Most Common Questions About Perimenopause... Answered!

We luuurrrvvvve answering your questions about perimenopause (wherever we can).

As a little starter, here are the top four questions about perimenopause we get asked all the time.

Do you have a question about perimenopause?

GREAT! Drop it in the comments below and we'll do what we can to answer it and add it to this post. Let us know any questions you have and we will answer them as best we can or find the best expert to answer them for you.

So, drum rolllllllll… to your peri questions!

1. What Are Five Of The Most Common Symptoms Of Perimenopause?

The most common symptoms of perimenopause are… 

1. Irregular periods
2. ​​Mood changes - anxiety, depression, rage
3. Hot flushes and/or night sweats
4. Problems with falling asleep, staying asleep and sleep quality
5. Trouble concentrating/brain fog.

Remember we are all very different and our experience of peri will be very different. You may experience one or several of the following:

• Hot flushes
• Night sweats
• Irregular periods
• Problems with falling asleep, staying asleep and sleep quality
• Breast tenderness
• Itchy/crawly/dry skin
• Exhaustion
• Trouble concentrating
• Vaginal dryness
• Loss of libido 
• Migraines
• More intense PMS
• Mood changes - anxiety, depression, rage
• Weight gain, despite no changes to diet or exercise, due to the metabolism slowing down or insulin resistance.

2. What Are The First Signs Of Perimenopause?

In the very early stages of perimenopause, you will start to feel a shift happening in your body. Things just feel different as hormones start to fluctuate.  Your cycle can still be regular or it could be shortened to 21-26 days.

Professor Jerilynn Prior says that a midlife woman with a regular cycle with three of the nine symptoms below is likely to be in peri:

• New-onset heavy and/or longer flow
• Shorter menstrual cycle (25 days or less)
• New sore, swollen or lumpy breasts
• New mid-sleep waking
• Increased menstrual cramps
• Onset of night sweats, in particular premenstrually
• New or markedly increased migraine headaches
• New or increased premenstrual mood swings
• Weight gain without changes in exercise or eating.

3. What Age Does Perimenopause Start?

Perimenopause usually starts some time in your 40’s and for some women in their late 30’s. 

It can really vary in duration for women, anything from 2-12 years and on average is between 4-6 years. The average age to reach menopause is 51 years of age.

It’s generally considered you have reached menopause when you haven’t had a menstrual cycle for 12 months and your Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) blood level is elevated to 30 mIU/mL or higher.

4. What Are The Signs Of Coming To The End Of Perimenopause?

Late perimenopause is the start of your body getting used to low oestrogen and you should start to feel less of the symptoms associated with the wild fluctuating oestrogen levels like migraines and mood symptoms and more symptoms of low estrogen dry skin, tender breasts, trouble concentrating, hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

You will start to have no period for longer periods of time. You have reached menopause once you have had no period for a 12 month period and your Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) blood level is elevated to 30 mIU/mL or higher.

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