.jpg)
The amazing thing about perimenopause is that just when you think you have it sussed and you know what symptoms to expect from month to month, along comes something else that you think must be entirely unrelated. Only to discover that in fact it could well be perimenopause after all - it really is the 'gift' that keeps on giving.
I have shared numerous posts in the past on the most commonly acknowledged or at least officially recognised 30 or so symptoms of perimenopause and I have read a huge amount of literature around the topic, yet somehow it had gone under my radar that acid reflux and heartburn could be caused by fluctuating hormones.
This was a new symptom for me that came on out of the blue after a stressful time just before Christmas. I went from never having had it before - yes I was one of the lucky few who did not have to rely on Gaviscon to get me through my pregnancies - to having it so badly, almost overnight, that I was barely able to sleep, eat or drink for days.
I visited the doctor, was given a prescription and sent on my way, never once linking it to perimenopause. It was only around a month or so later that I was filling in my Balance App (an excellent menopause symptom tracking app that I recommend everyone starts using from the onset of symptoms) that I suddenly noticed that heartburn was on there.
Ever curious around this subject, I did some digging and discovered that it is surprisingly common at perimenopause. This got me thinking about other less well known symptoms and the fact that the majority of women probably don't link them to their hormonal transition.
So if you are perimenopausal or you suspect this may be on the horizon, take a look at the list above and see if any of it resonates with you.
Suddenly starting being apprehensive when you get behind the wheel? Maybe you have starting feeling nervous about driving at night or a long journey fills you with dread?
Maybe your joints have begun to ache, your heart has started to race or you have started suffering from dizzy spells?
Or perhaps you have noticed your eyes are much dryer than usual, you can no longer wear your contact lenses as long or your vision becomes a bit blurry?
Maybe you have developed an uncontrollable rage or sense of injustice at the world? Or perhaps you have started to hear a ringing in your ears or find loud noises incredibly jarring?
These could all be signs that your body is starting to go through your midlife transition and some of them may appear before there are any changes in your periods at all or they could appear out of the blue a few years into your perimenopause journey.
Another reason that perimenopause is a never-ending gift is that all women will experience unique symptoms at different times, so there is no one size fits all approach to treatment, solutions and ways to get manage what you are going through.
This is why I recommend EVERY woman tracks her symptoms daily using an app of some kind. It is incredibly helpful to see if there are patterns, triggers or certain times of each cycle that these symtoms appear. It is also useful to be able to take to the doctor to explain to them all the changes you are experiencing.
If you are really suffering with symptoms then please don't carry on in silence. There are definitely things that can help with this vast array of changes.
If you would like access to a FREE download of a 'Menopause Symptom Tracker' that you use to take to the GP to discuss the way you have been feeling, then sign up to my FREE 3 Day Series here: