I Have Weird Symptoms With Perimenopause – What Should I Do?
Hair loss. Bloating. Cold flashes. The overwhelming urge to get pregnant.
What’s going on??
If you are in your forties, fifties, or even late thirties, you might find yourself encountering these confusing symptoms. While some might tell you that it’s just your biological clock ticking, there’s a better, science-backed explanation: Perimenopause.
These weird symptoms might feel confusing at first, but not to worry: they’re completely normal!
Like much of women’s health, perimenopause, or the natural transition period between child-bearing years and menopause, is not spoken of often, even by medical professionals – and even when it is, this totally normal transition period is still somehow shrouded in mystery.
So for those of you in front of your mirror, thinking to yourself: “I have weird symptoms with perimenopause, what do I do next?”, have no fear! We’ve put together this article to demystify weird perimenopause symptoms, and give you some ideas on how to handle them.
What Happens During Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the transition period between a woman’s childbearing years and menopause. For many women, these seemingly weird perimenopause symptoms can begin in their mid-30s, while for others it may not start until their mid-50s. While perimenopause is a time of declining fertility, we can still become pregnant. Perimenopause is over once 12 months has passed after your last period. This is when menopause begins.
What Causes Perimenopause Symptoms?
Perimenopause is a transitional period during which the ovaries gradually produce fewer hormones, including estrogen.
While there are many factors that contribute to the onset of perimenopause, estrogen is one of the main culprits. Estrogen, the dominant sex hormone in females, is responsible for cognitive health, bone health, cardiovascular health, and other essential bodily functions – and when it comes to perimenopause, you’ll find that estrogen is responsible for many of the weird symptoms you’re experiencing.
What Happens to Your Estrogen Levels During Perimenopause?
During puberty, estrogen (produced by your ovaries) is responsible for the growth of breasts, pubic and underarm hair and the start of menstrual cycles. After puberty, estrogen controls our menstrual cycles and is key to childbearing.
Estrogen keeps cholesterol in control, protects our bones, affects our brains (including mood) and plays a big part in a range of organs, vessels and tissues. Estrogen moves through your blood and therefore has a role to play everywhere in your body.
During perimenopause, estrogen levels begin to fluctuate causing a variety of unusual and unexpected symptoms like heavy, infrequent periods, mood swings, dry skin, and trouble sleeping.
Don’t fear, though – the symptoms you are experiencing due to perimenopause are totally normal.
Keep reading for a list of common (really not so weird) perimenopause symptoms, and recommendations for what you can do to alleviate them!
Weird (But Common!) Perimenopause Symptoms
If you think that the symptoms you are experiencing are weird, know this: all the symptoms we list below are common, normal symptoms of perimenopause!
Perimenopause Cold Flashes, Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
Did you know that more than 50 percent of perimenopausal women experience sudden increases in body temperature?
Many women are confused when they begin experiencing hot flashes in their early forties or late thirties as they associate them only with menopause – but hot flashes are actually one of the most common symptoms of perimenopause!
Another effect of perimenopause that is not talked about frequently are cold flashes. Similarly to hot flashes, perimenopause cold flashes and night sweats are caused by the same signals to the brain that your body is overheating, which your body responds to by excessive sweating in order to shed heat.
The result: cold flashes that leave you wondering who turned the A/C all the way up. Another time when that whole “I have weird symptoms with perimenopause” thing turns out to have a pretty easy explanation, and we’ve got some clear recommendations on handling it.
Hormone Fluctuations During Perimenopause
The hormones coursing through womens’ bodies have an immense impact on everything from the strength of your fingernails to your sex drive, so it makes sense that women often list hair loss and the overwhelming urge to get pregnant amongst their weird perimenopause symptoms.
Again, estrogen is the main culprit here. As the predominant sex hormone, estrogen is in charge of signaling some of our most basic responses, llike the urge to get pregnant and reproduce, as well as regulating secondary sex characteristics like speed and location of hair growth. A dip in estrogen levels causes hair follicles to enter the “resting” phase, resulting in greater hair loss.
Worsening PMS Symptoms
Mood swings, cravings, and bloating are all classic symptoms of PMS. And just when you think you’ll get some relief from your monthly symptoms, your PMS seems to get worse!
Fluctuating hormones, including higher levels of estrogen compared to progesterone, are responsible for worsening PMS symptoms during perimenopause. Sore and swollen breasts are actually a hallmark symptom of perimenopause. Many women will also experience increased mood swings, cravings, and bloating.
There’s hope for relief – perimenopause bloating remedies are available and easy to follow for women dealing with this difficult side effect of perimenopause.
Discover perimenopause bloating remedies in the “You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me!” guide.
Insomnia & Trouble Sleeping
Whether it’s the night sweats, anxiety, or decreasing melatonin levels, you can add trouble sleeping to the list of weird perimenopause symptoms women experience.
Trouble sleeping can include difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, irritability and depression, and even problems with concentration and memory.
Hormones may also be at play here, as too little testosterone or progesterone can lead to insomnia and trouble sleeping.
About 40% of perimenopausal women suffering with trouble sleeping, and insomnia remedies are in high demand. Download our book for a deep dive on the effects of hormone shifts and what you can do about them during perimenopause.
Decreased Sex Drive
Sex during perimenopause is a weighted subject. It’s emotionally charged for many people, and there is a bias within our culture that often prevents women from being taken seriously when discussions about sex and pleasure are on the table.
With so many fluctuations in our sex hormones during perimenopause, it makes sense that our sex drives will experience some ups and downs. In the “You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me!” guide, we outline what happens to your estrogen, testosterone, and oxytocin levels during perimenopause and how they affect your sex drive and experience of sex. You’ll also find resources and recommendations for supplements and natural remedies for your decreased sex drive.
Changes in Your Period
Along with erratic hormone levels comes irregular periods, including longer or shorter periods, or heavier periods.
Irregular, longer or shorter periods are the result of low estrogen levels, which cause the lining of the uterus to thin. Your cycle may shorten as well.
Heavier periods happen when estrogen levels are higher than progesterone levels. With less progesterone to regulate the growth of the endometrium, the uterine lining may become thicker before it is shed.
Fatigue
Many women are downright exhausted during perimenopause. Between balancing family, careers, and other responsibilities and dealing with fluctuating and unpredictable hormone shifts, it makes sense that our energy reserves would feel tapped out.
Fatigue may also result from insomnia and trouble sleeping, which we talk more about further down this list.
Brain Fog & Forgetfulness
Decreased estrogen has a profound impact on cognitive function. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Women’s Health says up to two-thirds of women in perimenopause report cognitive problems.
If you’ve never experienced brain fog or forgetfulness before, you may be caught off guard. As one of the more difficult weird symptoms of perimenopause, you might feel like you’re going crazy as you struggle to remember where you put your keys or even recall what day it is.
Weight Gain
As your hormones fluctuate with age, so does your metabolism. Perimenopause can spark a rude awakening to the changing operation of our bodies.
If we don’t adjust the amount of food we eat or increase the amount of calories we expend, many of us end up gaining weight. Imbalanced hormones, including the imbalance between estrogen and progesterone, which is more common in perimenopause, can also lead to weight gain.
Hypothyroid disease is often diagnosed during perimenopause, which can further affect our metabolism.
Read more about weight gain and perimenopause in the “You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me!” guide.
Migraines & Headaches
Migraines are an incredibly common symptom of perimenopause, with up to 85% of perimenopausal women experiencing tension headaches, and up to 29% suffering from migraines.
Urinary Urgency, Infection, & Leaking
If you’re starting to plan your outings based on where the closest bathroom is, you might be experiencing this inconvenient symptom of perimenopause. Decreased estrogen levels can lead to urogenital atrophy, which in turn can cause issues urinating along with increased urinary tract infections and difficulty controlling urination.
Vaginal Dryness & Infections
Due to decreased levels of estrogen, many women experience vaginal dryness during perimenopause, which can cause pain during sex. Vaginal infections may also occur more frequently.
Drink plenty of water and maintain good vaginal hygiene habits. Some women may also find that vaginal creams will help alleviate the discomfort.
Depression
As many as 30 percent of women in perimenopause experience depression. For women who have a history of depression, that figure can be as high as 59 percent.
Depression may be due to fluctuating hormones, stress in midlife and lack of sleep. Women who experience depression in perimenopause may find themselves more irritable versus sad or fearful.
We discuss depression and perimenopause in-depth in chapter 13 of the “You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me!” guide and encourage you to talk to your doctor about how you are feeling and to explore options to manage this symptom.
It might be hard to go to your doctor and say something like “Hey, so I need to tell you that I have weird symptoms with perimenopause” but we’re here to help!
What Should I Do for My Weird Perimenopause Symptoms?
Preparing now by understanding the many weird symptoms of perimenopause, as well as how to manage and alleviate them, can help you deal with the destabilizing effects of perimenopause symptoms.
Balancing Your Hormones
Maintaining a balance between your body’s major hormones is the key to our overall well-being – especially for those dealing with weird perimenopause symptoms.
Hormone levels are unique to each individual and the signs and symptoms we experience in perimenopause are directly related to those levels. This can make balancing hormones difficult to achieve.
How do you know which of your hormones are in balance and which are not?
Test your hormones and keep a journal or log of your symptoms. Finding a good care team to support your journey will help, too!
There are many ways to manage weird perimenopause symptoms and balance your hormones, from healthy eating to good sleep habits.
Supplements and Vitamins for Perimenopause
Women experiencing weird perimenopause symptoms can alleviate some of their symptoms with proper nutrition, which includes supplements and vitamins.
Still thinking “I have weird symptoms with perimenopause” and need more info on conquering them?