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SYMPTOMS
of perimenopause & menopause...Explained!
Before we start... some women experience just some of these symptoms and they can vary in severity and duration. What is clear, from our MenoJourneys, is that every woman’s experience is as unique as she is.
Please always remember to consult your doctor if you experience any changes in your health. You should consult a qualified professional before starting any alternative therapy, and a doctor if necessary.
IRREGULAR PERIODS
​Why & What (the Science):
As women age the number of our fertile eggs decrease, oestrogen levels fluctuate unpredictably, and progesterone levels decrease.
The result? Longer, shorter, heavier, lighter, or skipped periods.
In other words, chaos. Lucky us.
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If you want to satisfy your inner nerd, click here to read more info about irregular periods during this stage of our lives.
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Treatments & Cures:
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Medical interventions like hormone therapy or birth control pills can help. See your doctor to find out more. But diet and lifestyle changes can also help ease symptoms. Alternative Therapies may also help.
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What's Worked for YOU: the Bad, the Better, & the Best:
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As we collect your own journeys, we will update this section with recommended solutions or cures for this symptom.
So if you have any personal insight about treatments or cures that have worked for this symptom, or that have failed, please help our database grow by telling us about your own
Your MenoJourney
HOT FLUSHES, HOT FLASHES & CHILLS
​Why & What (the Science):
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Fluctuating oestrogen levels affect the hypothalamus (a fancy word for the brain’s thermoregulatory system). The result? The brain mistakenly thinks that small environmental temperature changes is your body overheating. And it activates the body’s cooling system: i.e. a hot flash.​
If you want to nerd out then click here to read more on this topic.
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Treatments & Cures:
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Medical interventions like hormone therapy (HRT), diet and lifestyle changes and alternative therapies.
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What's Worked for YOU: the Bad, the Better, & the Best:
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As we collect your own journeys, we will update this section with recommended solutions or cures for this symptom.So if you have any personal insight about treatments or cures that have worked for this symptom, or that have failed, please help our database grow by telling us about your own
NIGHT SWEATS & DISRUPTED SLEEP
​Why this may be happening (the science):
Fluctuating oestrogen levels affect the hypothalamus ( a fancy word for the brain’s thermoregulatory system). The result? The brain mistakenly treats small environmental temperature changes as the body overheating and activates the body’s cooling system: i.e. a hot flash.​ If you want to nerd out then click here to read more on this topic.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy or birth control pills, diet and lifestyle changes & alternative therapies
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Brain Fog: Problems with Memory or
Problems Concerntrating
​Why this may be happening (the science):
The brain regions that are critical for cognition - the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex - are particularly rich in oestrogen receptors. The result? Decreased levels of oestrogen negatively impact cognitive performance. Sometimes just trying to remember to breathe in and out is a challenge. Want to nerd out on some extra info? Click here!
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes and alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Irritability, Low Mood, Depression & Anxiety
​Why this may be happening (the science):
40% of perimenopausal women experience low mood or depression.
Neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine which regulate mood are impacted by fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone. So women may experience anything from mild anxiety to full blown panic attacks, slightly low mood to seriously depressed or suicidal feelings. Depression can also cause disrupted sleep which will lead to problems with fatigue, cognition and irritability. This is potentially a very serious negative feedback loop. If you want to nerd out then click here to read more.
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If you or someone you know are having thoughts of suicide or self harm then go to our SOS page to seek professional help.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy or antidepressants, diet and lifestyle changes, especially exercise and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Reduced Libido, Vaginal Dryness, Atrophy & Discomfort During Sex
​Why this may be happening (the science):
This is multifactorial and therefore complicated. In short, our hormones control our reproductive life and the desire and physical ability to have sex and to reproduce. Once we stop ovulating we are no longer able to reproduce. Therefore, as hormone levels reduce and so too does their ability to facilitate sex, mentally, emotionally and physically. That bit makes sense really. Plus, women are often sleep deprived, experiencing some sort of pain or discomfort, anxious, depressed, have low self esteem and body image issues.
Additionally we often have children and ageing relatives to care for as well as jobs and we still do a majority of the domestic drudgery. To top all of that off, by the time they hit menopause most women in long term relationships are carrying some sort of, how shall we phrase this…. ‘marital baggage’. So it shouldn’t come as a shock that a night of rampant bonking is pretty low down on the list of women’s priorities.
And then there is that disappearing trick that the clitoris and often labia minor like to perform. Yes, really! With the disappearance of oestrogen, guess what else can sometimes also seemingly disappear. If you really want to nerd out then click here to read some more information.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy or antidepressants, diet and lifestyle changes and alternative therapies. Oh, and lube!
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Increased Libido
​Why this may be happening (the science):
Yes, it is a thing apparently. A small number of women experience an increase in libido. This could be hormonal if the balance of oestrogen and testosterone is thrown off kilter. It may also be due to changes in personal circumstance such as reduced caring responsibilities, a change in partner (!?) or reduced workload. Want to read more on this subject? Click here!
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
You don’t need treatment. Enjoy it (responsibly, or however you like your adult sex) and try not to gloat too much.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Headaches
​Why this may be happening (the science):
Fluctuating hormones are the culprit again. If you have a history of menstrual related migraines they may become even worse during perimenopause. Or women may suddenly develop them. On the upside some women that have experienced migraines all their adult life find that they disappear in menopause. Swings and roundabouts! Click here to nerd out & read more info!
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes, especially exercise & good sleep hygiene and alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Palpitations
​Why this may be happening (the science):
The heart contains cells that have oestrogen receptors. Fluctuating oestrogen levels can affect the heart’s electrical system causing palpitations. If you want to nerd out then click here to read more.
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IMPORTANT!! If your palpitations are prolonged, accompanied by chest pain, dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath or you have a family history of heart disease, then please seek immediate medical attention.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes, and alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Joint Pain & Frozen Shoulder
​Why this may be happening (the science):
It all comes down to reduced oestrogen levels. Oestrogen is responsible for reducing inflammation in the body so less oestrogen means more inflammation, which can cause joint pain and stiffness eg: frozen shoulder and increased ageing of joints. This leads to a greater risk of degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis. Reduced oestrogen levels also accelerates a reduction in bone density ultimately resulting in osteoporosis and risk of fractures. Shockingly women lose up to 25% of their bone mass in the 10 year period after menopause. As if that wasn’t enough women also experience a significant reduction in muscle mass post menopause. The exact mechanism is not entirely clear and requires more research… which big pharmaceutical companies are probably funding as I type. Or maybe not.
If you want to nerd out then click each title to read these articles!
What causes menopause joint pain and what to do about it - Medical News Today
What Women Should Know About Osteoporosis and Menopause - Weill Cornell Medicine
New potential mechanism underlying loss of muscle mass during menopause - Australasian Menopause Society
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes, (especially exercise!!) & alternative therapies, as well as vitamin D!
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Recurrent UTIs, Bladder Weakness & Incontinence
​Why this may be happening (the science):
A reduction in oestrogen levels causes a number of issues for women’s bladders including thinning of tissues, changes in microbiome and weakened pelvic muscles. Studies have shown that vaginal estriol reduced UTI cases from 5.9 per year to just 0.5 in post menopausal women.
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If you want to learn more about this, click the title below to read some recommended articles:
What is the connection between menopause and UTIs? - Medical News Today
Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes especially pelvic floor exercises & alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Weight Gain
​Why this may be happening (the science):
Another multifactorial issue, which means that this is complicated. But yep, reduced oestrogen is to blame again. To simplify the issue massively, several things can happen. Women can experience a disturbance in hunger and satiety signals, meaning they eat more. Also Increased cortisol levels from poor sleep and stress lead to carbohydrate cravings which means that we then make bad food choices. As we age our metabolism slows down which contributes to weight gain if we don’t reduce our food intake accordingly. Joint pains, depression and fatigue can reduce physical activity which again contributes to weight gain. Also, lower oestrogen levels cause increased fat storage around the abdomen. And then factor in our toxic food culture and a lack of time or inclination to cook from scratch, and you have a pretty perfect storm. It’s not easy to control your weight during perimenopause and beyond, but it’s not impossible either. If you want to nerd out then click here to read an article.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy may help to control the contributing factors like low mood, sleep disturbances, joint pains etc. There are now weight loss jabs available too. If you are happy within yourself, well rested and able to control your cravings, then diet and lifestyle changes will be easier to implement and be more effective in the long term. The weight loss industry is a multi billion pound industry and it is not something we want to get involved in. However, we would like to quote the wonderful Michael Pollan, a nutritionist and professor at University of California. He coined the phrase ‘Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.’ It really is that easy. (Michael Pollan’s book ‘In Defence of Food : An eaters manifesto’ is quite brilliant.)
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Bloating, Nausea & Digestive Issues
​Why this may be happening (the science):
Our digestive tract is full of hormone receptors. These hormones influence gut motility, water retention and the microbiome. Any disruption to these will cause a change in our digestive system, resulting in the joy of bloating, wind, constipation etc. Click here to read more info about this topic.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes, and alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Tingling or Electric Shock Sensations & Dry, Itchy Skin
​Why this may be happening (the science):
Reduced oestrogen levels impact collagen production, skin hydration and the function of nerves. Some women experience tingling, itching, or formication (that’s an “m” not an “n” and it refers to the feeling of insects crawling on the skin) because the communication between the nerves and the brain has been disrupted. Want to read a bit more about this symptom? Click here.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes, and alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Hair Loss & Brittle Nails
​Why this may be happening (the science):
When oestrogen and progesterone levels drop our hair grows more slowly and gets thinner. The decrease in these hormones triggers an increase in androgens (male hormones) which causes hair follicles on our head to shrink leading to more hair loss and (hilariously) can cause hair growth on our faces. Just one of nature’s little jokes. Reduced oestrogen also impacts keratin production and nail hydration. Stress, nutrient deficiency and aging exacerbate both these issues. If you want to read more on this topic, click here.
Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes especially pelvic floor exercises & alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Oral Issues, such as Bleeding Gums, Burning Mouth &
Dry Mouth
​Why this may be happening (the science):
Oestrogen is vital for good oral health. A reduction can lead to loss of bone density and destabilisation of teeth, disrupted microbiome, reduced saliva production, receding gums and inflammation. If you want to nerd out then click here to read this article.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes, and alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Dizziness & Tinnitus
​Why this may be happening (the science):
Hormonal fluctuations can affect the autonomic nervous system, blood flow in the brain, and inner ear function, which can cause dizziness or vertigo and tinnitus. Additionally dehydration, anaemia, sleep deprivation, migraines and anxiety can also be causes. If you want to know more about tinnitus & dizziness, click here to read an article.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes, and alternative therapies.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Dry Eyes
​Why this may be happening (the science):
Rather surprisingly low androgen (male hormones) levels as well as oestrogen are the culprit here. The oil and fluid glands in the eye lids are affected resulting in poor quality and insufficient tear production leading to dry, itchy, sore eyes and blurred vision. However, the research is somewhat conflicted here so if you want to nerd out then click the titles below to read some further research:
Dry eye in postmenopausal women: a hormonal disorder - PubMed
Dry Eye and Menopause - Optometrists Network
Dry Eye Syndrome in Menopause and Perimenopausal Age Group - Journal of Mid-Life Health​
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy and topical estradiol drops, diet and lifestyle changes, and alternative therapies, including Intense Pulsed Light Therapy.
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.
Sore Breasts
​Why this may be happening (the science):
This is most common during perimenopause when hormones are fluctuating. The condition is known as cyclical mastalgia and is caused by swelling and water retention. Post menopause the condition normally subsides. If you want to read more on this, visit Healthline's Website.
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And please make sure that you are as ‘breast aware’ as possible. If you have any concerns, then consult your doctor immediately. Go to Breast Cancer Prevention's website to find all the information you need on healthy breasts.
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Possible treatments and/or cures:
Medical interventions like hormone therapy, diet and lifestyle changes & alternative therapies. And maybe a really good bra!
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Bad, Better, and Best:
Please check back here to see how women experiencing this symptom have found solutions or cures for this symptom. And if you have any recommendations, or cautions, about treatments or cures for this symptom, please help our database grow by completing our Your MenoJourney form.