The fact that being awake right now could be a perimenopausal symptom. Ha! No but in all seriousness, the fact that only as recent as 1993 was there a law passed to include women and minorities in research. That was the most surprising takeaway for me.
I wondered about your late night/early morning comment, which I read equally early when I got up to pee. And, yes, I was quite shocked to learn that fact too. My understanding is there still isn’t enough diversity in our medical/drug research, even with the law.
Thank you for this, Kristi. I am one year into official menopause (no period for 12 consecutive months) and am just beginning to experience symptoms that I am learning are from my decreased estrogen levels. I had no idea my frozen shoulder is from a lack of estrogen and it explains why it is much more common in women over 40. I am also learning that despite having an active and healthy sex life and not having any issues with arousal and lubrication, my vagina can still tear from sex! This was beyond distressing and disturbing. And I could not help but think, "WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THIS??!!" Women have been suffering in silence for eternity. My experience makes me deeply sad to think what my mother and her mother before her may have and probably endured and suffered-without women gynecologists to help them or the internet web of women to guide and inform them. Like you, I am rather dismayed and disappointed at how much we still need to learn about this stage of life. I am a researcher at heart though and am digging and diving into what is out there. Please keep sharing and writing on this topic.
Wow! Thank you for sharing and so interesting. Everything I’ve read so far indicates most symptoms start with peri not menopause, but some women don’t experience symptoms at all, so it’s not surprising that some might experience them in actual menopause. Every woman is different. Every body is different.
And I share the same sadness that so many women had to go through this experience without support, without even the limited understanding we have now, and many without relief.
Terrific piece, Kristi, and well reporter with some nuggets I was unfamiliar with. I’m surprised at how my hot flashes feel. They’re like electric prickles and have a sort of emotional element akin to a panic attack!
That's a great explanation and reflects a ton of body connection on your part to be able to describe them in that way. Though I've had moments waking up hot in the middle of the night (they were pretty regular before I began HT), I haven't yet had a hot flash.
I'm a few years into menopause and I'm still shocked at how little information is readily available for women approaching this transition. I have several friends that are a few years younger than me and are in still in perimenopause. I try to relay everything I discover about this time in my life to give them some of the knowledge that apparently nobody else sees the need to disseminate to us.
Yep, it's so shocking how little we know and how little we talk about menopause. And if we do, it's only around hot flashes or weight gain, so women don't ever really connect the dots between other changes in their bodies and menopause (or peri).
What surprised me most was the weakness. I couldn't open jars anymore because my grip strength just disappeared. Also, everything became a struggle - thinking, working, cooking, cleaning, exercise, everything. I felt like my stress hormones were on all the time just to survive the day. It felt like I was on the fast track to frailty and deterioration, and I'm only 51, four years in. I'm on BHRT now and it's made a world of difference.
I so relate to what you’re saying about everything becoming a struggle. I totally felt this too. It was difficulty concentrating, but it was also difficulty motivating to do things, simple things. I am now six weeks in on HT, and I already feel better. I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer to start.
Thanks for spreading such important messages Kristi! I totally agree on trusting our intuition and everyone's body will have a different experience. But for anyone who's not read it, I'd also recommend checking out The Menopause Brain by Lisa Mosconi. It's a bit repetitive at times, but I learned so much from it about the female body/brain and how our hormones work - not just in menopause, she covers various stages of life. I had no idea that oestrogen and progesterone influence soooo many things in our bodies beyond reproduction.
It’s so important to talk about all the related health symptoms. I recently had an atrial fibrillation for 48 hours, and while there can be many factors - loss of hormones can impact the heart and I’m in the process of working with an gyn that’s also a functional medicine doctor. While I’ve had many symptoms - the other thing a lot of folks are talking about on Substack is also losing the care of what other people think, which is helping the conversation be louder. 💪
Liz, thank you for sharing. I’ve learned so much by listening to others speak about their experiences here. I really hope you get the care you deserve on this. Did your doctor make the connection on AFIB and menopause?
Great article. Spreading this kind of knowledge and light helps us connect and heal together on our road to wholeness. I loved the pic you used too! Beautiful image of our gorgeousness!
I was surprised how long these symptoms last. I can understand the pre timeframe, hormones beginning to go wonky, but after? It’s been years and these symptoms still don’t end. I think the list is a lot longer than many think.
These are some of my symptoms: heart palpitations, migraines, anxiety, muscle aches, cramps (Charlie horses type), lack of appetite, depression (severe), fatigue, tingling on the legs, armpit sweats, stinking (even if showering every day), and the worse that at least mostly went away (the severe version, anyway) uncontrollable crying. Who knew uncontrollable crying was a symptom of menopause? So many symptoms can overlap or be blamed on other things, like not getting enough fluid triggering the symptoms concerning muscles. It’s like being a teenager all over again, combined with being pregnant.
Not all of them happen at the same time, so you don’t always relate your new symptoms to menopause because you think you know your symptoms. Or if you haven’t had a particular symptom in awhile, you think you’re finally done.
One lady I spoke to about menopause was in her mid-thirties. When I mentioned heart palpitations, she exclaimed, “I just told my husband last night I thought something was wrong with me, I might be having heart attacks. You mean its…? But I’m only 30+😱”
I’ve gotten into the habit of an evening cup of tea, made using my infuser, combining different herbs I researched to help with whatever symptoms I’m currently experiencing.
The fact that being awake right now could be a perimenopausal symptom. Ha! No but in all seriousness, the fact that only as recent as 1993 was there a law passed to include women and minorities in research. That was the most surprising takeaway for me.
I wondered about your late night/early morning comment, which I read equally early when I got up to pee. And, yes, I was quite shocked to learn that fact too. My understanding is there still isn’t enough diversity in our medical/drug research, even with the law.
Thank you for this, Kristi. I am one year into official menopause (no period for 12 consecutive months) and am just beginning to experience symptoms that I am learning are from my decreased estrogen levels. I had no idea my frozen shoulder is from a lack of estrogen and it explains why it is much more common in women over 40. I am also learning that despite having an active and healthy sex life and not having any issues with arousal and lubrication, my vagina can still tear from sex! This was beyond distressing and disturbing. And I could not help but think, "WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THIS??!!" Women have been suffering in silence for eternity. My experience makes me deeply sad to think what my mother and her mother before her may have and probably endured and suffered-without women gynecologists to help them or the internet web of women to guide and inform them. Like you, I am rather dismayed and disappointed at how much we still need to learn about this stage of life. I am a researcher at heart though and am digging and diving into what is out there. Please keep sharing and writing on this topic.
Wow! Thank you for sharing and so interesting. Everything I’ve read so far indicates most symptoms start with peri not menopause, but some women don’t experience symptoms at all, so it’s not surprising that some might experience them in actual menopause. Every woman is different. Every body is different.
And I share the same sadness that so many women had to go through this experience without support, without even the limited understanding we have now, and many without relief.
No one tells you! But now, WE are talking. And the sex/vagina stuff - ugh. Vaginal Estrogen is now my BFF.
YES!!! The sharing is so important!
Terrific piece, Kristi, and well reporter with some nuggets I was unfamiliar with. I’m surprised at how my hot flashes feel. They’re like electric prickles and have a sort of emotional element akin to a panic attack!
That's a great explanation and reflects a ton of body connection on your part to be able to describe them in that way. Though I've had moments waking up hot in the middle of the night (they were pretty regular before I began HT), I haven't yet had a hot flash.
Actually headed to the doc this afternoon. Will report back!!
I'm a few years into menopause and I'm still shocked at how little information is readily available for women approaching this transition. I have several friends that are a few years younger than me and are in still in perimenopause. I try to relay everything I discover about this time in my life to give them some of the knowledge that apparently nobody else sees the need to disseminate to us.
Yep, it's so shocking how little we know and how little we talk about menopause. And if we do, it's only around hot flashes or weight gain, so women don't ever really connect the dots between other changes in their bodies and menopause (or peri).
What surprised me most was the weakness. I couldn't open jars anymore because my grip strength just disappeared. Also, everything became a struggle - thinking, working, cooking, cleaning, exercise, everything. I felt like my stress hormones were on all the time just to survive the day. It felt like I was on the fast track to frailty and deterioration, and I'm only 51, four years in. I'm on BHRT now and it's made a world of difference.
I so relate to what you’re saying about everything becoming a struggle. I totally felt this too. It was difficulty concentrating, but it was also difficulty motivating to do things, simple things. I am now six weeks in on HT, and I already feel better. I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer to start.
Thanks for spreading such important messages Kristi! I totally agree on trusting our intuition and everyone's body will have a different experience. But for anyone who's not read it, I'd also recommend checking out The Menopause Brain by Lisa Mosconi. It's a bit repetitive at times, but I learned so much from it about the female body/brain and how our hormones work - not just in menopause, she covers various stages of life. I had no idea that oestrogen and progesterone influence soooo many things in our bodies beyond reproduction.
The Menopause Brain was my first menopause book! I highly recommend it as well.
Oh fabulous, I'm glad you enjoyed it too! I'm planning to read her other books sometime soon as well.
I just started Jen Gunter's "The Menopause Manifesto" last night.
It’s so important to talk about all the related health symptoms. I recently had an atrial fibrillation for 48 hours, and while there can be many factors - loss of hormones can impact the heart and I’m in the process of working with an gyn that’s also a functional medicine doctor. While I’ve had many symptoms - the other thing a lot of folks are talking about on Substack is also losing the care of what other people think, which is helping the conversation be louder. 💪
Liz, thank you for sharing. I’ve learned so much by listening to others speak about their experiences here. I really hope you get the care you deserve on this. Did your doctor make the connection on AFIB and menopause?
Yes, Kristi! We need more information and education. Keep writing, and ladies, keep advocating for yourselves. Information is power!
Great article. Spreading this kind of knowledge and light helps us connect and heal together on our road to wholeness. I loved the pic you used too! Beautiful image of our gorgeousness!
Thank you, Connie!
I was surprised how long these symptoms last. I can understand the pre timeframe, hormones beginning to go wonky, but after? It’s been years and these symptoms still don’t end. I think the list is a lot longer than many think.
These are some of my symptoms: heart palpitations, migraines, anxiety, muscle aches, cramps (Charlie horses type), lack of appetite, depression (severe), fatigue, tingling on the legs, armpit sweats, stinking (even if showering every day), and the worse that at least mostly went away (the severe version, anyway) uncontrollable crying. Who knew uncontrollable crying was a symptom of menopause? So many symptoms can overlap or be blamed on other things, like not getting enough fluid triggering the symptoms concerning muscles. It’s like being a teenager all over again, combined with being pregnant.
Not all of them happen at the same time, so you don’t always relate your new symptoms to menopause because you think you know your symptoms. Or if you haven’t had a particular symptom in awhile, you think you’re finally done.
One lady I spoke to about menopause was in her mid-thirties. When I mentioned heart palpitations, she exclaimed, “I just told my husband last night I thought something was wrong with me, I might be having heart attacks. You mean its…? But I’m only 30+😱”
I’ve gotten into the habit of an evening cup of tea, made using my infuser, combining different herbs I researched to help with whatever symptoms I’m currently experiencing.