and mitigate the associated symptoms.
What Is Medical Menopause?
"Menopause occurs due to a decrease in hormones produced by the ovaries," says Nisarg Patel, MBBS, an ob-gyn at Nisha IVF Centre in Ahmedabad, India, and at ClinicSpots. "This reduction usually happens gradually over time, with most women experiencing it between ages 45 and 55."
While the average age of menopause in the United States is 52, some people may experience a change in hormone levels earlier. Going through menopause before midlife can be challenging when most available resources for managing the change are designed for those in their forties and fifties.
"Medical menopause, also known as induced menopause, occurs when a person's ovaries are surgically removed or damaged through radiation or chemotherapy," says James Walker, MD, a medical adviser for the healthcare platform Welzo.
A 20-year-old experiencing medical menopause due to cancer treatment may not feel comfortable using resources intended for older people, for example.
Likewise, transgender men may not feel comfortable in a women's clinic. However, as part of their medical transition, they may experience medical menopause and need just as much support as anyone else going through a similar process.
Medical menopause results in "an abrupt cessation of estrogen and progesterone production," Dr. Walker says. Those hormones are responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle; without them, people with uteruses may experience a variety of physical and emotional symptoms, he says.
Causes of Medical Menopause?
Chemotherapy or radiation that targets the reproductive system can disrupt hormone production and damage the ovaries.
"Surgical removal of the ovaries, known as an oophorectomy, can also trigger medical menopause," says Ooha Susmita, MBBS, MD, a psychiatrist and sexual wellness expert based in Bengaluru, India, who works with the digital sexual health platform Allo Health. "This procedure is sometimes done as part of a hysterectomy, which involves removing the uterus."
Chemotherapy isn't the only reason someone might experience medical menopause. "Other medical conditions, such as premature ovarian failure or certain autoimmune disorders, can cause medical menopause," Dr. Susmita says. Other conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, and Crohn's disease.
But medical menopause can also happen to transgender people undergoing hormone therapy, Walker says.
In addition, surgical removal of the ovaries in transgender men can cause medical menopause, says Kimberly Shaw, a certified nurse midwife at Cone Health in North Carolina.
Transgender women can experience symptoms from medical menopause in certain situations, too, Susmita says. This is typically because they need to stop their hormone therapy for something like "an upcoming surgery or age-related reasons," she says, "and the symptoms are very similar to those seen in cisgender women."
Symptoms of Medical Menopause
Medical menopause usually comes with symptoms close to those of natural menopause, according to Shaw and Susmita.
These can include the following:
Hot flashes
Mood changes
Vaginal dryness
Night sweats
Decreased libido
Fatigue
Difficulty sleeping
But everyone is unique, so you may not experience these or other symptoms with menopause.
5 Tips for Taking Good Care of Yourself
Just as there's no guarantee which medical menopause symptoms you'll experience, there's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to managing those symptoms either, Walker says.
People experiencing menopause symptoms due to chemotherapy or ovary removal may require different treatment and care than individuals undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy and experiencing medical menopause as part of their transition.
"The management of medical menopause is highly individualized, and treatment options should be discussed with a healthcare provider," Walker says.
You want that doctor to know their stuff, too. "It is important to work with a knowledgeable healthcare provider who can provide guidance on the most appropriate treatment options for each individual patient," Shaw says.
1. Talk to a Doctor About What You're Experiencing
Your doctor can't help you if they don't know what you're going through, so talk to them about your symptoms, Dr. Patel says.
Once they know what you're up against, they may be able to suggest lifestyle changes that could help, he says, such as getting plenty of sleep, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly, as well as medical treatments.
Ideally, your doctor lets you know when to expect symptoms of medical menopause before they start.
2. Explore Hormone Therapy
One of the most commonly recommended treatments for medical menopause is hormone therapy (HT), sometimes called hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
To manage symptoms of medical menopause, people may consider HRT, which involves taking estrogen, progesterone, or both to replace the hormones that the body is no longer producing, Walker says.
HT is not to be confused with gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), which is when transgender people use hormone therapy as part of their medical transition.
GAHT for transgender men and other gender nonconforming individuals can lead to medical menopause. These people shouldn’t take systemic hormone therapy, as it might interfere with their transition. However, they may benefit from using a topical estrogen cream to treat vaginal dryness and atrophy, for example.
Speak with your healthcare provider about whether hormone therapy is appropriate for you.
3. Explore Other Medications
Seeing a doctor for treatment for medical menopause can help you get access to prescription medications that can manage or reduce symptoms. These medical treatments won't make menopause stop; they simply make the symptoms easier to tolerate.
Options include the following medications:
Vaginal estrogen, which can be applied via a cream, ring, or tablet to reduce vaginal dryness and other urinary symptoms
Low-dose antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which may reduce hot flashes and mood symptoms
Gabapentin, a nerve medication, which can reduce nighttime hot flashes
Osteoporosis medications, which can help prevent or treat bone loss
Fezolinetant, a nonhormonal medication that treats hot flashes and night sweats
4. Implement Lifestyle Changes
One of the best things you can do to manage medical menopause is foster relaxation and calm in your life.
"HRT can help alleviate many of the symptoms of menopause, but it is not suitable for everyone," Shaw says. "Other options include lifestyle modifications such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, and stress-reduction techniques."
5. Find Your Community
Community support can be key for navigating medical menopause, says Kryss Shane, PhD, a licensed master social worker and professor. "The collective of those who do not fit the traditional experience of menopause is growing," Dr. Shane says. "Internet communities offering guidance and support prove to be invaluable resources."
Online or in-person support groups can help you feel like you're not alone. Knowing that other people have been where you are can create a sense of relief and validation that your experience is understood by at least one other person.
Support for Menopause
Navigating menopause, whether it is a natural part of your transition or because of medical reasons, can sometimes feel lonely. However, you are not alone; there are groups and forums where you can find support during what can be a challenging time.
My Menoplan is an online resource that offers tools to identify where you are in your journey and other personalized options.
The Endocrine Society is a community of scientists and clinicians dedicated to hormone research, covering topics that include perimenopause and menopause.
The National Menopause Foundation has resources on its website for women to gain a better understanding of perimenopause and menopause; it also offers a peer-to-peer support community that allows women to connect and share their experiences.
The Menopause Society is a nonprofit organization that offers tools for healthcare providers to help people through the menopause transition and helps individuals find certified menopause practitioners.
MeetUp provides a space for people who are experiencing menopause to find events on the topic.
