Ache All Over?
I read an online article in The New York Times today called, “Has Menopause Made You Ache All Over? There’s a Name for That …”
Did you know there are over 50 symptoms that have now been associated with perimenopause? Perimenopause -- the 5-10 years before the date of the one-year anniversary of your last period.
And did you know that it was only in 2016 -- 8 years ago -- that the National Institutes of Health issued a policy that mandated that all NIH-funded clinical research MUST include women and members of racial and ethnic minority groups?
No wonder doctors don't understand and cannot educate us on what's going on with our bodies & minds.
And yet ... WE KNOW.
Trust your body, your intuition and what you are experiencing. Do not allow any person in authority or medical system to dismiss your symptoms, however "unexplainable" they may seem right now.
I've had to do my own research on my physical, mental & emotional symptoms associated with estrogen withdrawal, i.e. perimenopause or the 5-10 years before the official post-menopause era of life ... I have done a lot of trial and error (more error sometimes ) ... and am finding what works for me ... and what works is constantly changing.
I've had to educate medical professionals about perimenopause (!!). It's not their fault ... women have not been part of medical research in any significant way until the last 20 years or so.
And we've been taught to not talk about or share these things with other women, when we could be supporting each other ... and/or that it's all in our heads" ... and/or "it's just stress" ... and/or to just take a pill ... and/or to put our heads down & get on with it because of societal expectations.
So, those muscle aches that pop up "out of nowhere" when your periods start to get more erratic? It's not in your head. Again, 50+ symptoms (and counting) are being identified ...
Here are just a *few* of the symptoms off that list that I've experienced at various times over the last 5 years:
- insomnia
- debilitating fatigue
- brain fog
- joint aches
- weight gain
- panic attacks
- heart palpitations
- gastrointestinal imbalance
- decreased athletic performance
- nausea
- migraines
- hot flashes & night sweats, i.e. vasomotor symptoms
- ... and more!
You've likely experienced many of these and other symptoms as well ... and while we should definitely get checked out for medical conditions like heart disease and the like, if these symptoms are popping up "out of nowhere" in your late 30s / early 40s ... the hormonal changes of perimenopause could be a factor!
Get to know the myriad of functions that estradiol (one of the 3 types of estrogen all women's bodies produce at various stages of life) provides for the body, and how estrogen withdrawal in the perimenopause years affects you ... the more we know and share with each other, the less stigma, and moreover the less fear we experience when these symptoms arise.
Menopause is a natural transition that every woman / person who menstruates will go through if they are fortunate to age. On the other hand, medically-induced menopause may occur earlier, and may result in more drastic symptoms.
In either case, knowledge is power. Let's make sure we are learning about our bodies, having compassion for the amazing adjustments our bodies are making for us, and support our bodies & minds in every way possible through this transition.