The Need for More Education of Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms

 

I recently had blood work which indicated my Estrogen and Progesterone were most definitely at post-menopausal levels.  When I talked to my doctor about it, he said that I should consider HRT and that taking it would make me feel better.

I was kind of taken aback at that comment because in the last year I actually have started to feel better, after years of feeling like crap.  I could have used that help many years ago. It’s not this doctor’s fault though- he’s knowledgeable and a very good MD.  It isn’t his fault I didn’t have my perimenopause symptoms managed.

My Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms

I started experiencing perimenopause symptoms in my late 30’s.  When I tried to discuss it with my doctor at the time; I was told that it was highly unlikely my complaints were perimenopausal in origin because I was “too young”.  Needless to say that doctor didn’t last with me for long.

The next one sent me for blood work to check my hormones, only to tell me that they were within “normal range”.  I was sent for other tests which were inconclusive, and I sort of felt dismissed.  That had me questioning whether I was a hypochondriac or “imagining things” because of all the ongoing issues I seemed to be developing and no real reason for them.

I started having huge mood changes, and awful anxiety which I had never had before.  So, I got put on medications to manage it.

My PMS became worse with crazy bloating that would last a week to 10 days prior to my period.  It was so bad that I would gain 6-7lbs of fluid and have to wear a bra 24/7 because it hurt too bad to take it off.  I was told by a doctor that I could go on birth control or have an IUD inserted, which might help he said.

Then I started having debilitating migraines and other headaches.  And I was started on medications to reduce their severity as well.

Into my early 40’s I started having irregular and very heavy periods lasting twice as long which I not so fondly nicknamed “Shark Week”.   Later, I ended up having an endometrial ablation done, followed by a hysterectomy when the ablation didn’t improve things.

I had horrible insomnia for years (when previously I could fall asleep easily and stay asleep) and began taking medication and supplements to try to help me sleep better.

My joints started bothering me so much that I started questioning whether I had Arthritis developing, and I began taking supplements for it.

I was tired all the time, forgetful, unable to concentrate, and not coping with an extremely busy job.  I blamed it on job burnout and the fact that I couldn’t sleep.  Ultimately, I ended up leaving that job.

I started losing more hair, and the hair that I had left would break off so easily.   So, I spent lots of money on hair products and supplements trying to prevent it from happening.

And then I inevitably started getting hot flashes and night sweats.  Of course.

My previous experience with my complaints being dismissed by other doctors led me to not discuss it with my new one.  And,  I just ended up trying to suck it up because I was tired of complaining and by then I had just resigned myself to the fact that it was just part of life.  Something every woman goes through…

But why must we put up with it?  We shouldn’t have to!

Managing Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms

Those 11 years challenged my resilience and made me question how much medical professionals really know about perimenopause and menopause, including myself (I’m a RN).  Spoiler:  it’s much less than I realized.

There is a definite lack of understanding that hormones are volatile in perimenopause, and can dip and spike at any time, therefore may come back as “normal” in regular blood work.

Instead of looking at the whole picture and realizing everything I was experiencing was a result of perimenopause, I was being treated for each individual symptom.  Not holistic care at all…

But looking back through the history of the identification of menopause, it was kept quiet and not talked about.  Why?  Well maybe it had to do with Dr. de Gardanne attributing epilepsy, nymphomania and hysterical fits with menopause.  Or Victorian physicians believing women grew scales on their breasts or the belief that you could use leeches to decrease pelvic pain.

You’d definitely learn to keep it to yourself for fear of being called a crazy lizard lady.  And that lack of discussion and keep it hushed has led us to today, where it continues to not be talked about.

It’s really only in the last 50 years that true research has been done to try to understand all of the changes that make up “the change”.  But that research is still not entirely holistic, and has yet to reach a lot of practitioners that see women with these perimenopausal and menopausal issues.

Interestingly, Menopause is considered a “normal” part of a woman’s life.  It’s considered a transition, not determined to be an ailment, disorder or disease, yet it has 34 signs and symptoms that can profoundly affect women’s lives.

How can something that causes that much havoc be considered normal?

The Call for Research and Education to Manage Symptoms Holistically

We must realize that it can greatly affect quality of life for many.  There must be more research, education, and treatment options for women to make this transition easier on them.

Right now, there are over 1 billion women in the world experiencing perimenopause and menopause.  Isn’t that enough to justify research funding towards making this change more identifiable and holistically treated?

How has your experience through perimenopause and menopause been?  Please drop me a comment.  I’d love to hear your experiences.

For more topics surrounding midlife and menopause, follow this link.

Take care,

 

 

Resources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/well/perimenopause-women.htm

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21608-perimenopause