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Perimenopause - what is it and what effect does it have on our body and psyche?

Things started happening to me, my feelings changed, my body started to function differently, to hurt differently. I didn't know what was going on, and when I went to the doctor, everything was fine. So I started observing myself and started talking to my friends my age or older, and I realised that I was in “hormonal transition". But so soon? All right. But the symptoms lasted and nothing changed with my period. It's been more than two years now, so I started researching further.

What we know about menopause.

There comes a point in our lives at a certain age when we, as women, stop having our period. Everyone has it differently, at a different time, and most of us know that it will happen one day. The question is, do we also know that the process can be very lengthy? This whole process, from beginning to end, is popularly called "transition". And professionally "climacteric". It is the time when the activity of the sexual organs change and the level of certain hormones such as progesterone, estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone fluctuates. The process of "transition" includes perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause.

Perimenopause can last from one to 10 years. So for 10 years our body can prepare for our last menstruation. Our body can "go crazy" hormonally for up to 10 years.

What are its symptoms, what can we expect and how to deal with it?

This is not a professional article, these are my observations and my own studies. What I've learned from professional literature, what I've heard from my girlfriends who are going through it right now and those who have already went through it, and how I'm going through it. I'm writing this article for women who, like me, have noticed changes, don't know what's going on with their bodies, and don't have anyone to talk to about it. I hope it helps and relieves the soul and psyche, because everything that is happening to us can be defined and something can be done about it to heal it or make the process easier.

When does it start?

It is said that the first stage is from 35 to 45 years of age, the second is from 45 to 50, and the third is from 50 to 55 years. Of course, it is very individual. There are women who don't even notice that something is happening to them, and suddenly they are in menopause and their menstruation just stops. Then there are women who start noticing changes very early and struggle with it for years. There are women who have more symptoms and there are those who have one, two or three.

And what are the symptoms?

The classic and most common are:

• irregular menstruation
• lighter or heavier menstrual bleeding
• lower sexual desire, or in some women higher
• vaginal dryness
• hot flushes, night sweats
• problems with sleep or falling asleep
• fatigue, even exhaustion
• mood swings, depressed moods

Less common symptoms:

• Flu like issues. Hormonal fluctuations can manifest as the flu. It's called the "menstrual flu." Headaches, runny nose, sore throat, fever, body aches, etc. Some articles say it happens during ovulation, some say before menstruation. Others that it occurs during menstruation and lasts from a few days to two weeks. It is very strange, but there is no uniform information. For me, it was the first year during ovulation and the second year during menstruation. It lasted from 3 to 10 days. During the Covid period, I had a constant feeling that I was probably positive, and at the same time I was always covid negative. I didn't understand what was happening to me, that every month I was slightly sick. It wasn't a bad flu, but a very tiring and exhausting and annoying (sort of) flu. How did I come to know that it is the “hormonal transition:? I started to notice that I have it at regular intervals. So then I looked at my cycle and found that every time I ovulated, these symptoms appeared. Now they appear once during ovulation, and another time during menstruation. Let me tell you, it's really quite annoying. When I started to get information from other women, I realised that this is not such a rare condition.
• Bone thinning. It may happen that your joints start to hurt. A woman may find it harder to get out of bed, or she may feel that as if her body cannot support her. I call it the time when you begin to be "crunchy", because everything pops and crunches. The physical body hurts more and copes less with physical stress. It is precisely for this reason that women aged starting from around 40-45 are advised to add collagen to their diet.
• Changes in cholesterol levels. Increase in "bad" cholesterol.
• In addition to vaginal dryness, greater susceptibility to vaginal and urinary inflammations. Rubbing coconut oil "down there" is very beneficial against bacteria.
• More frequent urge to go to the toilet.
• Leakage of urine when coughing or sneezing - overall weakening of the vaginal wall. Therefore, it is good to start vaginal exercises as soon as possible and as often as possible. It helps not only with leakage of urine, but also with vaginal moisture (congestion due to exercise). And of course, also for more pleasant sex. (Regular good sex has extremely beneficial effects for a woman, especially when harmonising hormonal changes.)
• You have light bleeding after sex, more spotting than bleeding. Don't be scared.
• Greater pain during menstruation. I, who never had extreme pain during menstruation, now got it in full, not only during menstruation, but also during ovulation. It alternates. Sometimes I have more pain during ovulation and sometimes during menstruation, and I never know when what.
• Weight gain and perimenopause? And this is quite an interesting point. Most often, the belly gets bigger and it is much more difficult to lose weight. It's not just about diet, it's also about hormones. Therefore, during this period it may seem that you are trying your best to lose weight, you are dieting and exercising... and nothing. It can make a person quite angry. But it's not your fault, it's a process where the body needs more energy to cope with these fluctuations. Therefore, a special diet to support the harmonisation of hormones is extremely important during this period.
• Change in blood pressure. Blood pressure fluctuations. I was lucky to have had low blood pressure all my life, so now it caught up to me by my blood pressure has risen to “normal”. Although it is not natural for me and my body feels it differently, but it is still better than suddenly finding out that we have too high blood pressure.
• Greater sensitivity of the breasts. If you have never had this during your period, you will be surprised. The more time passes, the more my bras bother me and I think of ways how to avoid them.
• It may happen that your breasts also get bigger. The mammary glands turn into fat, so you may feel that your breasts are one size larger. But be careful, although they can be bigger, they start to dance more and fall because they lose their elasticity. Mine bow down to the universe.
• The quality of hair and skin changes. You worry all your life and suddenly boom. It really annoys a person. It's different for everyone. Some have it so that their hair starts to fall out, some have drier hair and drier skin or, on the contrary, oilier. That's why there are special cosmetics for women in transition, because in each period we need something different than what we needed when we were younger. Yes, maybe it's time to completely change your skin and hair care routines. And again, you need to research which products suit you. Because what is good for my neighbour does not need to be good for me, and vice versa. Yes, it costs money, but once you find what works for you, settle into it and it will be better. The sun and the sea helped me the most. That's when I'm at the height of my glory.
• Muscle pain. I feel that the older a person gets, the more pain knocks on their door due to changes in the body. And especially us women, as if we can't get rid of it. Therefore, one of the most important pieces of advice I can give you to make the process easier is to rest as much as possible. The body needs a lot of energy, so don't take it away. We also need to understand the most important thing, which is that some things that we managed and exceeded in before in the past, we no longer can do easily or at all. Accept this state with respect and reverence. Some things that we were able to do before, we maybe should no longer practice now, so as not to burden our body. We need to reevaluate our lifestyle. It's not for nothing that they say "I'm too old for that". We are all different and we have to start listening to our body and adapt to it, as well as our soul.
• Problems with memory or concentration. How many times do I catch myself returning home as soon as I left the house because I don't remember if I locked the door. Or children talk to me and after a minute I don't know what they said to me at all. Of course, it is also a combination of fatigue, because when we are tired, it is difficult for us to think and concentrate. But it is also one of the symptoms of this hormonal period. Of course, I love to abuse this state. That’s why I love and often use, when I really don't want to do something, that “I'm too old for this”. I will gladly use this crutch because my body, my mind, and my soul in some cases require me to say NO. Of course, it's not a brain condition that can't be dealt with. When we really want, us women can remember things for a ages in detail and hear things that some may want to hide from us. But at this time it is nice to learn what children and men have mastered a long time ago, and that is "selective deafness". I hear what I want and I don't hear what I don't want. What does it mean? That when my children argue with each other, I absolutely do not hear it. When someone scolds me, I don't notice it at all. "I'm too old to" deal with these things that needlessly may take my energy away that I really don't have surplus of to give at this moment. That is one of the processes of self-love. Potassium helps with brain and nerve function, which can increase alertness.
• Water retention. The body may swell. Not only the legs and arms, but also the face. It is again the fault of hormonal imbalance, and changing eating habits helps here.
• Changes in the level of sugar in the body. Lemon water and other infused waters are the best natural drinks for hormonal balance. They regulate blood sugar levels and generally strengthen immunity. They also improve the skin, control the appetite. Green tea and matcha latte are two of the best green drinks with hormone balancing properties. In addition, according to scientists, lemon can increase our "feel-good hormones" and reduce stress levels.
• Arrhythmia. Heart palpitations (he heart skipping beats and stronger heart beats). The first time it happened to me, I was extremely scared. But then I read that up to 40% of women have it during the hormonal transition, or some even during menstruation. At first I had it during ovulation and now it's so different, but I feel it mostly when I'm calmly lying down. It's also quite annoying and it's hard for me to fall asleep. A friend got a medical prescription from her heart doctor for herself, but in the end I decided to deal with it differently. Some women have also been helped by classical hormonal treatment, but I am more in favour of a more natural way. Vitamin C helps with arrhythmia. Antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E seem to be very effective for this problem. For me, it was always the case that the body demanded what it needed. So when I had a craving for lemon water for more than a week, which I didn't drink that often before, if at all, I started googling and found out that it really is an extra remedy for these female conditions. I would advise some women to avoid coffee, energy drinks and various other stimulants. Of course, if this condition persists and the arrhythmia lasts more than a few seconds, seek a good doctor to be sure.

And what to do about all that?

The harmonisation process needs to be “tailored" to each and every one of us specifically. Each of us need something different. There are many natural products on the market that can work for you. From various teas, natural pills, ointments and other gifts of nature, to classical medicines.

It is also written everywhere about changing your diet.

As hormones change, so does the liver function for example, which is why they say that frequent detox is very important. Of course, less hard-to-digest food and definitely a lot of fluids. Find what suits you specifically. For example, I cannot eat raw food at all, such as vegetables and fruits, because it makes my stomach upset and it is hard for me to digest, so I gently fry, boil or heat everything. Even water is heavy for my stomach, so drinking it on an empty stomach gives me stomach aches. The professional articles say that you should drink less alcohol, but honestly, a glass of red wine or sometimes a glass of stronger alcohol helps me a lot. Especially with some symptoms, such as headaches, cramps, exhaustion, or even insomnia. As I said before, find what makes you feel better during this time. Nothing is generally applicable for all.

What else helps me:

An afternoon nap (if possible), daily meditation, being kind to yourself. Sunshine, walks, knowing when I'm not in control, listening to my body, respecting this process. Massages, hot tub, sauna and whirlpool, swimming. Good sex, good and positive company, don't often watch negative news, acupuncture, aromatherapy, different oils - either massage it into my body or add to food, drinking herbal tea …etc. These are things that I have noticed about myself that are good for me.

Find your own processes that will help you get to your centre, to a harmonious state.

If you have something that has worked for you, please let me know so we can inspire other women to try.

Let them know what is "out there" that could help.