I Didn't Know Perimenopause Caused 41 Different Symptoms

I was in my doctor's office going through a list of symptoms that I had been experiencing and she started checking boxes on a perimenopause symptom checklist. Hot flashes. Night sweats. Irregular periods. Brain fog. Mood swings. Anxiety. Fatigue. Joint pain. Headaches. Bloating. Weight gain. Hair thinning. Dry skin. And on and on. By the time she was done, she had checked off seventeen different symptoms that I had been experiencing. Seventeen. I thought perimenopause was just about hot flashes and irregular periods. I had no idea it could cause this many different symptoms.

How I got here

I had been to multiple doctors before finding someone who took my symptoms seriously. Each one had focused on one or two symptoms and had not connected them all to perimenopause. I had been diagnosed with anxiety. I had been told I had chronic pain. I had been given a thyroid test because of fatigue. No one had put together that all of these symptoms were part of one larger transition. When my new doctor showed me the complete list of perimenopause symptoms, I realized how much I had been missing.

What I actually did

Once I understood that all of these disparate symptoms were part of perimenopause, I was able to address them as a group rather than as individual problems. I started HRT, which helped with many of the symptoms simultaneously. I started prioritizing sleep, which helped with fatigue and mood. I started exercise, which helped with joint pain, mood, and anxiety. I started stress management, which helped with many symptoms. Instead of treating each symptom as a separate problem, I was treating the underlying cause.

What actually changed

All of the symptoms improved when I treated the root cause rather than treating each symptom individually. I realized that many of the diagnoses I had received were actually just symptoms of perimenopause.

What my routine looks like now

I manage my perimenopause as a whole system rather than managing individual symptoms. I use HRT. I prioritize sleep. I exercise regularly. I manage stress. I track all my symptoms so I can see how they are interconnected. Most of my symptoms have improved significantly.

If you are experiencing multiple different symptoms during your forties or fifties, do not assume they are unrelated. They might all be perimenopause. Ask your doctor for a perimenopause symptom checklist and see how many symptoms you have. Understanding that they are all part of one transition can help you address them more effectively.