Guest Voice: Why we need more research on menopause and MS
Informed conversations, coordinated care, and real answers are long overdue
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I am 49 years old and have multiple sclerosis (MS). I’m also smack in the middle of perimenopause. You’d think that with all the medical appointments, research, and conversations I’ve had since my diagnosis, someone might’ve mentioned how these two things could be connected.
Nope.
I’m not someone who simply accepts an answer and moves on. I ask questions. I read studies, follow clinical trials, research medications, and advocate for myself and others with MS. I’m probably the patient who makes a doctor glance nervously at the clock.
Yet somehow, I missed this.
When you have MS, your calendar starts looking like a medical directory. Neurologists, MRIs, blood work, specialists, follow-ups, and appointments to discuss the results of other appointments. Add teaching, coaching, family, and an actual life, and something has to give. For me, it was my gynecologist.
It wasn’t because women’s health didn’t matter, but rather because it felt like the least urgent appointment. I have a disease attacking my central nervous system. Surely that deserves priority over some hormonal changes, right?
Well, maybe not.
Over the past year, I’ve noticed more fatigue, nerve pain, weakness, and changes in my coordination. My MRIs have remained stable, which is wonderful, but it doesn’t explain why I sometimes feel like I’m losing ground. Naturally, I started asking whether this could be progression independent of relapse activity, a form of sustained disability worsening. That remains a legitimate question for my neurologist.
What I wasn’t asking was whether perimenopause might be adding fuel to the fire.
Fatigue? Is it MS or menopause? Sleep problems? Are they MS or menopause? Brain fog, temperature changes, exhaustion? Take your pick. The overlap is enough to make anyone question what is happening in her own body.
Here is where I get frustrated: In September 2026, Congress held its first hearing dedicated to menopause. Ever.
Women have been experiencing menopause forever, and Congress is only now holding a hearing devoted to it. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand highlighted estimates that less than 1% of federal women’s health research funding goes toward menopause. Let that sink in.
Now consider that roughly three out of four people living with MS are women. Many of us will go through perimenopause and menopause while managing a neurological disease that already affects sleep, energy, cognition, mobility, and temperature regulation.
Yet we still lack clear answers about how changing hormones affect MS symptoms, disability, and treatment decisions. I restarted hormone replacement therapy in September and noticed better sleep fairly quickly. Does that prove hormones caused my worsening symptoms? Of course not. Could they be contributing? Possibly. Wouldn’t it have been nice to discuss that before spending months wondering why my body felt different?
This isn’t just about hot flashes or a bad night’s sleep. When fatigue affects my ability to teach, when my hand feels weaker, or when I can’t recover from an ordinary day, I need someone to help sort out why. This is why research matters.
Earlier this year, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) announced a $2.3 million investment in women’s health and MS research, including questions about menopause and hormonal therapies. I am thrilled to see it. I’m also wondering why these questions have waited so long.
As an NMSS ambassador, district activist leader, and Georgia board of trustees member, I know how important it is to turn patient experiences into research priorities. I participated in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s patient-focused drug development discussions in 2025, and the resulting “Voice of the Patient” report identified menopause and perimenopause as areas needing more research.
Women have been asking. Federal funding and research need to catch up.
We also need our doctors to talk to one another. My neurologist focuses on MS. My gynecologist focuses on hormones. But I am one person. My symptoms don’t arrive neatly labeled by specialty, and I shouldn’t have to coordinate the entire conversation myself.
I have the education, resources, and confidence to dig through medical literature and ask difficult questions. I have access to specialists. And I still nearly overlooked something that could be affecting my quality of life.
What about women who don’t have those resources? Or whose symptoms are dismissed as aging, stress, or simply MS? Women who can’t afford another appointment, another specialist, or another day away from work?
I want the next generation of women living with MS to have something we haven’t had enough of: informed conversations, coordinated care, and real answers before they are forced to figure it out themselves.
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Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.
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