our services

In most cases it is not necessary to do blood tests in women between 45 and 60 years of age, as the diagnosis of menopause is made on symptoms.

However, if you are below the age of 45 or over the age of 60 you may need further investigations or blood tests prior to anything being prescribed (if appropriate). These will be discussed with you in your consultation in more detail. If you have had any recent investigations done with your GP please bring these along to your appointment.

In advance, we ask you to submit your patient Registration Form, which includes information about yourself, your medical history, medications and dates of smear tests & mammograms. We also ask you to complete your Symptom Checker. The doctor assesses you and discusses treatment options. The fee for the initial consultation is €200, some of which can be claimed back against health insurance, if you have it, depending on your plan. Laya and Irish Life Health insurance plans now include specific menopause cover.

Any prescription will be issued at the end of your consultation and can be sent to your pharmacy electronically for virtual consultations. Typically, you will be reviewed after 3 months. And once you are on a treatment plan that is working for you, your review will be 6 monthly.

Note: if patients haven’t been seen for 15 months or more, you will need to book for a 30 minute review consultation as the normal review time will not be adequate. The fee is €200.

You can book an in person or virtual consultation via secure telehealth video in any one of four ways:

1. Log onto our website https://www.themenopausehub.ie/ and you book a consultation directly via ‘Schedule a Consultation’

2. If you prefer us to call you back, click on ‘Request a call back’

3. Email us your details at appointments@themenopausehub.ie

4. Phone us on (01) 210 7948! Virtual consultations are available.

The fee for an initial consultation is €200 and €100 for follow-up consultations usually at 3 months and 6 monthly after your initial consultation.

Initial consultations are up to 30 minutes. The doctor will go through your medical history, sexual and reproductive history and your symptoms, using our Symptom Checker. There is adequate time during a consultation for you to be given individual advice and choices regarding treatment, including HRT.

We offer in person and virtual consultations via secure telehealth video. You choose whichever suits you best. Video consultations are particularly suitable if you are short on time, have a distance to travel or want to speak to the doctor in the comfort of your own venue.

You will be emailed with a video link in advance of your consultation. Just click on a link and be connected with one of our doctors. It is simple and convenient. No need to download any software.

You can log on from your phone, laptop or ipad. For those with poor internet connection, we offer phone consultations too.

We take payment for your consultation, however some of this can be claimed back against your private health insurance, if you have it and depending on your plan. Laya Healthcare and Irish Life Health insurance plans now include specific menopause cover.

Hormone Replacement Therapy; it is used to treat symptoms of perimenopause, post menopause, early, premature menopause and surgical menopause. HRT is the most common type of treatment for menopause. It is the most effective treatment available to improve your symptoms and it can also work to reduce the risk of both osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Although the majority of women usually benefit from taking a type of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), not all women are suitable or can take HRT due to medical reasons. However, there are non-hormonal medical treatments available, as well as complimentary treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Pelvic Physiotherapy. There are also over the counter alternatives available. Your treatment is individual to you and will be discussed on an individual basis during your consultation.

There are two type of Bioidentical HRT, Compounded or cBHRT and Regulated or rBHRT. Compounded BHRT is not licenced nor is it regulated and is made in private laboratories. We do not prescribe this form of Bioidentical HRT at our clinic. We do however, prescribe regulated BHRT, also known as body identical or nature identical HRT, which is the same molecular structure as the hormones we have in our bodies. The oestrogen and progesterone we prescribe are usually available in local pharmacies.

As each woman is different, so too is her menopause. Therefore, women really vary in how they respond once they start HRT. Some women say they feel better quickly whereas for other women it can take up to three months to feel the full effects. It is worth persevering with any treatment you are given for three months before deciding how it suits you. Some women do develop breast tenderness initially which often settles. Some women do experience some bleeding which usually settles within the first few months. If you are still experiencing symptoms after three months then please discuss this at your 3-month review as the dose or type of HRT may need to be changed.

Testosterone is an important hormone for many women as well as for men. Many women find that using testosterone can improve their libido as well as their mood, energy and concentration. Whether you need testosterone or not will be decided between you and your doctor. There is not currently a licensed preparation of testosterone available in the Ireland. At our clinic we usually prescribe testosterone in a titrated dosage (much lower) of the male testosterone products available in pharmacies, or as a cream called AndroFeme which is a testosterone preparation for women in made in Australia.

Women who are likely to benefit from taking HRT are usually given a prescription for three months initially and then once settled on a regime that is working for them are given 6 monthly prescriptions. Costs for a month's supply of HRT will vary depending on the type of medication prescribed and the pharmacy where purchased, but varies is around €18-€25 per item. Testosterone is more expensive at €120 for a tube of cream that will last around 3-4 months. You may need to shop around for the best price.

Medical card patients will need to have their prescription transferred to the appropriate prescription form by their GP.

Any local pharmacy should be able to dispense your prescription. However, for Androfeme they will need to order from a different wholesaler. If you attend our clinic in person your prescription will be given to you on the day. If you have a virtual consultation, we will send your prescription directly to your pharmacy electronically.

Blood tests are not necessary to diagnose perimenopause and menopause for most women, especially if you are over the age of 45. This is in line with international guidelines. However, we often recommend routine blood tests to assess hormone levels in women who are under the age of 45. If required, the fee is €40.

As soon as your results are available they will be reviewed and commented on by your doctor. The doctor will advise you of your results.

The majority of women are seen at three months after their initial appointment. Then once your treatment is optimised for you, you will be seen every 6 months.

Our centre in Mount Merrion is easily accessed by wheelchair users via the ramp at the front of the building. We also have a wheelchair friendly lift available and wheelchair accessible toilets.

Our clinic in Santry is on the ground floor with wheelchair accessibility and wheelchair accessible toilets.

Please let us know in advance if you have any special requirements and we will do our utmost to accommodate your needs.

We cannot give individualised advice to women unless they are seen as patients in our clinic. However, you can find a wide range of unbiased and evidence-based information on The Menopause Hub website.

You do not need a GP or another doctor’s referral letter to be seen in our clinic. The majority of women self-refer and do not need a letter.

You can read all about our doctors and team members on the ‘About Us’ section under ‘Our Team.’

The simple answer is yes. Menopause occurs once a woman’s periods have stopped. After 12 consecutive months of no periods a woman is post-menopausal. Many women experience peri-menopausal symptoms for several years before their periods stop. If you are experiencing peri-menopausal symptoms which are having a negative impact on the quality of your life, then it is likely you will benefit by being given individualised advice and treatment from one of the doctors in our clinic.

The Mirena coil can be used to protect the lining of your womb as part of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and can be in place for up to five years. The Mirena coil can be inserted or replaced in our clinic by one of our doctors. Please discuss this at any of your consultations.

The address of our South Dublin clinic is 31 The Rise, Mount Merrion, County Dublin A94 E0C1. There is free parking outside.

The address of our North Dublin clinic is Unit 5, Black A, Blackwood Court, Northwood Avenue, Santry, Dublin 9. There is free parking outside.

If you have given consent for your GP to be contacted, then a letter informing your GP of your visit and treatment will be sent. If your doctor needs to explain any test or investigation results to you, they will contact you by phone to discuss. And may be followed up with a letter.

It is usually preferable to email rather than phone with any questions you may have following your appointment to the clinic. Your email will then be passed on to your doctor. Many of our doctors only work with us on a part-time basis so it may take several days for you to be given a response. Clearly if your question needs an urgent reply then one of the other doctors working at the clinic will respond to you sooner.

If you have queries that require discussion our doctor may request an interim review appointment to discuss in further detail. This will be scheduled by one of our staff. The fee is €35.

It is very common for women to have irregular and even sometimes heavy bleeding when they start HRT or when they increase the dose of oestrogen in the HRT. This can take 3 to 6 months to settle. If you have bleeding that worsens or does not improve after this time, then you should contact us at the clinic. If you are concerned, you should go directly to your GP or the Emergency Department of your local hospital.

Some women experience breast tenderness when they start taking HRT. This can be due to either the oestrogen or progesterone and usually settles with time. It can take a few months to settle completely.

Some types of progestogens can lead to some bloating and lower abdominal discomfort. This usually settles within a few months. If you have symptoms that worsen or any symptoms you are concerned about then you should contact us.

In a word, no. Women and girls have urinary incontinence (involuntary leaking of urine) but it tends to increase with age. Other factors that have been associated with incontinence include diabetes, obesity, weight gain, depression, hysterectomy, family history, and use of hormone therapy. Some disorders of the pelvic floor (the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue that support a woman’s internal organs) also may be responsible for the urinary leakage. Embarrassment and lack of awareness about effective treatments are the main reasons women do not seek care. Once you have been examined to determine the cause of the leakage, your healthcare provider can provide you with strategies and treatments to manage this condition, no matter what the cause.

Dietary supplements and other over-the-counter (OTC), non-prescription therapies for treating menopause symptoms should only be used with appropriate oversight from a healthcare professional. Dietary supplements or herbal therapies can interact with prescription drugs, resulting in either increased or decreased effects of the drug, the supplement or both. Until clinical trials provide scientific evidence of the effectiveness and safety of any given supplement, it is always best to speak to your provider before using any dietary supplements to inform your provider if you are already taking them.

Many women gain weight during the menopause transition, as the decline in oestrogen results in fat being laid down differently, as visceral fat or brown fat, usually around the organs and the middle. Midlife weight gain is also related to aging and lifestyle. These changes may have detrimental metabolic consequences, so it’s important to avoid weight gain during and after the menopause years through diet and exercise, which minimises fat gain and maintains muscle, thereby reducing body size.

We advise everyone attending our clinic to make sure that they book their follow up appointment before their prescription runs out, to ensure continuity of treatment. However, if you run out please contact us by email at info@themenopausehub.ie and we will endeavour to help you. For all prescriptions outside appointments there is a fee of €35, which can be paid by card. If you need an emergency supply, your pharmacists may be able to give you a supply to tide you over until you get your prescription renewed.

If you are scheduling a review appointment within 15 months of your last appointment, you can book a standard review appointment (15 minutes). However, if it has been 15 months or more since your last appointment, you will have to schedule a full 30-minute consultation, as a lot may have changed with you and your hormones in the interim and you will require longer than a 15-minute review. The fee for this will be €180.

THERE’S A SIMPLE WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE MENOPAUSE…

…It’s like puberty in reverse. Both are a result of significant hormonal changes, affecting physical, emotional and social aspects of your life. A confused you, and confused family and friends… who don’t know what’s going on.

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DURING MENOPAUSE, YOUR LEVELS OF OESTROGEN, PROGESTERONE AND TESTOSTERONE FALL.

The Menopause Hub believes, along with NICE and the British Menopause Society guidelines, that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment available to relieve symptoms caused by the menopause. Hormone replacement therapy works by replacing these ‘lost’ hormones to the correct levels… in amounts appropriate to each individual client.

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There are well over 40 recognised symptoms associated with the menopause. The chances are (unless you’re very unlucky) that you won’t suffer from them all. Print out and fill in our symptom checker below to see where you are at the moment. Bear in mind that some symptoms may have causes other than the menopause, so if you are concerned you should have them checked out.

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MYTH 1: IT HAPPENS OVERNIGHT

On average, most women's menopausal symptoms last around four years from their last period, but one in every 10 women experiences them for up to 12 years.

MYTH 2: THE SYMPTOMS ARE PURELY PHYSICAL

Peri-menopause and menopause can lead to many different symptoms, 34 menopausal symptoms in total, ranging from physical to emotional, psychological and sexual, because your hormones affect so many areas of your body.

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YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Though menopause is different for everyone, sometimes it’s comforting to know it’s also the same. This infographic combines the results of specially commissioned research by The Menopause Hub & IBEC, conducted in 2021 . Below you can see that menopause not only affects women in their home life but also in their personal life, with 12% saying they havegiven up work because of their menopausal symptoms.

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DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR TREATING MENOPAUSE

The best piece of advice you can possibly get with regards to choosing a treatment option is that you should choose one that’s right for you. You need to balance the benefits of each option with the risks of each option, you decide! Educate yourself and arm yourself with as much information as possible. At The Menopause Hub we can help and advise you, but there are plenty of solutions out there.

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THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT FORMS OF HRT

The Menopause is officially defined as the last day of your last menstrual period, but most people use the term to describe the many months or years during which your body transitions from producing large amounts of reproductive hormone to almost none. Some women start to feel the beginning of this transition with symptoms such as hot flushes, sweating (especially at night), poor sleep, mood changes and more. Some women are fortunate and don’t experience too much disruption during this time-but for some women, it can be a devastating process.

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BIO-IDENTICAL HRT - NAVIGATING THE WORLD OF HRT

The types of HRT can be very confusing for women, with terms like “traditional” “body-identical”, '“nature-identical”, “bio-identical” and ‘compounded” HRT being bandied about, with some claiming superior effectiveness and lower side-effects than others. Let us help you navigate the world of HRT.

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Here at The Menopause Hub we’re strong believers in the efficacy of HRT. However, as with all things medical there are always other options available to you. Some work better than others and all work differently depending on the individual. Below are some of the more popular complementary therapies available, it may be down to a little bit of trial and error to find out which, if any, will make a difference to you, but you should always bear in mind that most of these therapies have not been subject to the scientific rigour involved in testing prescribed medication.

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