35 Signs of Peri/Menopause

[Guest guest]

While I can't take credit for the list below, I am grateful for the

opportunity to share it with you all. Many times when the symptoms of

perimenopause begin, women (and those who love them) are uncertain of

what they are experiencing. This list can help to assure them that,

while uncomfortable, their symptoms are quite normal.

 

Be well and happy,

Michelle

 

The 35 Signs of Perimenopause & Menopause

 

1. Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy

feeling

2. Bouts of rapid heart beat

3. Irritability

4. Mood swings, sudden tears

5. Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)

6. Irregular periods; shorter, longer, lighter, heavier, flooding;

phantom periods.

7. Loss of libido (see note)

8. Dry vagina, a general drying out that can include eyes, mouth,

joints and skin. (see note)

9. Crashing fatigue

10. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease

11. Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom (see note)

12. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion

13. Disturbing memory lapses

14. Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing; urge

incontinence (see note)

15. Itchy, crawly skin (see note)

16. Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons (see note)

17. Increased tension in muscles

18. Breast tenderness

19. Headache change: increase or decrease

20. Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain,

nausea

21. Sudden bouts of bloat

22. Depression (see note)

23. Exacerbation of existing conditions

24. Increase in allergies

25. Weight gain (see note)

26. Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in

facial hair

27. Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance

28. Changes in body odor

29. Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head (see note)

30. Tingling in the extremities, (see note)

31. Gum problems, increased bleeding

32. Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, dry

mouth, change in breath odor

33. Osteoporosis (after several years)

34. Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier

35. Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, 'whooshing' buzzing etc.

 

NOTES:

 

Symptom 1 (flashes) Hot flashes are due to the hypothalamic response

to declining ovarian estrogen production. The declining estrogen

state induces hypophysiotropic neurons in the arcuate nucleas of the

hypothalamus to release gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in a

pulsatile fashion, which in turn stimulates release of luteinizing

hormone (LH).

 

Extremely high pulses of LH occur during the period of declining

estrogen production. The LH has vasodilatory effects, which leads to

flushing.

 

Symptom 7 (loss of libido) For some women the loss is so great that

they actually find sex repulsive, in much the same way as they felt

before puberty. What hormones give, loss of hormones can take away.

 

Symptom 8 (dry vagina) results in painful intercourse

 

Symptom 11 (doom thoughts) includes thoughts of death, picturing

one's own death

 

Symptom 14 (incontinence) reflects a general loss of smooth muscle

tone

 

Symptom 15 (itchy, crawly skin) feeling of ants crawling under the

skin, not just dry itchy skin

 

Symptom 16 (aching sore joints) may include such problems as carpal

tunnel syndrome

 

Symptom 22 (depression) different from other depression, the

inability to cope is overwhelming. There is a feeling of loss of

self. Hormone therapy ameliorates the depression dramatically.

 

Symptom 25 (weight gain) often around the waist and thighs, resulting

in 'the disappearing waistline

 

Symptom 29 (shock sensation) " the feeling of a rubber band snapping

in the layer of tissue between skin and muscle. It is a precursor to

a hot flash "

 

Symptom 30 (tingling in extremities) can also be a symptom of B-12

deficiency, diabetes, alterations in the flexibility of blood

vessels, or a depletion of potassium or calcium

 

Some of the 34 signs may also be symptoms of one of the following:

* hypothyroidism

* diabetes

* depression with another etiology

* Multiple Sclerosis

* other medical conditions

 

If you have reason to believe you may have one of these conditions,

please see your doctor for treatment.