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Written by
Stacy Miller
As you reach the end of your reproductive years, you begin the transition into menopause. While this life stage is completely natural, it’s common for women to feel unprepared or unsure of what to expect. As your sex hormone levels drop, you’ll begin experiencing changes in your body. Many women find that using a menopause hormone levels chart can help them better understand these hormonal fluctuations and the symptoms they create. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits a menopause hormone chart offers and how you can manage symptoms and feel your best.
Menopause is 12 consecutive months without a period. It’s the final stage of perimenopause, which begins around age 46 and can last ten or more years. During perimenopause, your ovaries release eggs less frequently, and once you reach menopause, ovulation stops altogether. This lack of ovulation causes menstrual irregularity and low progesterone levels. As the number of follicles decreases, this leads to a drop in estrogen levels.
During this transition, you may notice symptoms, such as weight gain, mood swings, hot flashes, and night sweats. You may also struggle to sleep or have a lowered libido. Your doctor can use a blood test to determine your hormone levels, but there are also accurate at-home urine tests you can use. You can put the results into a perimenopause menopause hormone levels chart to monitor hormonal fluctuations.
For women in all stages of their reproductive life, hormone tracking can offer beneficial insights into your hormonal health. It’s often used for pregnancy confirmation and ovulation prediction, but the benefits don’t stop there. For example, an estrogen level chart can show you rising or dropping estrogen levels, which may explain why you’re experiencing certain symptoms. Using the information from a hormone tracker to create a women’s hormone levels chart can take away the fear and uncertainty from different life stages and help you identify concerns you may want to address with your doctor.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all way to decode hormone levels in menopause chart, there are certain guidelines laid out by STRAW. If you prefer, you can also use more specific charts, like an estradiol level menopause hormone levels chart or an LH levels menopause chart to track specific markers for more detailed insights.
For the early menopause transition, a perimenopause hormone levels chart can give you insight into hormonal fluctuations. If you’re not afraid of needles, a perimenopause estradiol levels chart is a great choice for this stage. However, if needles make you shiver, you can measure hormone levels in urine by testing for the estrogen metabolite estrone-3-glucuronide or E1G. During this time, you may experience:
For the late menopausal transition, you can use a female hormone levels chart to monitor the following hormonal changes:
A menopause graph can help with identifying menopause markers:
While a menopause graph can help you monitor your hormone levels, it’s also a great way to identify associated symptoms and physiological changes.
Unfortunately, FSH levels aren’t as effective as determining menopause as monitoring your periods. A paper written about the menopausal transition states, “Although an early-cycle FSH level of >40 IU/L is an independent marker of the late menopausal transition, it is less predictive of the late transition than menstrual bleeding markers, such as amenorrhoea for >60 days.” Conclusion: track your periods, they’ll let you know when something’s happening.
A menopause estrogen levels chart can help you monitor falling estrogen levels and see how it affects your mood and emerging symptoms, such as hot flashes.
Progesterone levels chart menopause: checking progesterone won’t give you meaningful results, as progesterone levels drop 1–2 years before the final period and remain nearly undetectable for the rest of your life.
As we’ve mentioned, physiological changes are important indicators of changes in your body.
Irregular periods are one of the first signs of perimenopause, caused by a decreasing number of follicles and anovulation, as ovaries become less responsive to brain triggers.
Hot flashes are another common menopausal symptom, causing sudden increases in body temperature. It can cause a rush of warmth along your face, neck, and chest and can be followed by chills. In some women, it is accompanied by anxiety, dizziness, or a rapid heartbeat.
Night sweats are similar to hot flashes, except they occur at night. You may wake up feeling hot, with excess sweating. Night sweats can disrupt your sleep, making you feel tired during the day.
Hormonal fluctuations can also cause weight gain, as they impact your metabolic efficiency and cause food cravings. Sticking to a healthy diet and exercising daily can help maintain your weight during menopause.
Many women experience mood swings during menopause as their hormone levels change. You may feel increased anxiety, depression, or stress. Therapy is an excellent way to work through these feelings and learn healthy coping habits.
Hormone changes are a natural part of aging and an inevitable physiological process in women. While you can’t impact your FSH or estradiol levels, there are ways you can help manage symptoms.
Eating a diet full of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables is a great way to support your hormone health. It also helps you maintain a healthy weight and feel your best.
Daily exercise keeps your body moving and can help lower cortisol levels. It’s an effective and natural way to manage stress, anxiety, and depression. Be careful to avoid over-exercising; walking, hiking, and low-impact options are great choices.
Your body requires sleep to function properly, so getting 7 to 9 hours every night is essential. Sleeping promotes hormone health and allows your body to recover.
If you’re under age 45 and start experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, you should consult your doctor. You can also talk to them if your symptoms interfere with your daily life or become severe.
If you’re entering menopause, an estradiol levels menopause chart can help you monitor your hormone levels and symptoms. Having the right tracker can make all the difference, which is why there’s Hormona. The Hormona app is the premier hormone tracker designed by women for women. It’s an award-winning app giving you the tools and insights you need to understand your body and feel your best.
There is no bad estradiol level. The levels can fluctuate from undetectable to low, mean as in the reproductive years, or high due to certain reasons. Higher estradiol levels can lead to symptoms like heavy bleeding and are detected by blood work.
When it comes to menopause test results, consistency is key. You must compare the same samples from the same lab using the same measurements. There is no value in comparing random blood results or using saliva or urine tests.
No, high FSH doesn’t cause weight gain.
If you believe you may need hormone replacement therapy (HRT), it’s important to monitor your symptoms. These can include hot flashes, trouble sleeping, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness, fatigue, and weight gain.
HRT is available in local (vaginal) and whole-body options. Vaginal HRT is mainly recommended when the most bothersome symptom is vaginal dryness. If you experience frequent hot flashes, you may benefit from whole-body estrogen HRT in the form of a patch, spray, gel, or pills. If you have a uterus, your doctor will prescribe progesterone or combined HRT containing both estrogen and progesterone.
In addition, oral HRT has a slightly higher risk of blood clots compared to transdermal HRT (patch, spray, gel), and if you have an elevated risk due to family or medical history, your doctor will recommend either transdermal HRT or non-hormonal medication. Some women don’t absorb HRT well enough, which may lead to the conclusion that it doesn’t work, but in reality, they require either a higher HRT dose or a switch to another type. If you find yourself in a similar situation, talk to your doctor before making a decision that HRT is not for you.
One more type of HRT includes testosterone. Testosterone HRT is recommended off-label when the main troubling symptom is low libido and you have not benefited from estrogen HRT. It can take up to half a year to see favorable results from testosterone treatment. Side effects of taking testosterone include facial hair growth, hair thinning, acne, and weight gain.
Whether you go through menopause with or without HRT depends on your symptoms and circumstances. If your symptoms are severe and interfere with your daily life, HRT can provide relief and make the process easier.
There is also a potential long-term benefit from HRT, as it may decrease the risk of developing dementia in the future. More than 20 years ago, when a few large studies on HRT were conducted, there was concern about a possible link between HRT and an increased risk of dementia. However, the women in those studies were over 60 years old when they started taking HRT, often more than 10 years after menopause. Nowadays, the approach has changed completely: HRT is recommended earlier, when the first sufficiently disturbing symptoms appear, typically during perimenopause, before the final menstrual period.
Please keep in mind that HRT is not a one-time medication; it is taken continuously. The first significant results typically appear after about four weeks of taking HRT, so you’ll need a lot of patience before then. Finally, like any other medication, HRT comes with both benefits and risks; however, for most people, the benefits outweigh the risks.
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Dr Singh is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center. His research and clinical practice focuses on the myriad of sleep.
Robertson, D. M., Hale, G. E., Fraser, I. S., Hughes, C. L., & Burger, H. G. (2008). A proposed classification system for menstrual cycles in the menopause transition based on changes in serum hormone profiles. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 15(6), 1139–1144. https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0b013e3181735687
Gombert-Labedens, M., Vesterdorf, K., Fuller, A., Maloney, S. K., & Baker, F. C. (2025). Effects of menopause on temperature regulation. Temperature, 1–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2025.2484499
Harlow, S. D., Gass, M., Hall, J. E., Lobo, R., Maki, P., Rebar, R. W., Sherman, S., Sluss, P. M., de Villiers, T. J., & STRAW 10 Collaborative Group (2012). Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 19(4), 387–395. https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0b013e31824d8f40
Hale , G., MD, & Burger, H., MD (2009). Hormonal changes and biomarkers in late reproductive age, menopausal transition and menopause. Science Direct. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1521693408001399
Woods, N.F., Mitchell, E.S. (2016). The Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study: a longitudinal prospective study of women during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause. Women’s midlife health 2, 6 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40695-016-0019-x
Vinogradova, Y., Coupland, C., & Hippisley-Cox, J. (2019). Use of hormone replacement therapy and risk of venous thromboembolism: nested case-control studies using the QResearch and CPRD databases. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 364, k4810. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k4810
Shumaker, S. A., Reboussin, B. A., Espeland, M. A., Rapp, S. R., McBee, W. L., Dailey, M., Bowen, D., Terrell, T., & Jones, B. N. (1998). The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS): a trial of the effect of estrogen therapy in preventing and slowing the progression of dementia. Controlled clinical trials, 19(6), 604–621. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0197-2456(98)00038-5
Shumaker, S. A., Legault, C., Kuller, L., Rapp, S. R., Thal, L., Lane, D. S., Fillit, H., Stefanick, M. L., Hendrix, S. L., Lewis, C. E., Masaki, K., Coker, L. H., & Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (2004). Conjugated equine estrogens and incidence of probable dementia and mild cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women: Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. JAMA, 291(24), 2947–2958. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.291.24.2947
Nerattini, M., Jett, S., Andy, C., Carlton, C., Zarate, C., Boneu, C., Battista, M., Pahlajani, S., Loeb-Zeitlin, S., Havryulik, Y., Williams, S., Christos, P., Fink, M., Brinton, R. D., & Mosconi, L. (2023). Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of menopause hormone therapy on risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 15, 1260427. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1260427
Testosterone replacement in menopause. The British Menopause Society. https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/08-BMS-TfC-Testosterone-replacement-in-menopause-DEC2022-A.pdf
Robertson, D. M., Hale, G. E., Fraser, I. S., Hughes, C. L., & Burger, H. G. (2008). A proposed classification system for menstrual cycles in the menopause transition based on changes in serum hormone profiles. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 15(6), 1139–1144. https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0b013e3181735687
Gombert-Labedens, M., Vesterdorf, K., Fuller, A., Maloney, S. K., & Baker, F. C. (2025). Effects of menopause on temperature regulation. Temperature, 1–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2025.2484499
Harlow, S. D., Gass, M., Hall, J. E., Lobo, R., Maki, P., Rebar, R. W., Sherman, S., Sluss, P. M., de Villiers, T. J., & STRAW 10 Collaborative Group (2012). Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 19(4), 387–395. https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0b013e31824d8f40
Hale , G., MD, & Burger, H., MD (2009). Hormonal changes and biomarkers in late reproductive age, menopausal transition and menopause. Science Direct. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1521693408001399
Woods, N.F., Mitchell, E.S. (2016). The Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study: a longitudinal prospective study of women during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause. Women’s midlife health 2, 6 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40695-016-0019-x
Vinogradova, Y., Coupland, C., & Hippisley-Cox, J. (2019). Use of hormone replacement therapy and risk of venous thromboembolism: nested case-control studies using the QResearch and CPRD databases. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 364, k4810. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k4810
Shumaker, S. A., Reboussin, B. A., Espeland, M. A., Rapp, S. R., McBee, W. L., Dailey, M., Bowen, D., Terrell, T., & Jones, B. N. (1998). The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS): a trial of the effect of estrogen therapy in preventing and slowing the progression of dementia. Controlled clinical trials, 19(6), 604–621. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0197-2456(98)00038-5
Shumaker, S. A., Legault, C., Kuller, L., Rapp, S. R., Thal, L., Lane, D. S., Fillit, H., Stefanick, M. L., Hendrix, S. L., Lewis, C. E., Masaki, K., Coker, L. H., & Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (2004). Conjugated equine estrogens and incidence of probable dementia and mild cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women: Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. JAMA, 291(24), 2947–2958. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.291.24.2947
Nerattini, M., Jett, S., Andy, C., Carlton, C., Zarate, C., Boneu, C., Battista, M., Pahlajani, S., Loeb-Zeitlin, S., Havryulik, Y., Williams, S., Christos, P., Fink, M., Brinton, R. D., & Mosconi, L. (2023). Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of menopause hormone therapy on risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 15, 1260427. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1260427
Testosterone replacement in menopause. The British Menopause Society. https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/08-BMS-TfC-Testosterone-replacement-in-menopause-DEC2022-A.pdf
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