How to prepare for a perimenopause appointment

Updated 20 October 2026 · Written by the Peri team at Openverse from the sources listed below. Not reviewed by a clinician.

Appointments are short. A one-page summary of your symptoms, periods, medicines and questions helps you use the time well.

Before the appointment

1. Track for a few weeks. Use a symptom diary so you can say how often each symptom happens and how much it affects you.
2. Note changes to your periods in recent months, as the NHS suggests.¹ Dates of your last few periods help. See tracking period changes.
3. List everything you take, including medicines, herbal remedies and supplements,¹ and your contraception.
4. Write down your top three concerns and how they affect your daily life, such as sleep, work or relationships.²
5. Write your questions, most important first.
6. Decide what you'd like from this visit: information, a treatment discussion, a review, or a referral.

Put it all on one page: our appointment summary prints it for you.

Health history you may be asked about

If you're considering HRT, the NHS notes it may not be suitable for people with a history of breast, ovarian or womb cancer, blood clots, untreated high blood pressure or liver disease, or who are pregnant.¹ Your clinician will go through what applies to you. Having your own and your family's relevant history to hand saves time.

About blood tests

NICE recommends that clinicians identify perimenopause in otherwise healthy people aged 45 or over from symptoms and changes to periods, without laboratory tests, and advises against using tests such as oestradiol or anti-Müllerian hormone for this in that age group.³ This is guidance for clinicians, and your care may differ, for example if you're under 45 or use hormonal contraception. It's one reason a clear symptom record is useful.

Questions to ask

The NHS suggests questions like these if you're discussing HRT:¹

• How will HRT help me?
• How soon will I feel better?
• What are the benefits and what are the risks?
• Is HRT the only treatment I can have for my symptoms?
• How long will I have to take it?
• How will I know what type will work best for me?

Other useful questions: what should I keep tracking, and what would make you want to see me sooner?

If you're under 45

The NHS advises seeing a GP if you're under 45 and think you're having menopause symptoms, as this may be early or premature menopause.¹

At an HRT review

A review is usually recommended 3 months after starting or changing HRT, then about once a year.¹³ Bring:

• Your HRT log: start date, any changes and missed doses
• Symptom ratings from before and since starting
• Any bleeding or spotting, with dates
• Side effects you noticed and whether they're settling

Using Peri for this

Peri can export your data as a CSV file for free. With Premium it creates a PDF report covering 30, 90 or 180 days on iPhone, with a symptom summary, cycle summary, your medications and dose log, and your notes. See what the report contains.