When I turned the big 4-0, I felt great! And then, about six months later, I started experiencing intense insomnia … which led to increased anxiety … which led to taking an SSRI for the first time … which led to side effects from weight gain (but only around my belly, ugh!), to low libido, hair thinning, a whole host of other annoying things, and I still wasn’t sleeping great! So I ditched the SSRI, thinking that all the unpleasant side effects would go away … guess what??? They didn’t.
It wasn’t until a few months later when my book club discussed a book on perimenopause that it clicked. What if my symptoms weren’t previously undiagnosed anxiety or side effects of the SSRI? What if it was actually perimenopause all along? Guess what??? It was!
It seemed unlikely for me to be entering perimenopause at the (relatively) young age of 41. I had my hormone levels checked at 40, and they had all been within normal range. And I wasn’t having the classic “hot flash” symptom. But I learned that the average age of menopause is 51 and perimenopause can last up to ten years before that! I also learned that it’s not just hot flashes – the list of perimenopause symptoms is LONG, and I couldn’t ignore all of the weird and seemingly unconnected symptoms I was dealing with.
I knew I needed to investigate perimenopause as an explanation, but I hesitated. I had read about and heard all of the HORROR stories of practitioners not taking perimenopause seriously, dismissing symptoms, and denying patients hormone treatment despite updated studies showing its safety and effectiveness. To say I was not excited to undertake this journey is an understatement.
Instead of turning to the trusted obstetrician who had lovingly shepherded me through all three of my pregnancies and deliveries, I turned instead to the nurse practitioner in the practice who was certified as a Menopause Clinician. As apprehensive as I was walking into that appointment, it became a turning-point in my journey. She was amazing, listening to me describe every symptom in detail, taking notes, and offering me empathy and understanding. She ordered all the necessary tests and laid out so many options for treating symptoms, all the while emphasizing that perimenopause was not a “one size fits all” condition, but affirming that I would have many tools at my disposal. She officially won me over when she assured me that we would not settle until my quality of life had improved.
What a relief! I felt seen, heard, and optimistic that together, we would figure it out. So, I went for bloodwork and hoped for some clear answers. I was a little shocked to get the test results back that clearly showed perimenopause. And then the googling of “hormone replacement therapy” began (in my defense, she TOLD me to do it! ha ha). Because I have a uterus, I do need a combo therapy of estrogen and progesterone. But there are so.many.options – pills, patches, creams, injections, oh my!
I have a few weeks before I return for the follow-up to choose my preferred form of therapy, so I’m going to continue my googling and talking to others who are farther along the perimenopause journey for guidance. There is so much good info out there, but it’s hard to know where to start.
So, if you are like me and experiencing some symptoms and wondering “is it perimenopause already???”, here are some helpful resources:
- Take The Pause Life’s Free Menopause Quiz
- Check out Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s The New Menopause
- Watch An Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution on Hulu
- To find a certified menopause practitioner, search The Menopause Society’s database
And to keep yourself laughing (trust me, you’ll need it):
- https://www.instagram.com/a_girlsguidetomidlife/reel/DGlDCB-prkk/
- https://www.instagram.com/p/C9XcWD3gFj3/
- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGWcQztyzHc/?igsh=MW1saGwzZmNkcDVsbg==
