Perimenopause. Why did no one warn me? I mean no one. Not my doctor, not the media, not my coaches, not my mother, not my girlfriends?
Shit was hard.
What is perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the stage of life for women between 2 and 10 years before their final period. Menopause officially starts one year after your last one. Peri can be horrible for some and no big deal for others. If you have your ovaries and you are in your forties, get ready. The shit storm may be headed your way.
It is a time of complete hormone craziness. I went through it when I was also super stressed at work, overtraining, and fad dieting. All that led to all sorts of crazy signs and symptoms such as brain fog, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, weird heart racing, overreaction to everything good and bad, sweat hives and itchiness whenever I worked out, belly fat gain, etc.
On top of all that, there can be overlap with thyroid issues and HPA axis dysfunction blurring the root causes of all three. Your ovaries, thyroid, and adrenals can all be working to undermine you.
No one told me it was worse than actual menopause. Your hormones are going all wacky. Your progesterone is continuing to drop off, and your estrogen can fluctuate wildly.
Everything you did to soothe yourself before may no longer work or make things worse, such as alcohol and working out more.
How to deal with this phase of life
What can you do? There is a range of options.
Just medicate it – run straight to your doctor? Sure, but he or she may just give you anti-anxiety drugs. Wrong. Run away. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)? Maybe.
-or-
No interventions – no meds, no supplements, no alcohol or caffeine or sugar, workout harder, starve yourself. Tough it out, Girl!
-or-
Somewhere in between – a more balanced approach. Get your hormones and thyroid checked. Support your hormone levels by reducing alcohol and caffeine; supplementing with the appropriate vitamins such as C, E, and D, and complex activated Bs and minerals such as magnesium; reduce your stress; eating a smart calorie and macro balance; exercising wisely; and support and cherish your sleep. Look into supplementation with chasteberry/vitex, pomegranate seed oil, flaxseeds, or yellow maca, among others. Get copies of The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gottfried or the Period Repair Manual by Dr. Lara Bridon for more details.
What worked for me may not work for everyone. I went straight to HRT because I did not know there were other options. If I had to do it again, I might have tried some other options first. Once I hired a coach, it all started to fall into place. It is up to you, so read up, talk to your doctor and do some research
