Perimenopause Symptom Checker: Have I Started Perimenopause?

Perimenopause Symptom Quiz

Perimenopause is the phase that leads to menopause. Women tend to start perimenopause in their early 40s and it can last anywhere between 5 and 10 years.

Perimenopause has over 34 symptoms ranging from hot flushes, night sweats, to increased anxiety and brain fog. With other life pressures of family, caregiving and career these symptoms are often overlooked as being part and parcel of a stressful life.

We’ve put together a free perimenopause symptoms quiz that can help you check if the symptoms you’re experiencing could be due to perimenopause. The best way to check is to use our perimenopause blood test kit – the only at-home blood test in the UK that uses 2 blood samples from days 14 and 21 of your menstrual cycle to screen for perimenopause accurately.

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How old are you? *Select your age18-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960+

1. Do you experience hot flushes? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

2. Do you experience night sweats? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

3. Have your periods become irregular? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

4. Are you having digestive issues or frequent bloating? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

5. Are you suffering from poor sleep? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

6. Have you noticed changes to your memory? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

7. Do you suffer from brain fog? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

8. Has your sex drive changed? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

9. Are you experiencing any mood changes, e.g. increased anxiety, depression, bursts of anger? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

10. Are you experiencing joint pain or muscle tension? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

11. Do you suffer from headaches, vertigo or dizzy spells? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

12. Have your noticed your skin becoming dry or itchy? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

13. Increased frequency/urgency to urinate? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

14. Do you suffer from vaginal dryness or pain during sex? *

• Never
• Often
• Always

Submit results

_{Note: this quiz is for educational purposes only and will not diagnose perimenopause.} 

2026 Quiz Results: Most Common Perimenopause Symptoms

We’ve analysed data from over 31,000 women who completed our quiz and regularly experience irregular periods. The results offer some fascinating insights into what women are truly experiencing.

The Most Common Symptoms in Women Over 40

When we look specifically at women over 40, the most commonly reported symptoms include:

• Mood Changes: The most prevalent symptom across all age groups, affecting around 88% of women in their 40s and 50s.
• Poor Sleep: Reported by 83% of women over 40, making it one of the most consistent and disruptive symptoms.
• Brain Fog and Changes to Memory: Both cognitive symptoms affect around 82% of women over 40, far more common than most women realise.
• Joint Pain or Muscle Tension: Affects 80% of women over 40 and becomes more prevalent with age, rising to 82% in the 50–59 group.

Common Symptoms Across the Board: Why Symptoms Alone Aren’t Enough

However, our data reveals that symptoms alone are not a definitive indicator of perimenopause. Many symptoms traditionally associated with this transition are reported just as frequently, or more so, by younger women. For example:

• Hot Flushes: Experienced by 68.4% of women aged 18–29, compared to just 50.3% of those aged 40–49.
• Headaches, Vertigo or Dizzy Spells: Reported by 78.7% of women in their twenties, declining steadily to 65.2% in the 50–59 group.
• Digestive Issues or Frequent Bloating: More prevalent in the 18–29 age group (87.8%) than in women aged 40–49 (81.6%).

Here is the full list of symptoms and how many women over 40 experience them:

Understanding the Overlap

So why are these symptoms so common across different age groups? Many factors beyond perimenopause can cause them:

• Hot Flushes: Can be triggered by anxiety, thyroid disorders, certain medications, or even vitamin D deficiency.
• Irregular Periods: Often linked to stress, hormonal contraception, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), or thyroid problems.
• Brain Fog: Frequently stems from poor sleep, chronic stress, depression, or nutritional deficiencies.
  These overlaps highlight that a holistic view of health is essential.

These changes can make work more challenging. In our 2024 study on discrimination against menopausal women at work, we found over two-thirds (69.4%) of people believed women faced some form of discrimination due to perimenopause and/or menopause.

How Do You Know If You’ve Started Perimenopause?

The first step is to understand the symptoms of perimenopause, and our quiz will help with that. The next step is to understand how your hormones fluctuate across your menstrual cycle.

As women go through perimenopause their levels of ovarian response hormones – oestrogen and progesterone – slowly decline, while their levels of the two control hormones – follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) – increase. 

Our advanced perimenopause hormone blood test will map these 4 key hormones across your entire menstrual cycle and will also provide you with our unique FORM score which will tell you how well your ovaries are responding to the two control hormones FSH and LH.

View our Hormone Tests and start your journey to better health today

Perimenopause Symptoms

The symptoms women experience while going through perimenopause can vary widely, some women will only experience a few, while others may find the symptoms impact their quality of life. The most common symptoms include:

• Irregular periods
• Hot flushes & night sweats
• Trouble sleeping
• Vaginal dryness
• Reduced sex drive (low libido)
• Mood swings

If you are not over 40 but are experiencing some of the above symptoms without any other cause, such as a hysterectomy, then you could be experiencing early onset of perimenopause. 

However, it would be worth visiting your GP to discuss your symptoms so blood tests can be carried out to rule out other conditions such as thyroid issues.

As each woman is an individual, the age you start perimenopause and reach menopause will be unique to you. 

The best way to confirm perimenopause is by taking our advanced perimenopause home blood test alongside our health questionnaire which will help confirm if your symptoms are due to a declining ovarian response.

View a demo of the full report you will receive.

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