What changes around menopause?
The National Institute on Aging describes menopause as the stage when menstrual periods stop permanently. Common experiences in the years around it include hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping and mood changes; some people have few or no symptoms.[1][4]
ACOG explains that bone is lost more quickly in the first 4–8 years after menopause because oestrogen levels fall, which raises the risk of osteoporosis.[3] Body composition tends to shift too, which is why many clinicians talk about strength training and protein in these years.
What do GLP-1 labels say — and not say?
None of the current US labels for Wegovy® or Zepbound® names menopause as an indication, and neither describes the medicine as a treatment for hot flashes or other menopause symptoms.[5][6]
In their pharmacology sections, the semaglutide and tirzepatide labels state that these medicines lower body weight with greater fat-mass loss than lean-mass loss.[5][6] Put simply: most of the weight lost is fat, but some is lean tissue. A 2024 review found that reported lean-mass changes vary between trials and reviews ways to limit loss, chiefly exercise and nutrition.[7]
Does menopause stage change results in trials?
A 2025 post hoc analysis of three SURMOUNT trials (tirzepatide versus placebo in adults without type 2 diabetes) sorted women afterwards into pre-, peri- and postmenopausal groups. In every group, weight and waist circumference fell more with tirzepatide than with placebo.[8]
Read it with its limits: the trials did not record reproductive stage, so groups were assigned retrospectively from case notes; the authors say the analysis is exploratory and cannot support conclusions about different responses by stage; and it was funded by the manufacturer.[8] It is useful context, not a reason to choose or change a treatment.
Hormone therapy and other medicines
Many people in menopause take hormone therapy or other regular medicines. GLP-1 medicines slow stomach emptying, and the labels ask you to tell your clinician about all the medicines you take.[5][6] Bring your full list — including anything for hot flashes or sleep — to the appointment.
What does PepLabo not do?
PepLabo is a log. It does not diagnose, measure hormones or body composition, suggest a dose or tell you when to change one.
There is no separate hot-flash field: a short note in a side-effect check-in, such as “3 hot flashes, woke twice”, works best.
Wegovy® and Ozempic® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S; Zepbound® and Mounjaro® are registered trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. They are named only to identify the medicines and their labels. PepLabo has no affiliation with these companies.
