Until about a year ago I didn’t really know much about menopause…
I thought of it as something wouldn’t have to start worrying about until my 50s. But, did you know that 51 is the average age of menopause in the US and perimenopause (which really just means around menopause) can last anywhere from 4-10 years leading up to your last menstrual cycle? And during that time, as estrogen declines we can experience a whole range of crazy, confusing symptoms?!
So- why on earth is this phase of life that every woman will experience not really talked about or emphasized by the medical community in the same way as puberty and pregnancy? That’s what I wondered as I started to educate myself about this extremely relevant topic.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I am simply sharing my personal experience. For medical advice and diagnosis please see your doctor.
I turned 45 this year so that puts me right in the middle of that age demographic.
The reason I wanted to write this post is to share my experience so far with perimenopause, and what I’m doing to thrive, not just merely survive in this phase of life! Getting a little personal here, but if this helps anyone feel less alone and take steps to feel better, it’s worth it…
How it all started…
It’s easy to see how perimenopause symptoms can get confused with typical midlife issues/stressors. What comes first?! For example- Am I having difficulty concentrating because I’m just busy and stressed with my everyday life and have too much on my plate? Or, are my hormones going haywire causing major brain fog? It can be a mix of both!
Around the time I turned 40 my intuition started to tell me that I felt a little “off.”
Overall I’d like to think I do my best to live a healthy lifestyle and consider myself very in tune with my body. But I could tell that something was just not right. One of the first things I noticed was that I became more sensitive to loud sounds and had less patience with things that normally would not bother me. I also found myself overthinking and procrastinating (more than usual). This is a tendency for me but it became magnified and it took more energy to make everyday decisions!
However, that was March 2020 and I attributed most of it to feeling stress and anxiety due to the pandemic, everyone being home from work/school, and our oldest child getting ready to graduate high school and leave for college. There was enough change and uncertainty associated with those two things alone that I brushed it off!
My first signs of Perimenopause
When looking at each of these signs individually, it’s easy to think they’re not a big deal. But when I look at the big picture now, the signs were there!
For the entire week to two weeks before my period my PMS symptoms became more intense and my energy levels took a major dip. During those weeks, I didn’t feel like myself, which was unsettling to me. I also started to have occasional night sweats, heart palpitations, and increased anxiousness.
Thankfully I was tracking my cycle and listing symptoms (a valuable reference later!), which I highly recommend. If you do this it makes it easier to communicate your symptoms to your doctor/provider. I used a period tracker on my phone and kept a running list of symptoms/observations and day of my cycle when I remembered to in my notes app.
Another red flag was random reactions/sensitivities to products I had used before…
I suddenly became allergic to the lash glue I was using and broke out in a rash on my entire face at my dermatologists office when they applied a numbing cream they had used on me before.
I also had a few unnerving episodes of vertigo. There were only a few but they were so bad I had to lie down until the nausea went away and spinning stopped. The first time it happened I was so desperate I did a vertigo maneuver I found on YouTube and it worked. Another thing that helped resolve the vertigo is ongoing regular strength training and MAT to make sure the muscles in my neck and back are firing properly. Thankfully I haven’t experienced this again!
Because I wasn’t experiencing these daily and my cycle was normal I continued to brush it off as stress.
Looking back, I think what “saved me” from feeling worse during that time was the healthy habits I already had in place- good nutrition prioritizing nutrient dense foods and protein, lifting weights, exercising regularly and a strong support system. For the most part, I was coping with the symptoms. But it was taking a lot more mental energy to push through!
If you’re reading this and you’re under 40, my advice is to get your sleep, movement, and nutrition habits honed in as soon as you can because it will 100% make this transition easier. If you’re over 40 and don’t have these solid habits in place it’s NEVER too late to start! Do it now. You don’t have to do it alone, seek or ask for help! (Listing my favorite resources that continue to help me below!)
Fast forward to 2024 and for lack of a better description, I started to feel less like myself.
It probably wasn’t noticeable to others but I still felt something wasn’t right. I struggled more with distractibility, brain fog, anxiety, and difficulty making everyday decisions. I found myself struggling more to remember things or “find the right words” when speaking. These things were worse when I wasn’t sleeping well. I also noticed I didn’t feel as social as I normally do, leaning more into my introvert tendencies!
I knew there had to be something I could do to feel better, so I started to research!
Dr. Mary Claire Haver was the first menopause expert/doctor I found and instantly felt validated as I watched her content on instagram, learning more about hormones and health. From there, I pored over her website with tons of resources and ordered her book, The New Menopause. She has a way of explaining the science of menopause that just makes sense and provides practical solutions/advice. She also recently did this fantastic podcast interview with Mel Robbins, with a clear, informative explanation of menopause!!
Others to follow with solid advice on menopause: Tamsen Fadel (author of How to Menopause), Dr Stacy Sims (specializes in female physiology and training, author of Roar and Next Level), and Dr Kelly Casperson (urologist/women’s sexual health).
Other things I’ve done that have been helpful in this journey:
- Started seeing a OB GYN / Functional Medicine provider that is well versed and up to date on treatments for perimenopause/menopause. I see Dr. Roxanne Pero at Alive and Well in Dallas.
- Bloodwork to establish a baseline, assess areas of improvement, and monitor any changes (ordered and read by Dr. Pero)
- Being consistent with my supplements and only taking what is necessary. Currently I take Wellbel (vitamin that supports hair, skin, and nails), and the specific supplements recommended by my doctor based on my lab work.
- 4 days per week of strength training with weights. Each session lasts around 30-45 mins. I was doing 3-4 days previously and now I’m prioritizing 4 days per week. A non negotiable part of my wellness routine!!
- Committed to fueling my body and getting at least 100 g protein, 25 g fiber, 80 oz water per day.
- Optimized H20! Adding creatine, aminos, and electrolytes to my water daily for muscle recovery, building, hydration, and cognitive function.
- Learned more about blood sugar balance and wore a CGM to further understand how food is impacting my body. I love Whitness Nutrition NourishMET program that provides education and guidance to go along with this!
- Prioritizing sleep. I no longer try to get by on 5-6 hours. I aim for at least 7-8. This can be a challenge but a work in progress. I function so much better when I get more sleep!
- Not currently taking, but I will use Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and anything else to support my hormones and health when the time comes.
Click to Shop My Perimenopause Essentials
As this journey continues I will update this post! What has been beneficial for you in this journey? Or if you’re post menopausal, what do you wish you knew when it started? Please share your advice and experience in the comments!
Thanks for stopping by!
Photography: Victoria Saperstein
