Perimenopause

Perimenopause

There’s a monster that rages inside of me that’s not pretty.

It’s likely to show its head from time to time but most of the time I seem to be able to contain it.

Thank goodness for running and tiring it out.

But what is it?

Hormones and perimenopause:

What is perimenopause?

Perimenopause means around menopause and relates to a period in a women’s life where hormones, such as oestrogen declines. This leads to oestrogen finally not being produced at all and at such at time you are in menopause.

Perimenopause can take a number of years (up to 10 I am told) to progress to menopause. This is because a women’s ovaries don’t just stop producing overnight. They do however gradually slow down, producing fewer eggs and releasing less of the hormone as well.

A regular feature of perimenopause is missing a period. And even though I know I am in this phase it can still freak me out and ask the question “Could I be pregnant?” 

Periods can be more often, more bleeding, less bleeding, and or just the occasional spotting but it can change from month to month. No wonder I have mood swings……

And every women is different and will experience perimenopause and menopause differently.

Other features of perimenopause include insomnia, hot flushes, and a decline in sexual drive, vaginal dryness and waking up in a pool of sweat.

How is perimenopause diagnosed?

Your doctor can make the diagnoses by checking your hormone levels on a blood test.

What can I do to help reduce symptoms?

There are certain things you can do that can enhance your general wellbeing such as, exercise, get more sleep, drink less alcohol, maintain a healthy weight and increase calcium in your diet. And if you smoke try and stop.

My personal Experience:

I find my feeling fluctuate from month to month. Some months I breeze through with hardly knowing anything has changed and I feel great. Then there are months when I feel like “Shit” and I am not myself. The only way to describe this:

It’s like having a monster raging against myself, I have no patience and can implode at any moment.

My hormones just before my period can bring on anxiety.

I have feelings of not being good enough.

Calling myself names like fraud or pretender.

Feeling like I am not a good mother or wife.

Feelings of being so overwhelmed, too much to do, too little time, and I feel burdened with the weight of the world.

The house feels dirty, the kids are untidy.

I have no control and can’t control anything around me

What if the computer dies and I lose everything? And Yes I do back things up all the time.

The house burns down.

There’s a terrible accident and I am alone and or I am injured and cannot help myself?

My parents are getting older. I don’t spend enough time with them. The kids are growing up too fast before I know it they will be moving out.

Did I pay that bill?

There’s not enough time in the day where did that hour go?

Thoughts like this run through my mind at phenomenal speed and I feel like I am drowning and sometimes the best thing to do is let it consume me. This jumping back and forth with thoughts and emotions may last from a few minutes to what seems like hours and I find it exhausting and frustrating. Finally I fixate on one thing and I dwell. I try and think of the worst possible outcome of my scenarios and the likelihood of that actually happening. But for me this is good because it’s like my rational voice is speaking to me and it can help lift my spirits again.

I tell myself to “Be Quiet, breathe deeply and don’t listen to the noise in my head."

And I remind myself my period must be on its way.

Another experience for me is waking up in a pool of sweat. Soaked sheets and pyjamas and a shivery feeling if it’s in the middle of winter.

I can cry over stupid commercials and in that same second have rage at them for having them toy with my emotions.

Sometimes it feels so good to scream, bang and throw things, however not at other people and not inside the house. Thank goodness for the gym.  

I crave chocolate, cake and ice cream all at the same time. And sometimes I will have no appetite at all.

My legs ache like I am carrying weights and they are pulling my veins down to the ground. Sometimes my lower back aches as well and then at other times I feel dizzy like I am on a boat. All the while I still smile on the outside and carry on with life like I am a sane person, as this is what women do.

And then just like that I return back to my normal feelings. The aftermath of the storm behind me, some days it can last 3 to 4 days and sometimes just over a week. And I ask myself

“WHY DID I FEEL LIKE THAT?”

I decide to be kind to myself, bathe in the glow of sunshine and enjoy nature and all it has to offer.

Why does perimenopause rage happen?

Am I going crazy?

For a while I feel like I am but what I am told is I won’t feel like this forever.

There’s a chemical reason for what’s happening.

The scale of physical and emotional perimenopause symptoms are a domino effect of a decrease in hormones in particular oestrogen. And oestrogen is the link to the changes in mood that may lead to all kinds of feelings like anxiety, anger and depression.

For example, oestrogen stimulates serotonin, the happy and mood regulator neurotransmitter in the brain that’s responsible for making you feel good. When oestrogen levels fall so too does serotonin and this can lead to lower states in mood.

Alongside serotonin, oestrogen curbs the production of cortisol, the stress hormone that triggers your 'fight or flight' reflex, and progesterone that has a calming effect. Thus, resulting in lower levels of both hormones. This makes you feel more panicky and brings about symptoms of anxiety. A condition that may be seen alongside depression and makes relaxing even more difficult especially when you need it most.

Therefore, these two hormones, but particularly oestrogen, play important roles in helping maintain a positive sense of emotional well-being. But when their levels decline vulnerability to these distressing changes in mood are noticeably felt.

Is there Hope?

Yes, your emotions should regulate after your body adjusts to the decrease in oestrogen.

Which is why feelings of anxiety, anger and depression are touch and go. And why some months I feel just fine and other months I feel like a raging monster.

Six steps to find relief:

These six steps can help you balance your hormones and regain some control back with the way you are feeling. Once you address and accept you are at a change in life, you can alter your thought process which may become easier to understand and live with your symptoms.

1. Accept your rage.

You may want to hide away your feelings and suppress your anger so that it doesn’t upset anyone else. But evidence suggests that “self-silencing,” blocking ways to keep yourself from acknowledging and expressing your rage, puts you at a greater risk for experiencing depression.

2. Learn your triggers.

Lifestyle habits like high caffeine consumption and smoking, triggers anxiety. Feeling dehydrated may also make you experience greater mood swings. In addition, if your sleep is interrupted regularly by feeling hot and bothered, it may also be hard to navigate complicated emotions. Try to dress accordingly at night, and keep your room cool. But everyone is different and everyone’s body handles things differently.

Another suggestion is to try and identify your triggers by keeping a daily diary for at least two weeks. Record things like what you ate, if you exercised, how many hours of sleep you got and how you felt at different points throughout the day. If journal keeping isn’t your thing, mood tracking or period predicting apps are also a great way to track this information.

3. Back away.

When you’re feeling in the midst of a raging moment, practice taking a step back to think over why are you feeling like this and where are these emotions coming from.

Don’t stop yourself from feeling angry, but do think about the cause of your anger. Ask yourself “Would I be so angry if I were feeling better?” and “Does this person or situation deserve the level of anger that I am injecting?”

By being aware that you’re prone to escalated emotions right now, you’ll be better equipped to deal with the frustrations of life appropriately. PS: If you also give your family and friends the heads up of what’s going on within you before you get to that point of overwhelmed frustration and fury they are more likely to give you the support you are searching for and maybe even give you a hug.

4. Find an activity.

Finding an activity to work through your emotions may help reduce mood swings.

For example, physical activities like cardio can serve you by helping boost serotonin levels which in return boosts your mood and the added bonus, helps you from gaining weight. In addition, a creative activity, such as gardening, playing a musical instrument, drawing or colouring in, painting, knitting or sculpting, can help you focus on creating a quiet space in your mind to search through your emotions and get yourself some me time.

5. Meditate:

Mind-body therapies, such as meditation and yoga, are linked to be beneficial for women in perimenopause. For example, deep breathing techniques and being mindful can help you sleep better and cut back on the hot flashes that wake you up during the night.

6. Consider counselling:

Counselling is a tool that can help you manage how you feel especially in your times of need.

Below are a few more suggestions that are nutrition based to help with symptoms you may experience with perimenopause.

1). A decline in the hormone progesterone: The solution is to boost your progesterone levels naturally by eating foods rich in Vitamin C (Capsicum, citrus and dark leafy greens).

2). Mood swings, difficulty sleeping and lack of energy. The cause: an overactive stress response: The solutions: Reduce caffeine consumption – caffeine spikes cortisol levels.

3). Weight gain, decreased interest in sex caused by diminished growth hormone production. The solution: Cut back on sugar. Eating processed foods containing lots of sugar increases insulin, which can throw the growth hormone out of balance. In addition, make sleep a priority as most growth hormone production happens during deep sleep. So planning for eight or more hours of uninterrupted sleep each night will go a long way toward restoring the balance.

4): Bone health: With a decrease in oestrogen also comes the decline in bone density which leads to a risk in developing osteoporosis. A condition in which bones become thin and may fracture easily. To reduce the risk, eat a diet rich in calcium around 1200 mg a day and do regular weight-bearing exercise like weights. Sources of calcium include, milk, cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products. 

5): Muscle health: With the start of perimenopause also comes a decline in muscle mass. However regular consumption of protein assists in maintaining muscle mass. In addition, it also helps regulate appetite , blood sugar levels and may even help balancing out hormone levels. Let's recap, proteins are the major components of fish, lean meats, eggs, dairy, soy and minor components of grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, beans and leafy greens. 

6): Increase Mood: Omega 3 fatty acids assist in brain health and is a natural mood booster. Moreover, omega 3 fatty acids are linked to reducing inflammation and may help decrease feeling of depression. Sources of omega 3 fatty acids include walnuts, flax seeds, fish, fish oil and canola oil. Foods include, beef, chicken, eggs, anchovies, mackerel, salmon, trout, tofu, soybeans, navy beans and kidney beans.

7): Curb sugar cravings: Increasing fiber in your diet can make you feel fuller for longer. Sources of fiber include, whole grains, multigrain products and are labelled wholegrain or wholemeal, vegetables, legumes,  fruits, nuts and seeds.

Perimenopause might catch you by surprise, but it is just another stage of life. With awareness and a few minor adjustments you can navigate it with dignity and finesse. Therefore, listen to your body’s cues and accept that what you’re experiencing is resultant of your body making minor and major adjustments.

When you allow yourself to listen you may also find the root cause of your symptom, therefore permitting yourself to implement gradual changes. By implementing a strategy is to truly help you in the long term.

And remember every woman’s experience is different, but the basic premise of the solution is the same. This is a time for compassion towards yourself and an open heart. You are in a transition that can be an exciting time of change and it’s a process of self-exploration, a time for better self-care and a journey that can lead you to feeling amazing.

Need more information?  Want to ask a question?  Or want extra ideas in keeping on track, want to lose weight or just get healthier? I can help! 

Have a look at my consults or workshops on this webpage.

 I can give you lots of ideas with recipes, create meal plans and help with nutritional advice. I also have a 12 week nutrition program that focuses on a holistic approach to food, nutrition, mindfulness, portion control and self-care . Just ask me how!

References: 

Croxford, S, Itsiopoulos, C, et al. (2015). Food & nutrition throughout life. Allen & Unwin: Australia

Gottfried, S. (2018). Too young for menopause & feeling a little crazy? Symptoms and solutions for perimenopausal women. Retrieved from http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/too-young-for-menopause-and-feeling-a-little-crazy-symptoms-and-solutions-for-perimenopausal-women

Health Direct. (2017). Perimenopause. Retrieved from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/perimenopause

Mayo Clinic (2018). perimenopause. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/perimenopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20354666

Schaeffer, J. (2016). The perimenopause diet: Must knows. Retrieved from /www.healthline.com/health/perimenopause-diet