Menopause Clinic

Menopause is when a woman stops having periods completely. It is a natural part of ageing.
Your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55. The average age in Ireland for a woman to reach menopause is 51. You reach menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months.
Periods usually start to become less frequent over a few years before they stop. Sometimes they can stop suddenly. In some women, periods can become very heavy in the year coming up to menopause.

Your GP can usually confirm if you’re menopausal based on your symptoms. They may suggest a blood test to check your hormone levels.
They may refer you to a specialist clinic if:

• treatment does not help your symptoms
• you have ongoing troublesome side effects after treatment
• you cannot have HRT
• you have a complex medical history

Doctor Micheline McCarthy’s special interest is menopause

Menopause (your last period) occurs at an average age of 51 years. 75% of women experience symptoms in the lead up to this or once they reach menopause. This usually occurs somewhere between 45-55 years, but symptoms can occur earlier or later than this.

Menopause can also affect your bone health, heart health, sexual health, psychological health, and sleep.
We have the experience and expertise to offer treatment and support to most women – however in certain situations, such as if you have a personal history of breast cancer, we may need to involve a more specialised doctor as these cases can be particularly complex.
We ask you to let us know if you have a history of breast cancer so we can give you appropriate advice.

What will happen during the appointment?

• Menopause symptom assessment – We will suggest treatment options depending on your symptoms and preferences. We prescribe Bio-identical hormone treatment when appropriate.
• Cardiac Health Assessment – this includes an examination, your personal q-risk screening score and blood tests if not recently done. We can add ECG screening at this stage if appropriate.
• Bone Health Assessment – a comprehensive history-taking, BMI and a FRAX score assessment which measures your risk of suffering an osteoporosis-related fracture in the coming years.
• Lifestyle Assessment and Advice
• Contraceptive Advice
• Breast Exam
• We will arrange a smear test if one is due

Before booking your appointment with the doctor, please read the attached leaflet carefully:
https://www.scribd.com/document/969804141/Hse-South-Menopause

For your first menopause appointment, please bring the filled-in questionnaire attached below:

https://www.menopausehealth.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Menopause-Health-Medical-Questionnaire.pdf