Perimenopause: Symptoms, Treatments, Weight Gain, and More

What Are the Signs of Perimenopause? · Hot flashes · Breast tenderness · Worse premenstrual syndrome · Lower sex drive · Fatigue · Irregular periods ... MenuNewsReferenceSlideshowsVideosFindaDoctorWebMDRxSavingsCardPerimenopauseMenopausePostmenopauseTreatmentsDailyLivingResourcesBreastCancerRisksDrugInteractionCheckerHormoneTherapyHormonesandHeadachesHotFlashesOsteoporosisPerimenopausePMSWomen’sHealthMenopauseGuideMenuMedicallyReviewedbyTraciC.Johnson, MDonJuly01,2022InthisArticleHowLongDoesPerimenopauseLast?WhatAretheSignsofPerimenopause?AreMyPerimenopausalSymptomsNormalorSomethingtoBeConcernedAbout?HowIsPerimenopauseDiagnosed?CanIGetPregnantIfIAmPerimenopausal?AreThereTreatmentsThatCanEasetheSymptomsofPerimenopause? Perimenopause,ormenopausetransition,beginsseveralyearsbeforemenopause.It'sthetimewhentheovariesgraduallybegintomakelessestrogen.Itusuallystartsinwomen's40s,butcanstartintheir30sorevenearlier.Perimenopauselastsupuntilmenopause,thepointwhentheovariesstopreleasingeggs.Inthelast1to2yearsofperimenopause,thisdropinestrogenspeedsup.Atthisstage,manywomenhavemenopausesymptoms.HowLongDoesPerimenopauseLast?Theaveragelengthofperimenopauseis4years,butforsomewomenthisstagemaylastonlyafewmonthsorcontinuefor10years.Perimenopauseendswhenwomenhavegone12monthswithouthavingtheirperiod.WhatAretheSignsofPerimenopause?Womeninperimenopausehaveatleastsomeofwhatarecalledvasomotorsymptoms(VMS).Thesemayinclude:HotflashesBreasttendernessWorsepremenstrualsyndromeLowersexdriveFatigueIrregularperiodsVaginaldryness;discomfortduringsexUrineleakagewhencoughingorsneezingUrinaryurgency(anurgentneedtourinatemorefrequently)MoodswingsTroublesleeping AreMyPerimenopausalSymptomsNormalorSomethingtoBeConcernedAbout?Irregularperiodsarecommonandnormalduringperimenopause.Butotherconditionscancausechangesinmenstrualbleeding.Ifanyofthefollowingsituationsapplytoyou,seeadoctortoruleoutothercauses:Yourperiodsareveryheavy,ortheyhavebloodclots.Yourperiodslastseveraldayslongerthanusual.Youspotbetweenperiods.Youhavespottingaftersex.Yourperiodshappenclosertogether.Causesofabnormalbleedingincludehormoneproblems,birthcontrolpills,pregnancy,fibroids,bloodclottingproblemsor,rarely,cancer.HowIsPerimenopauseDiagnosed?Oftenyourdoctorcanmakethediagnosisofperimenopausebasedonyoursymptoms.Abloodtesttocheckhormonelevelsmayalsohelp,butyourhormonelevelsarechangingduringperimenopause.Itmaybemorehelpfultohaveseveralbloodtestsdoneatdifferenttimesforcomparison.CanIGetPregnantIfIAmPerimenopausal?Yes.Despiteadeclineinfertilityduringtheperimenopausestage,youcanstillbecomepregnant.Ifyoudonotwanttobecomepregnant,youshouldusesomeformofbirthcontroluntilyoureachmenopause(youhavegone12monthswithouthavingyourperiod).Forsomewomen,gettingpregnantcanbedifficultoncetheyareintheirlate30stoearly40sduetoadropinfertility.Ifbecomingpregnantisthegoal,therearetreatmentsthatcanhelpyougetpregnant.AreThereTreatmentsThatCanEasetheSymptomsofPerimenopause?Manywomengetrelieffromhotflashesaftertakinglow-dosebirthcontrolpillsforashorttime.Otheroptionsthatmaycontrolhotflashesincludethebirthcontrolskinpatch,vaginalring,andprogesteroneinjections.Certainwomenshouldnotusebirthcontrolhormones,sotalktoyourdoctortoseeiftheyarerightforyou.Youmayalsofeelbetterifyoudothingsthatenhanceyourgeneralwell-being,suchas:Exercise.Stopsmoking.Getmoresleepandtrygoingtosleepandwakingupatthesametimeeachday.Drinklessalcohol.Gettoahealthyweightandstaythere.Getenoughcalciuminyourdiet.Askyourdoctorifyoushouldtakeamultivitamin.Talktoyourdoctorifyouarehavingproblemswithyoursexdrive.Theymaybeabletorecommendacounselorortherapisttohelpyouandyourpartnerworkthroughthisproblem.Vaginallubricantsmayalsoberecommended,ifvaginaldrynessisaproblem.Othertreatmentsavailabletohelpwiththevarioussymptomsofperimenopausemayincludeantidepressantmedicationsformoodswings. Lowdosesofantidepressantmedicationshavealsobeenshowntohelpwithhotflushesandcanbeprescribedforthatsymptomaswell.Talktoyourdoctoraboutyourspecificsymptomsandgoalsoftreatment.Thiswillhelpthemmakeaplanthatisrightforyou.MenopauseGuidePerimenopauseMenopausePostmenopauseTreatmentsDailyLivingResources[vid_icon]AreYouAvoidingSex?MenopauseandUrinaryTractInfectionsThyroidDiseaseandMenopause[ss_icon]Menopause:WhattoExpectHRT:WhatAretheRisks?TreatingMenstrualMigrainesSlideshow:MenopauseSymptomsHotFlashes:CursedForever?WhatAreHotFlashes?WhatCanYouDoAboutThem?IsSoyaRemedyforHotFlashSymptomsHowtoSleepBetterWithMenopauseTheChangeBefore'TheChange'HotFlashesTopics10TipstoDealWithMenopauseSymptomsHowtohandleheadaches,nightsweats,andmore.Overview:AllAboutMenopauseSymptomsandtreatments.7SignsYou'reinPerimenopauseSomeofthesemaysurpriseyou.8CausesofNightSweatsIsitmenopauseorsomethingelse?ArticleHotFlashes:SymptomsandTreatmentArticleMenopauseandDietArticle7TriggersforHotFlashesArticleMenopauseandYourSexDriveSlideshowTipsforGreatSkinAfter50ArticleWhatHappensAfterMenopause?QuizHormones:HowDoTheyWork?ArticleNaturalMenopauseSymptomReliefUpsidesofMenopauseandSex7SignsofPerimenopauseQuestionsAboutHRT?SexandMenopauseMenopauseandWeightGainHealthSolutionsPenisCurvedWhenErect?CouldIhaveCAD?TreatBentFingersTreatHR+,HER2-MBCTiredofDandruff?BenefitsofCBDRethinkMSTreatmentAFib-RelatedStrokesRiskofaFutureDVT/PEIsMyPenisNormal?RelapsingMSOptionsLiverTransplantsSaveLivesFinancePlasticSurgeryBentFingerCausesLivingWithPsoriasis?MissingTeeth?MorefromWebMD5TipstoHelpWithRelapsingMSHowtoThriveWithNarcolepsyReliefforBlockedHairFolliclesPsoriaticArthritisandYourSleepWhatPsoriasisFeelsLikeFirstPsoriaticArthritisFlareTalkingtoYourDoctorAboutRACrohn's:A'Full-Body'DiseaseAvoidingCrohn’sFlaresHealthBenefitsofHempSeedOilLiveBetterWithPsoriaticDiseaseTypesofB-CellTherapyforMS5HealthBenefitsofHempWhyProstateCancerSpreadsLivingwithAdvancedBreastCancerWhereBreastCancerSpreads