Perimenopause — the six to 10 years leading up to menopause – can be a time of great frustration to women. Despite a healthy, active lifestyle that’s been free of physical problems, the hormonal changes that begin during perimenopause can cause an array of symptoms that seem puzzling to someone who doesn’t know what to expect during this time of transition.
But before you know it, you’re taking sleeping pills to help with insomnia; anti-depressants for mood swings and anxiety; ibuprofen for the head aches and joint pain that you think are due to stress or too much jogging; and perhaps antibiotics for the occasional urinary tract infection that you have for the first time in your life.
It usually isn’t until years later that you can look back and clearly see that all of these mild but annoying problems were due to declining estrogen levels and that some help with hormone balancing and possibly supplements would have made a big difference in how you felt, without taking prescription drugs.
One way to put these pieces of the puzzle together is to keep a daily diary of your body’s physical and emotional changes so that you can clearly see if there’s connection with your cycle. Knowing what is causing these symptoms will reduce your anxiety and help your doctor help you cope better with these hormonal changes.
There are some excellent Daily Perimenopause Diary templates available from the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research at the University of British Columbia. Their website also offers excellent information about all stages of hormonal changes.
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I found this article that may be of interest to you A=68
I recently had my hormone levels tested and neurotransmitters from the above company where I found the article from (you have to call them) . It’s a relief to now be keeping track of my levels through maintenance. Which as of 3 weeks into it my anxiety has dropped about 10% and I finally feel like I am on the right track. I was really tired of being handed a prescription that was only addressing the symptoms instead of the root of the issue. Balance is a tricky subject, and the medical community doesn’t recognize the seriousness of estrogen in a surplus in every one. A friend of mine recently had tumors (one the size of a small potato) removed from her ovary – benign. I asked her if her hormones were tested, she said no! I couldn’t believe it!
Thank you for the Perimenopause Diary Template, this will be of great use to me tracking when there are changes in my body/mood.
thank you for this information. I find the medical establishment very slow (in general) in understanding that menopausal symptoms begin long before actual cessation of menses. Doctors are still telling friends of mine that they are too young.
see my blog for articles on peri-menopause “Is this menopause?”
http://www.msmenopause.blog
It is important for women to understand the biological and physiological changes in their body so that they will not be frustrated when they start experiencing symptoms. Understanding their symptoms will also help them accept that perimenopausal is a natural process every woman will experience as a transition to menopausal stage. Ask your doctor about hormone theraphy to alleviate the symptoms.
Great article, but I think that us as women need to get our diets in check. Most of what I have found in relation to menopause has a lot to do with the foods I eat. After all, foods do cause your hormones to change and therefore have some impact on how we feel, think and act.
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