Perimenopause symptom checklist: a list for your doctor
Tick what you’ve noticed over the last three months. You’ll get a tidy list to print or save, so you don’t have to remember everything in a ten-minute appointment.
0 of 21 common symptoms ticked
What I’d like to discuss
Prepared . Add how long each has been going on and which affect you most.
Questions I might ask
- Could these symptoms be related to perimenopause?
- Is there anything else we should rule out?
- What are my options, including HRT and non-hormonal treatments?
- What should I keep track of before my next appointment?
Track these between now and your appointment. PeriFlow is free on iPhone and Android. Scan the code or visit periflow.io/get/list
Turn this list into a pattern
- A report, not just a list. PeriFlow turns what you log into a report of your symptoms and cycle history to share with your doctor.
- Hot flushes and night sweats. Log them alongside caffeine, alcohol, spicy food and stress, and PeriFlow points out when one seems to line up with your worse days.
- Sleep. Rate each night in a tap, or import it from Apple Health or Health Connect.
- Mood, anxiety and brain fog. A daily check-in takes seconds, and you can speak a journal entry instead of typing it.
- Your periods. A calendar built for cycles that have stopped being regular, which also notes bleeding patterns worth mentioning to your doctor.
- Everything else you ticked. Log it in seconds and see how it changes from week to week.
This checklist can’t tell you whether you’re in perimenopause. No online tool can. It’s a way to organise what you’ve noticed so a doctor can see the full picture. For what each symptom feels like and why it happens, see the complete guide to perimenopause symptoms.
Bleeding changes doctors like to hear about
Whatever your age or other symptoms, these are worth raising with a doctor rather than waiting to see:
- Any bleeding after 12 months or more with no period
- A period that lasts more than 8 days
- Bleeding or spotting between periods
- Bleeding after sex
- Flooding: soaking through a pad or tampon every hour or two, or passing large clots
- Periods regularly starting less than 21 days apart
They can have many explanations, and a doctor is the right person to look into them. Bleeding after 12 months or more with no period should be checked promptly.
Frequently asked questions
Can this checklist tell me if I’m in perimenopause?
No — and no online quiz can. Perimenopause is recognised by a clinician from your symptoms, your age and how your periods have changed. What a checklist can do is help you notice patterns and walk into an appointment with a clear list instead of trying to remember everything on the spot.
Is there a blood test for perimenopause?
Usually not a reliable one. Hormone levels swing from day to day in perimenopause, so a single result can look normal. NICE guidance in the UK says perimenopause can be recognised without blood tests in women over 45 who have typical symptoms, and that hormone tests are mainly useful in specific situations, such as symptoms before 45.
Can I be in perimenopause if my periods are still regular?
Yes. Sleep, mood and anxiety changes often appear before periods change at all, because progesterone tends to fall earlier than oestrogen. Cycle changes usually come later in the transition.
At what age does perimenopause usually start?
Most women notice changes in their early to mid-40s, but it can begin in the late 30s. Symptoms before 40 are worth raising with a doctor sooner, because they are assessed differently.
I ticked a lot of these. What should I do?
Book an appointment and take your list. Many women find it helps to say which symptoms affect daily life most, and how long they have been going on. Our guide to what to bring to a perimenopause appointment covers the rest.
Next: what to bring to your perimenopause appointment · why cycles become irregular · perimenopause vs menopause
More free tools
Perimenopause protein calculator: how much protein you need a day, and per meal.
Caffeine cut-off calculator: the latest time to have coffee without cutting into your sleep.
Calcium checker: a rough estimate of your daily calcium against the reference intake for your age.
Sources
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Menopause: identification and management (NG23). nice.org.uk
- Harlow SD, et al. Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10. Fertil Steril. 2012. PubMed
- Munro MG, Critchley HOD, Fraser IS. The two FIGO systems for normal and abnormal uterine bleeding symptoms (2018 revisions). Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2018. PubMed
This checklist is for information and to help you prepare for an appointment. It does not diagnose any condition or replace advice from a healthcare professional. If you have heavy bleeding with dizziness or breathlessness, or any symptom that worries you, seek medical advice promptly.