Menopause treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Yes. Our physicians will be happy to discuss menopause with you.

The symptoms and signs of menopause are usually enough for women to know they've begun menopause. Therefore, a test for menopause is not always required in order to get a menopause diagnosis.

Since menopause is a natural part of a woman's reproductive life cycle, there are no direct menopause treatments. However, the doctor may make some recommendations to help with management of your menopause symptoms.

Yes. Our physicians can prescribe menopause medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a menopause prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it works page to learn more.

Menopause is the natural time that occurs in every woman's life when she no longer experiences her menstrual cycle.

This typically occurs in women over 40. For most women, menopause starts when they reach their early 50's.

The most common menopause symptoms include:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Irregular periods
• Issues sleeping
• Mood swings
• Dry skin
• Thinning hair
• Slowed metabolism or weight gain
• Vaginal dryness
• Chills
• Less fullness in the breasts

The most frequent cause of menopause is the natural decline in reproductive hormones that women experience, usually after the age of 40.

Other less common causes can trigger menopause to start. These include:

• A hysterectomy
• Radiation or chemotherapy
• Primary ovarian insufficiency

A doctor on Maple will discuss options with you on how to treat your menopause symptoms. The doctor will factor in how severe your symptoms are and what you're experiencing.

Hormone therapy for menopause can be effective for women experiencing particularly strong symptoms or frequent hot flashes.

Your doctor may recommend you first try some over-the-counter menopause treatments. If they aren't effective, other menopause prescriptions can help reduce your symptoms.

Some of these menopausal treatment prescriptions include:

• Low-dose antidepressants
• Vaginal estrogen
• Clonidine
• Gabapentin
• Osteoporosis medications for treatment or prevention

Usually, menopause will begin when women are in their 40's or 50's. It can also be triggered by an underlying cause such as radiation, a hysterectomy, or primary ovarian insufficiency.

The average age for women to start menopause is around 51.

If you're wondering why menopause causes hot flashes, the answer lies in your body's natural thermostat – the hypothalamus.

Most research suggests that your hypothalamus starts receiving less estrogen because of menopause, so it becomes more sensitive to the slight temperature changes that occur in your body.

In other words, when the hypothalamus thinks your body is getting too warm, it activates a hot flash in order to cool you down.

Normally, when menopause begins, it's signaled by the end of your periods.

It's still possible to have menopause with periods, but you might notice that your periods become lighter or heavier. They could also begin to occur every 2-3 weeks, or not happen for months at a time.

Eventually, this will progress to your periods stopping altogether.

Menopause and weight gain are often related. This is due to the fact that postmenopausal women have slower metabolisms. Many women have to eat less and exercise more often just to maintain their premenopausal weight.

Menopause and depression have a less predictable relationship. Because menopause affects a woman’s hormones, it's possible that this could lead to depression.

In fact, menopause is considered a risk-increasing factor in middle-aged women who are susceptible to depression. However, this doesn't impact every woman in the same way and can vary greatly from one person to another.

If you believe you're experiencing depression as a result of menopause, talk to a doctor on Maple about menopausal treatment options that could help you manage your depression.

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with our network of Canadian-licensed doctors, nurse practitioners and specialists via secure text, audio or video call. Sign in to your Maple account to start a visit. Learn more about how Maple works here.

A visit works a lot like an in-person appointment. A doctor or nurse practitioner will ask about your symptoms, review your health history and recommend a treatment plan that's right for you. Not every visit leads to a prescription. Sometimes, you might need to see someone in person. When that happens, we'll help you figure out what comes next.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to care online. Connect with our network of Canadian-licensed doctors and nurse practitioners in minutes via secure text, audio or video call.

Our membership costs $85/month. One membership. Care for your whole family. In eligible provinces, membership includes:

• Daily visits: one visit a day with a doctor or nurse practitioner for each family member in your household
• Pediatric care: covered pediatric primary care visits, available by appointment
• Second Medical Opinion: when you're unsure about a complex diagnosis, like cancer or MS, or want to understand all your options, you and your family can access an expert Second Medical Opinion
• Personal Health Check-Ins: personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to help you stay on top of your health
• iCBT courses: internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy self-assessments and courses
• Specialists: see a specialist in days, not months. No referral necessary.
• Specialist referrals: a referral to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed

Membership can't be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. A Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) may cover your membership fees. Check with your HSA provider for details.

Your Maple monthly membership covers virtual care for you, your spouse and your dependents under the age of 18 who share the same primary residence. Full disclaimer and refund policy here.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX, plus Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Privacy is at the core of how we deliver care. We follow Canadian privacy and healthcare laws, including PIPEDA and PHIPA, to protect your personal and health information.

Our policies and consent processes are simple and easy to understand, so you stay in control. Strong security infrastructure and strict data policies protect every session. You keep control of your personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. We also work with privacy and security experts and review our policies regularly.

All doctors and nurse practitioners who deliver care through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their regulatory colleges. They must follow the telemedicine policies set by the medical regulator in each province.

Regulators across Canada recognize the value of virtual care. It helps improve access to care for patients and makes care delivery more efficient for practitioners and Canada's healthcare system.