The 12 most common perimenopause symptoms
Learn about the most common symptoms on the path to menopause (aka the menopause transition or perimenopause) reported by women ages 35-55 in longitudinal studies.
Higher estrogen can lead to heavier flow. There can be other causes as well, so consult your health care provider.
Disrupted sleep includes middle-of-the-night waking, trouble falling asleep, and early morning waking.
MOOD CHANGES
New or increased feelings of anxiety, irritability, or depression arise during the menopause transition, for some women.
NIGHT SWEATS &
HOT FLASHES
Changes in hormone levels can alter our internal thermostat and the body reacts by dissipating heat.
SORE BREASTS
Many women experience premenstrual breast tenderness in their twenties, which then resolves. The high and erratic estrogen brings it back for some.
HEADACHE
Premenstrual headaches often occur when hormonal patterns begin to change. For those who’ve had migraines, these often return or worsen.
WEIGHT GAIN
Many women gain weight during this transition without increasing their food or calorie intake due to changing estrogen levels.
CRAMPS
Premenstrual cramps may occur in your teens and twenties and then go away, but as hormones change, they often return.
SHORTER CYCLES
Slightly shorter cycles are one of the earliest signs that things are changing. They can be hard to detect unless you are tracking.
LOW LIBIDO
Lack of interest in sex is reported by many women during these years.
VAGINAL DRYNESS
The decline of estrogen closer to menopause causes vaginal dryness, which can feel like itching or pain during sex.
BRAIN FOG
Memory issues, or forgetfulness, are a commonly reported symptom.
Understand why symptoms arise due to hormonal changes
Find out why we don’t know to expect changes before 45
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REFERENCES
- Dennerstein L, Dudley EC, Hopper JL, Guthrie JR, Burger HG. A prospective population-based study of menopausal symptoms. Obstet Gynecol. 2000 Sep;96(3):351-8.
- NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on Management of Menopause-Related Symptoms, 2005.
- JC Prior. Progesterone for Symptomatic Perimenopause Treatment – Progesterone politics, physiology and potential for perimenopause. Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2011; 3(2): 109–120.
- Nanette Santoro. Perimenopause: From Research to Practice. J Women’s Health (Larchmt). 2016 Apr 1; 25(4): 332–339.
- Howard M Kravitz, Imke Janssen, Nanette Santoro, et al., Relationship of Day-to-day Reproductive Hormone Levels to Sleep in Midlife Women. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(20):2370-2376.