Perimenopause - Symptoms and causes (2023)

FAQs

What is the most common early symptom of perimenopause? ›

Irregular periods are the most common symptom of perimenopause. But it's important to know when to talk to your healthcare provider about your periods. Sometimes, irregular bleeding can point to an underlying problem. You can lower your risk of complications by seeking treatment when necessary.

Common physical symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include: hot flushes, when you have sudden feelings of hot or cold in your face, neck and chest which can make you dizzy. difficulty sleeping, which may be a result of night sweats and make you feel tired and irritable during the day.

Perimenopause is a process — a gradual transition. No one test or sign is enough to determine if you've entered perimenopause. Your doctor takes many things into consideration, including your age, menstrual history, and what symptoms or body changes you're experiencing.

Medical conditions including endometriosis or cancer are sometimes confused with perimenopause in midlife women because they can alter your menstrual cycle.

Perimenopause can begin in some women in their 30s, but most often it starts in women ages 40 to 44. It is marked by changes in menstrual flow and in the length of the cycle.

Your estrogen levels drop and you may have markedly irregular menstrual cycles. On top of irregular periods, hormonal changes can lead to weight gain, hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood changes, and depression. Perimenopause ends with menopause, at which point you have not had a period for 12 months.

What happens right before perimenopause? ›

Your menstrual cycles may lengthen or shorten, and you may begin having menstrual cycles in which your ovaries don't release an egg (ovulate). You may also experience menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep problems and vaginal dryness.

During perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause), changing levels of hormones can result in a variety of symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and trouble sleeping. On days when declining levels of estrogen spike temporarily, women can experience bouts of nausea.

No, you cannot conclusively self-diagnose perimenopause. At-home test kits measure certain hormones, and these levels may suggest you are in menopause or perimenopause. However, the results are qualitative, meaning they cannot definitively diagnose perimenopause.

When testing for menopause is warranted, doctors may order an FSH test to detect elevated levels of FSH in the blood. Measuring FSH can help determine if a woman is perimenopausal or has already gone through menopause.

Rationale. In otherwise healthy women over 45, perimenopause and menopause can be diagnosed based on clinical history alone. In this age group, laboratory tests, particularly follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), do not help with the diagnosis because hormone levels fluctuate during the perimenopause.

The drop in estrogen levels accelerates during the last couple of years of your perimenopausal cycle. Eventually, after 12 months with no period, perimenopause ends, and menopause officially begins.

That said, if you've heard or read that you won't be able to orgasm after menopause, you should know that's completely false. Orgasms — and great sex — are still absolutely possible, through menopause and beyond.

Perimenopause symptoms may come and go for years before your period stops altogether. You officially reach menopause 12 months after your last menstrual period.

High blood levels of vitamin D linked to reduced estrogen – and potentially lower breast cancer risk.

What vitamins can increase estrogen? ›

B vitamins

B vitamins play an important role in the creation and activation of estrogen in the body. Low levels of these vitamins can lead to reduced levels of estrogen.

Hot flashes and Night Sweats

Estrogen affects the hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature. Low estrogen causes hot flashes and night sweats, two annoying symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.

B12 deficiency is very common in women who are menopausal and perimenopausal, which can exacerbate symptoms. B12 injections can help ease symptoms of the menopause and perimenopause, improving cognitive function and vitality.

During perimenopause, your discharge may take on a brownish tint. It may also be thin and watery or thick and clumpy. These changes usually aren't cause for concern.

Some women experience very few symptoms during perimenopause. While you should still see your doctor for regular physical checkups, it may not be necessary to seek specific care for perimenopause unless the symptoms cause significant discomfort.

Amberen and Estroven are two brands of over-the-counter supplement products. They are for people experiencing menopause or perimenopause. Both Amberen and Estroven claim that their products relieve various symptoms associated with menopause, such as hot flashes and mood changes.

Perimenopause can begin in some women in their 30s, but most often it starts in women ages 40 to 44. It is marked by changes in menstrual flow and in the length of the cycle. There may be sudden surges in estrogen.

The years leading up to that point, when women may have changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms, are called the menopausal transition or perimenopause. The menopausal transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55. It usually lasts about seven years but can be as long as 14 years.

How many years before menopause does perimenopause start? ›

It usually starts in women's 40s, but can start in their 30s or even earlier. Perimenopause lasts up until menopause, the point when the ovaries stop releasing eggs. In the last 1 to 2 years of perimenopause, this drop in estrogen speeds up. At this stage, many women have menopause symptoms.

Premenopause is the time between a woman's first period and the onset of perimenopause. Perimenopause is the transition phase into menopause that typically lasts about six years. It typically occurs in women in their 40s to early 50s, according to the National Institute on Aging.

During perimenopause your body's estrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate. These fluctuations cause symptoms that can lead to perimenopause fatigue: Disordered sleep or insomnia frequently accompany perimenopause—the lack of sleep leads directly to fatigue.

Any woman still experiencing a menstrual cycle in her late 50s and 60s should see a doctor. However, it's important to note that each woman's reproductive system is different. Just as each young woman starts menstruating at a different age, menopause comes at a different age for each woman.

The hormonal changes of menopause might make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs. But, hormonal changes alone don't necessarily cause menopause weight gain. Instead, the weight gain is usually related to aging, as well as lifestyle and genetic factors.

When your estrogen levels are low, your uterine lining is thinner. Bleeding, as a result, may be lighter and last fewer days. Short cycles are more common in the earlier stages of perimenopause. For example, you may have a period that's 2 or 3 days shorter than normal.

Perimenopause can last 10 to 12 years, but the worst symptoms are usually in the five years leading up to menopause. Menopause happens when the ovaries no longer have eggs to expel and so ovulation stops. Because ovulation stops, the production of estrogen and progesterone is greatly decreased.