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 There are many signs and symptoms for perimenopause and menopause.
There also seems to be as many different symptoms as there are women!
It is important to establish the cause of these symptoms as
definitely related to perimenopause or menopause. Thyroid diseases, as well as a number of
other ailments, can present with these same symptoms. Because of this, it is imperative to
consult your physician if and when you notice these changes in your body. It is worth
noting that the physical changes a woman experiences while going through perimenopause are
usually more severe and intense than what she will experience later during her menopause.
Perimenopause
is a time where hormone levels widely fluctuate and render
the hallmark traits such as hot flashes, as very noticeable. It is at menopause when our
hormone levels become more settled and our bodies adjust to these new lower levels. It is
the journey to these new set points that make perimenopause interesting, to say the least
!
The fact of the matter with both perimenopause and menopause, is that no two women will
experience it the same way. One of the only reliable predictors of how your perimenopause
and menopause will go is to take a look at your mother’s and if you can
grandmother’s experience. Very often women follow the same patterns as their mothers.
Here are the most common signs of perimenopause, note that since we all are individuals signs
can vary : )
 Hot Flashes/ Cold flashes
The hot flashes can range from feeling a strong blush to
profuse sweating with intense heat starting at the upper parts the body (head, neck
areas).
Changes in menses ( irregular cycles)
Menses can become heavier, lighter, come more frequently or
less so, last longer or shorter in duration than usual. What happens in the menstrual cycle?
Mood Changes
A woman can find herself feeling more irritable, teary,
emotionally detached and worrying more than usual. Many gals have shared a heightened
sense of anxiety without a particular cause. Food cravings have been noted especially
during the second half of the menstrual cycle. There can be an increase in appetite,
feelings of nausea and a general decrease in energy. Because of lowered estrogen levels
there may be a decrease in a woman’s libido (sex drive) and pain upon intercourse due
to vaginal dryness. A woman may have poor motivation and a general sense of fatigue. Sleep
disturbances are very popular during perimenopause and menopause. This can be seen in
difficulties going to sleep, waking in the middle of the night and not being able to go
back to sleep and early morning wakening.
Sleep Disturbance
Sleep disturbances are very popular during perimenopause
and menopause. This can be seen as difficulties going to sleep, waking in the middle of
the night and not being able to go back to sleep and early morning wakening. This can lead
to feelings of depression though some women feel depressed at this time without sleeping
disturbances.
Memory Changes:
You may feel like you are forgetting things more easily.
Sometimes this is referred to as "brain fog". It may be due to lack of sleep
and/or the fact that since there are hundreds of estrogen receptors on the brain and the
decreased estrogen levels effects brain function, including memory.
Urinary symptoms:
Stress or/and urge incontinence may be a symptom of
perimenopause. You feel like you have to go to the bathroom all the time. You also may
feel that you cannot get to the bathroom fast enough and sustain some urine leakage (urge
incontinence). Sometimes when a gal sneezes, coughs or laughs very hard she may lose a bit
of urine, this is stress incontinence. Because of changes in the normal bacteria in our
vagina and there may be an increased incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Sexual Changes :
Due to lowered estrogen levels the tissues that make up the
cervix’s lining become more fragile and almost paper thin. This may result in light
spotting after sex. The thinning of the vaginal lining which is normally maintained by
adequate estrogen levels, can cause uncomfortable vaginal dryness and itching and with
decreased lubrication can make intercourse painful and uncomfortable.
also see: Mayo
Interview: Sexual Changes
Skin:
Some gals experience "crawling skin"- their skin
feels tingling, dry , maybe a burning sensation.
Joint and muscle aches and pains
Digestive disturbance
Heart burn can be a common complaint during perimenopause
and menopause.
Heart:
A pounding or racing feeling of the heart can be very
scary. It is important to have a doctor check this out before you decide that it is due to
perimenopause. In perimenopause this pounding is harmless to your body and may be
accompanied by a feeling of shortness of breath. Hot flashes may accompany this symptom.
 Ovaries:
Benign ovarian cysts.
(It is important to be sure that it is only ovarian cysts and not something more serious -
see Ovarian Cancer
Awareness)
"You're Not Crazy, It's Your
Hormones
by Larrian Gillespie
hosted by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
 Dr. Larrian Gillespie’s newest book You're Not
Crazy, It's Your Hormones! is an intelligent guide to help ALL women understand how
ALL of their hormones work. This handbook gives women the latest health information and
best medical tools. Women, by using Dr. Gillespie’s book, can work with their
physicians in planning and utilizing the best up to date therapies.She possesses both the
expertise and real life experience to help all women. In this exclusive interview on
HotFlash!, Dr Gillespie discusses her work and she says, that "women were eager to
find out how to work through their hormone issues, but there simply wasn't any book that
took them by the hand and gave them the "inside" diagnostic tree used by
physicians to figure out WHICH hormone was at fault." Find out more.
Meet the Author
"Menopause Made Easy"
by Dr.
Carolle Jean-Marat, MD
hosted by Sue Spataro
 Interview & FREE Excerpt
  Today's woman must
educate herself about menopause and the risks and rewards of taking HRT, nutritional
supplements, and homeopathic therapies. With humor, candor, and plain non-technical
language, Dr. Jean-Murat discusses the current needs and concerns of midlife women,
empowering us to make the right decisions. In our interview, she discusses Selecting over the counter
products, Black
Cohosh, and Racial
Differences & Menopause and also features a FREE excerpt from her book, Stress and Depression.
If you have any questions, you can ask them on our HotFlash support group.
HotFlash FAQ:
How can birth control pills help symptoms of
perimenopause?
There is a whole new group of BCPs like
Loestrin that were created especially for women over 35 years of age. Not only do
they function to help with the often disruptive symptoms of perimenopause, they work as an
effective means of birth control. They contain just enough estrogen and progesterone
to prevent pregnancies and help with perimenopause. Find out more.
Meet the Author:
Kathryn Petras
FREE excerpt
& interview
author of: The Premature Menopause Book
hosted by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
 Kathy works to dispel the ever- present myths surrounding women and
menopause. Menopause is typically seen in women who are age 50 and older.  But
there are literally thousands of women in their thirties and even late twenties who find
themselves in the throes of menopause. As Kathy has written " they fast forward from
29 to 59". This devastating health challenge is not merely physical; the hot flashes,
mood swings, troubles sleeping etc. but delivers a harsh emotional blow. When Kathy
discovered that she was menopausal and in her thirties, she searched for a book, a
resource to help her understand what her body was going through. She did not find such a
book; so she wrote it herself. See the interview hosted by Sue Spataro and a FREE excerpt
from the book. |
 
Did
you know that we have support groups for homeschooling, crafts, recipes, health and more?
Find out more
 
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Menopause Management:
The Quickest Ways to Handle Problems and Discomfort
by Carol R. Schulz, Mary Jenkins
 
also see
HotFlash! Therapy Guide
When women experience the most troublesome symptoms of menopause, they need
quick, effective remedies. This "survival guide" is an invaluable tool to
efficiently manage the passage through menopause. Includes hundreds of tips and techniques
such as solutions for sexual problems, quick remedies when a hot flash comes on, and more.
Recommended Reading
The Power of
Perimenopause:
A Woman's Guide to Physical and Emotional Health During Perimenopause
by Stephanie Degraff
Bender, Treacy Colbert
 
While much as been written about menopause, little
attention has been paid to the experiences women undergo during the transitional period
BEFORE menopause. Now, for the millions of women in their late thirties and forties, this
comprehensive book focuses on easing the normal, but sometimes distressing, physiological
and psychological symptoms of the stage preceding menopause.
The Menopause Manager:
A Safe Path for a Natural Change
click here to find out more
by Mary Ann Mayo, Joseph L. Mayo
 see the Mayo cyber-interview
 "The Menopause Manager" is a
road atlas through menopause's maze of medical and homeopathic interventions. Designed for
the busy woman, this guide provides current, accurate, and complete information in small,
digestible doses. This book will help readers make health decisions with confidence and
keep them on the highway of healthy living |
