Perimenopause – what the F is happening?

Finally it seems that it is becoming more acceptable for women (and men) to discuss the menopause and maybe more importantly that seemingly crazy time before your periods end forever (which can last up to 10 years) yep, Perimenopause. 

It is a time that can be truly debilitating for some women and leave you wondering what the F is happening to you?  Your boyfriend, husband, partner could also be wondering the same so its not a bad idea to try and understand a little bit about what is actually happening to the body in perimenopause, the symptoms (weird and frankly not wonderful) and what you can do about it to give yourself a fighting chance of feeling like the best version of you.

Did you know that there are more than 30 symptoms of Perimenopause, including some lesser known symptoms like, chills, burning or dry mouth, hair loss, changes in skin including darkening of skin tone in the armpits and genital area.  And of course, brain fog, anxiety, loss of confidence and often unexplained anger and rage, that can all leave your professional and personal life in a mess. 

Before we delve any further in to that, a word on what is actually happening to the body during perimenopause.

It can be described as the Menopause transition.  The period of time leading up to the Menopause during which the levels of oestrogen, a key female hormone, start to decrease.  The ovaries are producing less hormones and the result aside from declining fertility is the imbalance with other key hormones in the body such as Progesterone and Testosterone.  The imbalance is what causes the erratic menstrual cycles and the sometimes erratic mood swings and emotional imbalances.  The other effect is the onset of some very weird physical symptoms that are often ignored or passed off as something else.

A few things worth noting:

·      Perimenopause can start anywhere between 30 and 50.

·      You can still get pregnant during Perimenopause even if your periods are irregular.

·      Once you have not had a period for a full 12 months’ you have left Perimenopause and are in Menopause.

·      You might not experience the common symptoms of hot flushes, fatigue or vaginal dryness. 

A question worth asking: why is there still some stigma around talking about it and getting help? 

I think the answer is a complicated one that hasn’t been helped by some GPs being outdated in their thinking and research around Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).  This left a lot of women thinking they had to struggle through alone.  But if you do your research you will see that the old thinking and the ‘risks’ associated with HRT are outdated.  There are in fact many benefits to taking HRT (in the right form and early enough).  And why not?  If a GP told you that you were lacking in Iron or Vitamin B you would expect to get some treatment for that so why not for the Perimenopause and Menopause? 

Aside from HRT and the obvious benefits, there are some lifestyle changes that can really help in this stage of life. 

·      Increasing your self-awareness of your body and moods.  When you know yourself well you are more likely to be able to identify emotions that really aren’t you and are obviously being caused by something else, for example if you always had a high capacity for handling stressful situations but suddenly feel constantly overwhelmed.  If you always slept well and peacefully and suddenly feel insomnia creeping in. 

·      Cut back on alcohol and caffeine as much as possible.  When the body is in a rollercoaster mode because of fluctuating hormones, these are stimulants that add stress to the central nervous system and definitely don’t help with sleep patterns. 

·      Set some good ‘sleep hygiene’ rules.  Try to have a peaceful wind down routine before you go to bed and try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.  There is a wealth of research around circadian rhythms and how to tap into external cues.  Most important is creating a sleep schedule and limiting stimuli, a dark, cool and quiet room for sleep is best. 

·      Perimenopause can make you susceptible to certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies so what you are eating and when can make a huge difference to how you feel and your energy levels.  Green leafy vegetables, soybeans, good sources of dairy and oily fish are good for the immune system and for improving bone and muscle health.

·      Exercise, movement in whatever form you like can have a massive beneficial effect on managing weight gain and managing mental health.  Find something you like and do it.  A daily walk with some purpose can be enough to shift your mood. 

·      Find someone you can talk to about it.  You might also be helping someone else to have a better understanding of what is going on and that helps maintain our connection and relationships. 

If you want to find out more or would like to start a programme of small changes that could have major impact get in touch at info@vitaflow.co.uk