When I turned 40 two years ago, I had people telling me about how everything “goes south”, and your life is half over and I have to start doing this, taking this, eating this….etc. And I just only really wanted to enjoy my big 40th birthday celebration!
The following week after turning 40 I got a handful of mail telling me it is time for my mammogram. I even got something from AARP.
Really? AARP?
Things like these can really get you down, but I wasn’t going to let all that cause me to spiral into a midlife depression.
Despite what people and the world around you say about the 40s it is not the end of your life. For women, it is usually a sign of things to come.
Mainly thoughts of menopause and its symptoms start to make you wonder when and how it will happen. It is inevitable. God designed our bodies to go through this change of life. But it is not the end of your life, just a new beginning.
While menopause gets a lot of attention and there is LOTS of information on the internet about it and what you can do to lessen symptoms, what medications and hormones you can take and articles from women who have been through menopause, but what about perimenopause?
Per the Mayo Clinic, perimenopause is defined as: refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.
I had no idea that perimenopause existed. Never heard of it. Until….
Within the past year, I started to have abnormal menstrual cycles. I noticed changes in length of the cycle and the intensity of flow. I also combatted fatigue; I was so tired all the time, constantly yawning even though I did get a decent night’s sleep. I noticed when I combed my hair more hair fell out. I felt hot on some nights to the point I would go downstairs and sleep on the couch because it was cooler downstairs than upstairs.
Mainly due to the menstrual changes, I decided to see my OB-GYN. After talking with her and her listening to all of my symptoms, she said I am going through perimenopause.
She informed me that there is no test, not even a blood test, she can order that would confirm perimenopause or not. But being in my early forties now, she said I am most likely experiencing these bodily changes due to perimenopause.
Seems a little unfair that we as women have to go through two types of menopause! Boy, did we really get the short end of the stick!
Perimenopause usually occurs in the early 40s but sometimes it can start as early as your 30s. The average duration of perimenopause is 4 years but it can sometimes be anywhere from 2 years or as long as 12 years; it just depends on your body.
If you research perimenopause, there will be a host of sites telling you what you can take if you are experiencing symptoms of perimenopause. But as a holistic blogger, I am here to offer suggestions from a holistic point of view.
If you have read my previous posts, you know I do not trust pharmaceutical companies and most medical doctors as I think their hunger for greed significantly outweighs their hunger for your overall health. Not to say that all doctors are bad or all drugs are bad. Granted, in emergency cases, pharmaceutical drugs could save your life, but if you want to prevent yourself from being thrown into a health emergency, it is important to use what God has already given us and use natural resources to keep your body healthy and strong.
Menstrual and hormonal changes, fatigue, cramping, spotting, mood changes, night sweats and irritability are common symptoms of perimenopause. But what about uncommon symptoms?
The Women’s Health Network listed seven uncommon symptoms of perimenopause:
- Ringing in the Ears: tinnitus is more likely to happen with women during the menopause years and it is due to the progesterone being high on the later days of the cycle
- Hearth Palpitations: increasing FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) used to stimulate ovulation can cause you to feel heart palpitations
- Tingling Sensation: if your body is deficient in the key vitamin of B12 you may feel a tingling sensation in your hands, arms, feet or legs. B12 is important for energy, memory, bone health, heart health, and eye health.
- Bruising Easily: due to brain fog or lack of sleep, (common symptoms of peri and menopause) you may feel more disoriented or “clumsy” and if you do accidentally bump into something you will bruise more easily. Changes in hormones can cause more bruising
- Dry Mouth and Eyes: estrogen levels are changing which can cause dry membranes.
- Oral Problems: declining estrogen levels and increased inflammation can cause your gums to recede and weaken the bone structure around your jaw
- Urinary Issues: lower estrogen levels not only cause vaginal dryness but it also can cause your urinary tissue to become thinner, more sensitive and more prone to infections and also weaken your bladder muscles causing incontinence.
So now you must be wondering what you can do to curb these symptoms and make your perimenopause not so unbearable.
Most of the symptoms we have are due to the hormonal changes in our body. As women, we already know how our hormones can make us feel during PMS and when we have our menstrual cycles.
Here are some herbs you can take to curb some of your perimenopausal symptoms:
- Ashwagandha: great to ease stress and anxiety; gives a boost to your adrenal glands and can help energize a sluggish thyroid
- Chaste Tree Berry: helps to balance progesterone levels and restore natural ovulation; helps to lessen hot flashes
- Black Cohosh: boots serotonin levels (key to better sleep and mood) and found to reduce night sweats and hot flashes
- St. Johns Wort: praised for it’s positive effect on mood, easing anxiety and reducing stress levels, it also helps to reduce hot flashes and night sweats
- Evening Primrose: rich in fatty acids, it can help regulate your hormone levels
- Dong Quai: may be used to balance hormones and decrease the severity of symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats
- Red Clover: rich source of isoflavones (mimic the action of estrogen) and may prevent bone loss
- Maca: a Peruvian vegetable, it has been used to treat vaginal dryness, moodiness and imbalanced hormones
- Valerian: the roots of this plant have been found to have a positive impact on mood and promote relaxation as well as treat insomnia and hot flashes
In addition to taking supplements some lifestyle changes include:
- Eat foods rich in healthy fats (avocado, extra virgin olive oil, seeds) and protein (beans, meat, fish, eggs and nuts)
- Reduce alcohol intake.
- Get a full 8 hours of sleep; no phone or TV or any blue light at least one hour before bed
- Exercise daily; at least 20 minutes each day
Perimenopause is nothing to fear; it is another phase in our life and a new chapter in our story. Every woman goes through it; you are not alone. Some famous women have been quoted:
Gwyneth Paltrow (actress): “I’m really in the thick of perimenopause, so it’s quite a roller coaster and my best advice is that every woman really needs to contemplate what is the right way for her,” she explains. “For me, I’ve been really trying to focus on having a very well-functioning gut and liver so that these excess hormones can be flushed out of the body and cause less symptoms.”
Gabrielle Union (actress): “All of it can feel very isolating and you can feel like less of a woman. The more we talk about it, the more we are in community with one another, the more we share resources, we’re all literally in this together. It’s coming for everybody. So let’s get prepared.”
Tracee Ellis Ross (actress): “I’m going through perimenopause at the moment. It’s really frying my brain. It is really bizarre, but it is the most glorious invitation into a new season and chapter in my life.”
Gillian Anderson (actress): “Perimenopause and menopause should be treated as the rites of passage that they are. If not celebrated, then at least accepted and acknowledged and honored.”
If you are experiencing any of these above mentioned symptoms, it is important to schedule an appointment with your doctor and have them evaluate you.
Maybe keep a symptom journal and log the duration of your cycles, the color and texture of blood, cramping, headaches…etc. That will help your doctor to confirm a perimenopause diagnosis.
As with everything, education is key.
Oh, and one final thought….
Thinking of all the ways our female bodies can mold, stretch, flex and change, yeah, we really are warriors!
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