During Perimenopause, We've Got to Keep it SIMPLE!
Maybe you’re not at all like me, and you’ve floated effortlessly into your mid-40’s without any issues. Or…maybe you’re with the rest of us, and you’re wondering what the heck is going on!
The changes our mid-life body may experience—combined with parenting our teens and young adults, supporting our aging parents, floundering financially while saving for retirement, transitioning through job challenges, and attempting to navigate fluctuating motherhood roles or marriage issues—can sometimes make this middle part of life a bit of a struggle. Am I right?
We always heard menopause comes for us in our 50’s with a few hot flashes and maybe a little vaginal dryness, but today let’s talk more about perimenopause.
Here are the symptoms to watch for:
Irregular menstrual periods (changes in cycle length, heavier bleeding, or skipped periods)
Hot flashes or night sweats (termed vasomotor symptoms)
Weight fluctuations and increased fat around the midsection
Irritability, mood swings, depression, or feeling more susceptible to the effects of stress
Forgetfulness or brain fog
Difficulty with sleep or insomnia
Vaginal dryness or pain with intercourse (termed genitourinary symptoms of menopause)
Decreased libido
Headaches
Joint pain
Fatigue
Any of these sound familiar?
The average age for menopause is 51 (which is defined as the COMPLETE cessation of menstrual periods determined retrospectively after having no period for 12 months). But perimenopause begins anywhere from 4-10 years prior to that.
Huh, turns out we’re not losing it. It’s just perimenopause!
Going through perimenopause during midlife is a NORMAL physiologic process much like experiencing puberty was in our teens. And having the bothersome SYMPTOMS related to this menopausal transition does not make us abnormal and it does not mean something is wrong, it simply means we are having symptoms related to our perimenopause.
Virtually ALL women experience menstrual irregularity and hormonal fluctuations prior to menopause but only 20-30% seek medical attention. So, what can any of us do to treat the symptoms of perimenopause?
Let’s keep it SIMPLE:
1. Be kind to yourself. It’s not just you. You’re not “going crazy.” Remember that much of what you’re going through is hormonally driven and beyond your ability to control it.
2. Keep track of your symptoms. How are you feeling? What is the worst part? Is it the heavy bleeding? The migraines? The hot flashes? Take some notes so you can share this information with your provider.
3. Talk about it. Compare notes with your girlfriends, your sister, and your mom. Your experience will likely follow that of other women in your family. Plus, other women can be awesome support! Don’t be afraid to bring it up at your next doctor’s appointment or schedule a yearly exam if you’re due. You may need a pelvic exam and a little blood work to rule out other issues like an unexpected pregnancy, a thyroid problem, or pituitary dysfunction. Then, you can work with your provider to devise a treatment plan.
4. Know there ARE treatments available. The really good news is that we have a variety of evidence-based treatment options available reduce or even alleviate certain symptoms related to perimenopause, so you don’t have to suffer through it without help. Each woman’s experience of perimenopause/menopause is a little different so treatment plans will vary—some involve hormones (like a low dose birth control pill through the transition or another form of menopausal hormone therapy) and some treat only a specific symptom (like a pill for hot flashes or cream for vaginal dryness).
5. And lastly, (I’m sorry but you know what I’m going to say here) take care of your body. Eat well-ish (I like to suggest a protein and a fruit or vegetable at every meal). Exercise. Drink water. Get plenty of rest.
Of course, this is all easy to say but extremely hard to put into practice. I know. I have three teens who push bedtime every night, then sometimes after my way-too-late 11:30pm bedtime, our cat starts meowing around the house because he wants to be let outside. And five minutes after I settle back into bed, my youngest come in and wanted me to snuggle her so I patiently walk her back to her bed and snuggle, but when I try to go back to my own bed to sleep, she panics and cries. Then I get mad and start sweating because I’m not sleeping and she’s being unreasonable and when everyone finally calms down, I’m basically wide awake for the day. My point is, we TRY to get enough sleep and all the rest of those “self-care” things. But sometimes life gets in the way.
Let’s just do the best we can!
This middle part of life is a challenge in more ways than one, but you’re doing great! And help with perimenopausal symptoms is available. Talk to your doctor about treatment options specific to YOU.
**special note: if you go 12 months without a period and then you experience vaginal bleeding or spotting, you need to see your doctor as ALL post-menopausal bleeding needs to be evaluated.
