Many women worry that the range of symptoms they have are caused by other conditions, so it can be a time where you feel anxious about your health and confused by the conflicting information out there.
Anxiety, OCD, panic attacks
At this time, you may be developing anxiety either ongoing or just before the build-up to your menstrual cycle. For some this can then manifest as waves of feeling totally overwhelmed, OCD or even panic attacks.
Low feelings or depression
Do you ever just burst into tears for no reason? As your hormones fluctuate so can your moods. You might find yourself going through periods of feeling angry or irritable for no reason.
Insomnia
Maybe you were once a great sleeper but now you lie awake at 3am unable to get back to sleep or find it difficult to get off to sleep. Fluctuating hormones impact your sleep especially the drop in progesterone but it’s also key to get your iron levels checked especially if you experience heavy periods as this can impact your abaility to sleep well.
Hot flushes, night sweats and body odour
These flushes can come at night known as night sweats or in the day as you feel heat rise up over your chest neck and face and this may be accompanied with feelings of extreme chills. Some people may also struggle at this time with bad body odour something they never had before.
Brain fog and memory
The moment where you know you have placed your passport somewhere safe but cannot recall where or you walk into a room and forget what you went looking for.
Difficulty concentrating
This may be at work or at home where you are finding multitasking really difficult something you once prided yourself on being able to do. Perhaps you get frustrated when typing a message and family members are talking to you.
Irregular, painful and heavy periods PMS (Pre Menstrual Syndrome)
This period can result in irregular, heavy periods with clotting and light periods. As you get closer to the menopause your periods will become lighter and more infrequent. However In the perimenopause you may experience worse symptoms of PMS and flooding periods as your progesterone dips and your oestrogen is high.
Heart palpitations
It is always important to get heart palpitations checked by your doctor. Sometimes they can be in the day or may be at night. Sometimes as you struggle with night sweats it raises your heartbeat and you become aware of this so it’s always good to note when they happen and how they feel.
Cold extremities, hair loss and brittle nails
All of these can be signs of hormone imbalance but can be related to an underactive thyroid, so it is good to get this checked especially if you are also struggling with weight gain and exhaustion.
Fatigue, exhaustion
This can be related to your fluctuating hormones, stress, lack of sleep, poor thyroid function, dysregulated blood sugars and insufficient iron levels especially if you have heavy periods so it’s good to get this checked.
Itchy skin & Allergies
You may be experiencing rashes, burning feeling in your feet and itchy skin you have never had before. As your oestrogen levels fall so does your skin collagen and natural oils that keep your skin moisturised. This is also a period where high or unopposed oestrogen can drive up histamine levels meaning you can develop skin reactions and allergies that you never had before.
Digestive issues & intolerances
You might have once been able to eat anything and suddenly now certain food groups don’t agree with you and you get bloated, and experience indigestion, reflux, constipation, or diarrhoea, itchy skin and headaches. These could be a sign of a food intolerance, an imbalance in your GUT bacteria or related to the drop in stomach acid and enzymes which are responsible for breaking down food our food.
Weight gain
Several things happen that contribute to weight gain and the distribution in weight. At this time, you may be experiencing poor sleep, increased stressed, changes in your nutrition and lifestyle habits that can impact your weight. It is also a time where the speed of our metabolism reduces, we lose muscle and our bodies ability to manage blood sugars declines all of which can contribute to weight gain.
Migraines and headaches
You may find these fluctuate together with your hormones or become more frequent.
Tinnitus, vertigo and dizziness
Perhaps you have ringing in your ears, or you now struggle with sensitivity to loud noises or your hearing is becoming strained. Changes in your hormone levels impacts your body’s ability to manage insulin resulting in blood sugars becoming unstable and making you feel dizzy. Vertigo can be impacted by falling oestrogen causing disruptions to the inner ear.
Joint and muscle pain/weakness, fibromyalgia
Falling oestrogen can cause joint pain as the lubrication levels drop but early on in your perimenopause you may be experiencing high levels of oestrogen which can drive up histamine levels causing joint pain. Muscle weakness or aching is common it is key to get this checked as sometimes it can be linked to poor iron levels especially if you also experience fatigue.
Tingling in hands or feet
This may present as a sensation or pins and needles or feelings of electric shocks and is linked to fluctuating hormones and the impact on your nervous system. Tingling can be linked to insufficient B12 so it’s always good to get this checked.
Tender breasts & cysts
Tenderness can be driven by the fluctuating hormones and cysts can be the result of high levels of oestrogen which can happen until you reach menopause where your oestrogen levels fall.
Changes in your immune system
The fluctuations in hormones can have an impact on your immune system and this can be a period where you can develop autoimmune conditions.
Other symptoms include the below
Increased need to urinate, vaginal dryness, acne, low libido, burning mouth sensations, mouth ulcers, bleeding gums and osteoporosis.
Symptoms can be as erratic as your periods, which is why there is no single blueprint for what your experience will be like. With my personalised support you’ll have a guide that can be by your side each step of the way.
Comments