5 Signs Perimenopause Is Ending

Perimenopause can be a tough time in any woman’s life, so desperately searching for signs perimenopause is ending has become my new obsession. 

I know that when perimenopause ends, it won’t be a case of me being back to me again 100%, but it will be that time when things start to level out a bit. Or so I am told. 

Before I take you through the info I have been collecting for this blog post, let’s look at all things Perimenopause. 

What Is Perimenopause? 

Perimenopause is when our bodies start to make the natural transition towards menopause. This signals the end of our reproductive years. 

The female hormone estrogen starts to fluctuate and decrease in our bodies over time, causing perimenopause symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, hot flashes and bizarre menstrual cycles.

This stage can happen many years before menopause starts and often women like me, who were late 30s, had no idea what I was going through was perimenopause symptoms. 

Early perimenopause and perimenopause are when the symptoms are usually at their most rampant due to wildly fluctuating hormones. 

Sadly, in these early stages, most women don’t really know what is happening to them. It can be a scary time. 

I will say here that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) really worked for me. It helped alleviate 95% of the symptoms I was struggling with.

If you are struggling, please go and speak to a doctor. I am no medical professional, so be sure to talk all this through with someone who is.

If you want somewhere to track all your symptoms (because let’s be honest we can be a tad forgetful!) Then try this tracker. 

What Are The Symptoms of Perimenopause?

There are so many more symptoms of perimenopause than I ever realised. 

At school, we were taught that you will usually get hot flushes/hot flashes and your period will stop, and then BOOM you are in menopause. 

We were taught about menstrual cycles, menstrual flow, hormones, and hot flushes and that was it. Nothing about the menopausal transition. 

I had no idea about perimenopause and I certainly had no idea about the many symptoms that can be really upsetting. 

I have written a full blog post on perimenopause symptoms and details on what they are all about, but to highlight some of the most common symptoms: 

Hot Flushes/Hot Flashes

An overwhelming sense of heat comes over your body, your skin turns red and it all feels a little sweaty. 

Hot flushes are controlled by your brain thermostat as opposed to the heat around you. The blood vessels in your body dilate and you start to feel hot.

Brain Fog 

My nemesis. Brain fog is when you just can’t seem to recall details, remember names, remember where you put things, and you feel like you might be losing your mind. 

I would have clients whom I had known for years and could not recall their names, it was so frustrating.

Anxiety

Anxiety for me showed up in not wanting to do my normal things. 

I couldn’t face driving at night, I was fearful of getting on a train to go to work and I thought everyone disliked me. 

You might find that anxiety slowly creeps up on you, without you even knowing it. 

Sore Joints

Sore joints during perimenopause are a lot more common than you think, so many women suffer from this (I did) and thought it was arthritis. 

If you suffer from really sore joints, please get it checked out, there are other risk factors involved and bone health is super important.

Bloating

Ah the meno belly, this is a real pain. The bloating comes out of nowhere and goes nowhere. I looked 6 months pregnant and had no idea why!

Migraine

Severe headaches and migraines are very common in menopausal women. The hormone imbalance in our bodies can bring on the most debilitating headaches. 

Tension headaches should be mentioned here. If you are struggling with anxiety, brain fog, and lack of sleep to name a few, then tension headaches are more likely to show up.

Tiredness

Tiredness is usually the label but it is much more like exhaustion, not being able to function or perform regular duties due to being utterly shattered. 

These are a small handful of the many perimenopausal symptoms that can show up during this time. 

There are many other perimenopause symptoms for you to consider during this menopause transition like mood swings, irregular periods, vaginal dryness, night sweats, weight gain and the list goes on. 

Each woman will have a different experience, some women will have a much more simple and relaxed journey through menopause and some women will experience every single symptom. 

How Long Does Perimenopause Last?

This stage can last for a very long time, sometimes more than a decade, but the median range is 4 years. This is roughly worked out from when your hormone levels start to drop to your last menstrual period.

I now know I was in early perimenopause at 37 but didn’t know this until I was in my early forties and battling a bunch of symptoms. 

I have created a timeline below which shows an approximated timeline for this new stage in our life, but do remember it can start a lot earlier for some women.