Does this feel familiar?
You walked into a room and forgot not only why, but what the room is usually for.
You wake at 3am too hot, kick off the duvet, then freeze twenty minutes later.
You’ve never been an anxious person, and suddenly you’re dreading things you used to love.
Your periods have started doing whatever they like, and nobody warned you.
What might be going on
During perimenopause, oestrogen and progesterone rise and fall unpredictably before they eventually drop. Those swings affect almost every system in your body, from temperature control and sleep to mood, memory, joints and skin.
Because symptoms can be so varied, many women don’t connect them to hormones at first. Anxiety, brain fog and poor sleep in your forties are often perimenopause, even if your periods still seem normal.
Your GP can talk to you about treatment options, including HRT. Alongside that, nutrition, strength-based movement, stress support and good sleep habits can make a real difference to how you feel day to day.
One small thing. Just for today.
Keep a simple symptom diary for a month, noting sleep, mood, periods and hot flushes. It makes conversations with your GP much easier.
Let’s untangle a few assumptions
Support can look different
A little perspective
The NHS says the average age for menopause in the UK is 51. Perimenopause symptoms often begin in your mid-forties, and they can start much earlier for some women.
Questions you might be asking
When to get medical help
See your GP if you think you might be in perimenopause, especially if symptoms are affecting your life. Always get checked if you have very heavy bleeding, bleeding between periods or after sex, or any bleeding after your periods have stopped for a year.
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