Cognitive Symptoms in Surgical Menopause

No doubt you’ve already heard about the hot flushes that we often experience in surgical menopause. Although common for women in menopause, brain fog isn’t the only thing going on in your brain in surgical menopause. So what else is going on under the bonnet, so to speak?

Brain fog

One of the most commonly associated symptoms of menopause gets an upgrade in surgical menopause. The feeling of “losing your words”, struggling to remember names (“thingy-me-bob, you know him”), or walking into a room and forgetting why. Many women describe it as feeling detached from their own thoughts.

  • Short-term memory lapses

  • Stuttering while speaking

  • Feeling like your brain ‘spasms’ while talking

  • Losing track mid-sentence and forgetting what you were doing

  • Difficulty following conversations or reading

Poor concentration and focus

Oestrogen supports neurotransmitters involved in attention and memory. Its loss can make multitasking or staying organised much harder.

  • Forgetting appointments or tasks

  • Slower processing and reaction time

  • Feeling easily distracted or overwhelmed

  • Losing focus at work, or struggling to concentrate

Sensory changes

Some women notice increased light sensitivity, dizziness, or visual changes, which can be part of the brain’s reaction to hormonal shock.

  • Blurred or flickering vision

  • Heightened sensitivity to sound or light

  • Motion sickness or imbalance

  • A sense of ‘seeing’ things out of the corner of your eye (and there’s nothing there)

  • Vertigo

Digital illustration of a human brain against a gradient background of pastel colors.

Feeling worried about what’s going on in your head is normal, and many women in natural menopause feel alarmed by symptoms like forgetfulness and memory lapses. In surgical menopause, these symptoms can feel especially challenging when you are managing other symptoms too.

If you are worried by your symptoms, it’s important to talk to your GP, or menopause specialist. They’ll be best placed to support you, test anything that needs further investigation, and reassure you.