Unexpected Perimenopause Symptoms That Are Real

Perimenopause

Unexpected Perimenopause Symptoms That Are Real, Not Imagined

Disclaimer: This article was written for educational purposes only. Please consult your doctor with your Perimenopause and Menopause symptoms. You want to rule out any possible underlying health issues.

Feeling off lately? Experiencing strange symptoms that you can’t quite explain? You’re not alone.

Perimenopause can bring about a range of unexpected changes and symptoms.

You’re not imagining things — from mood swings and forgetfulness to unusual aches and free-floating anxiety, these symptoms are real and deserve your attention.

Let’s explore what’s happening in your body and how to manage these changes and symptoms effectively.

Forgetfulness

Probably nothing is so irritating to you while trying to balance a challenging schedule than to feel as if your memory is failing.

Although it’s natural that our ability to remember things slows down with age, it’s unlikely that if you can’t remember what your doctor’s name is, you are experiencing premature dementia.

Forgetfulness is one of the most frequent complaints women have during Perimenopause (and Menopause). This symptom can already occur years before you stop having your periods.

The part of our brain that is associated with memory is loaded with Estrogen receptors. And when Estrogen levels begin to decrease, or to spike and drop, the brain cannot retrieve information well.

This can be frightening.

Besides the obvious hormonal changes, forgetfulness can be triggered by feeling anxious, and experiencing physical and mental exhaustion.

What can help?

Exercise regularly
Try mindfulness and meditation
Eat brain-friendly foods rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, such as fish, eggs, nuts, and seeds. It’s also important to include antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E.
Exercise your brain: Try crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word games, online brain games, reading, learning something new
You can also take Ginkgo Biloba supplement (Ginkgo Biloba is known for centuries for enhancing memory)

Difficulty Concentrating

You’re feeling unfocused. You used to love reading but now you have no patience to read an article.

Your coworker is sharing her story about her weekend — but you just can’t seem to focus.

These can be frustrating…

You see, generally, difficulty concentrating is attributed to the stresses of midlife, which also affects your sleep. Notice that, if you’re having trouble sleeping, you find yourself spacy the next day.

What can help?

Create a sleep schedule.
If you have difficulty sleeping, a cup of Chamomile or Passionflower tea can help.
Magnesium taken at bedtime can also help you sleep better.
You can also take Ginkgo Biloba and Vitamin B supplements.

Just remember to consult your physician before taking them.

Mood Swings

Dealing with heightened sensitivity?
Being irritable?
Experiencing more than the usual PMS moodiness?
Is enthusiasm missing from your life?
Are you suddenly quick to anger?

You are not alone!

Losing your cool happens more often during Perimenopause (and Menopause).

So, what’s going on?

During Menopause, Estrogen and Progesterone levels drop, which can affect serotonin, a brain chemical that contributes to feelings of happiness and well-being. This can lead to increased irritability, anxiety, and sadness.

What can help?

You may find that making certain lifestyle changes help you with mood swings, including:

healthy eating (preferably more plant foods)
regular exercise
limiting caffeine and sugar
and quitting smoking (if you’re a smoker)

Headaches

In the past, you used to get headaches before your periods, when you felt stressed or after partying too much. But now, you seem to get headaches for no reason and it’s scaring you because the usual remedies don’t help.

What’s going on?

Frequent headaches during Perimenopause are caused by spikes and drops in Estrogen levels. But before you assign your headaches to Perimenopause, it’s wise to consider a doctor’s checkup.

If all is okay, then your Perimenopause headaches are not just hormone related but also due to tension. Tension headaches are most common during Perimenopause. They feel like a tightness or pressure, and are usually felt in the back of your head or neck.

The biggest factor here isn’t hormones but stress.

Migraines are also frequent in Perimenopause. They can be agonizing. They throb and intensify with time. You may feel nauseous and even vomit. Light can hurt your eyes and noise can make your headaches worse.

What can help?

If your headaches are frequent and agonizing, it is important to work with your physician to develop a treatment regimen.

Also, staying hydrated, getting adequate sleep and practicing stress management techniques can help.

You can also find Magnesium and Passionflower’s calming effects helpful.

Insomnia

Insomnia is often caused by night sweats — hot flashes that occur when you are sleeping.

Or you can wake for no reason in the middle of the night and then can’t go back to sleep.

Experiencing prolonged stress can also mess up your sleep.

As you see, there can be multiple reasons for not sleeping well during Perimenopause (and Menopause).

It is important to address your sleep troubles. Quality sleep is a major part of your sense of wellbeing.

What can help?

Manage other symptoms: Try to manage hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes

Avoid certain habits: Don’t nap, drink alcohol, or use stimulants before bed

Create a comfortable sleep environment: Try a lukewarm shower and stick to a regular bedtime

Eat a low-glycemic index foods: more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, nuts, and seeds, and avoid processed grains and added sugars

Consider therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you identify negative thoughts and behaviors that might be affecting your sleep.

Meditation is also very helpful with restoring your inner peace

Free-Floating Anxiety

It’s a common symptom of menopause that can feel like random, unsettling bouts of fear in situations that are usually safe.

You can also experience it as a constant, excessive worry about daily life that can quickly change topics.

Other symptoms include: feeling tense, jittery, or on edge, irritability or short-temperedness, mood swings, avoiding social situations.

What can help?

Deep Breathing:
- Try breathing slowly by deeply inhaling through your nose and counting to five, then exhaling through your mouth while counting to five again. Repeat this for at least five minutes.

Music
- Listening to music may help reduce cortisol levels and improve mood.

Supplements
- Consider taking St John’s Wort, Magnesium, Lemon balm, or Valerian may also help with nighttime disturbances and sleep.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- CBT can help reframe negative thoughts and deal with other life issues that may arise during menopause.
- You can also try writing down or recording your worries at a specific time to make it easier to avoid worrying about them all the time.

Faintness, Dizziness and Palpitations

There’s nothing more daunting to your sense of being in control than as if you’re going to faint.

Unfortunately, Perimenopause brings about a lot of different symptoms — faintness, feeling dizzy or experiencing heart palpitations are some of them.

These symptoms can be scary. And your first thoughts might be “Omg! What’s wrong with me? Am I about to have a heart attack?”

It’s important to know that these symptoms can be caused by hormonal changes that affect the nervous system and cardiovascular system.

What can help?

Staying hydrated to improve blood flow and stabilize blood pressure
Eating regular, balanced meals and snacks to prevent blood sugar drops
Taking a supplement that contains soy isoflavones to help stabilize hormones

You should also call your doctor to rule out other causes of dizziness.

While it is important that you educate yourself about symptoms of Perimenopause and Menopause, and the ways you can help yourself to feel better and cope with them when they occur, it is equally important to consult your doctor and have regular checkups.

With all my ❤️

Anna Toth

PS: My dear friend, please remember, Menopause needs not to be a time of pain and suffering.

If you want to learn about natural ways to ease your symptoms, then I invite you to join my private FB community.

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