Win Gold at Perimenopause Olympics

100 symptoms of perimenopause

If there was an Olympic sport for spotting, I would win the gold, silver, and bronze medals in the same year.

Various photos of me from left to right: Dec ‘23, Aug ‘24, May ‘22

I cannot watch the Olympics.

Let me clarify: I cannot watch the Olympics while I’m in perimenopause.

I cry too darn much. This wasn’t always the case. I’m not a crier by nature, but now anything can easily make me cry.

I cry for an odd reason too. Yes, I get emotionally excited for the winners, and yes, I feel sad for those who tried their best but didn’t win.

I don’t cry over athletes, though. I cry for their mothers.

When I watch the Olympics, all I can think about is what every athlete’s mother is thinking at that moment. Are they watching behind covered eyes? Are they holding their breath? Are they getting a stress-fueled hot flash?

When my son decided to join his high school’s wrestling team during his freshman year, he had never wrestled before. He’s a tennis player. It’s not often you hear those two sports in the same sentence, let alone an athlete that does both. He may be the first one ever.

I was used to sunny-day matches (tennis is always canceled during rain; it makes the court too slippery) or indoor games, where I sat in cushy stadium seats, drank iced tea, and cheered him on. I was ill-prepared for what was to come.

All I could picture was my sweet boy’s head jammed into a sweaty germ-filled armpit, or worse, a crotch, while picking up ringworm and impetigo. Although I wasn’t pleased, I supported his decision, encouraged him to shower immediately afterward, and promised an award for compliance. A mother’s job. What I didn’t do, was attend any of his matches. I could not. That was Dad’s job in our family.

I knew I would be a nervous wreck, and I knew it would only stress him out more, so I stayed back and let him do his thing. He did very well without me there.

So I know what I would be thinking if one of my twins was in the Olympics, and that’s why I feel for all of the mothers. I would be holding my breath while complaining to anyone who would listen that he didn’t style his hair correctly to keep it out of his eyes, and I would wonder if he was wearing clean underwear or not.

The Perimenopause Olympics

Here are my imagined Olympic games if perimenopause was a sport.

An earlier article I wrote called My Endurance Sport is Perimenopause explains that after 7 years so far of being perimenopausal, I’m a champion.

The 100 Symptoms of Perimenopause

There are now over 100 documented symptoms of perimenopause. I heard recently it’s now at 150. I have no source for this information, so I’m sticking with 100. This doesn’t mean that you’re going to get all of them. Thank goodness!

Which ones would qualify you for the Perimenopause Olympics?

Starting at the top of the body (the pink ones have article links)

Head (15)

1. Headaches

2. Migraines

3. Dizziness

4. Anxiety

5. Depression

6. Irritability

7. Brain fog (this includes memory lapses, difficulty concentrating & focusing, etc..)

8. Issues with word recall (usually nouns per Dr. Felice Gersh)

9. Unable to multi-task, intolerance to loud sounds or violent images

10. Mood swings

11. Increased swearing and intolerance for BS - maybe that one is just me?

12. Panic attacks

13. Hair loss

14. Dry, brittle hair

15. Vivid dreams & nightmares

Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, Face, Throat (26)

1. Vision changes

2. Sensitive to light

3. Dry eyes

4. Dry mouth

5. Taste changes

6. Burning mouth, lips

7. Tingling face

8. Tooth sensitivity

9. Gum problems

10. Bad breath

11. Itchy ears

12. Earaches

13. Pressure or feeling of fullness in the ears

14. Changes in hearing, ringing in the ears

15. Acne

16. Jaw pain

17. Sore throat

18. Swollen glands

19. Sinus congestion

20. Sneezing fits

21. Throat clearing

22. Changes in voice - hoarseness

23. Runny nose and post-nasal drip

24. Increased allergies

25. Difficulty swallowing

26. Increased cavities, dental issues (I have increased tartar)

Heart and Lungs*** (4)

1. Shortness of breath

2. Heart palpitations

3. Irregular heartbeat

4. Hyperventilation

Body (20)

1. Joint pain

2. Muscle, tendon, ligament, fascia pain

3. Injuries - pulled muscles, broken bones, sprains

4. Dry skin

5. Brittle nails

6. Changes in body odor

7. Itchy skin

8. Tingling sensations

9. Electric shock sensations

10. Changes in body temperature regulation (too cold and/or too hot)

11. Excessive sweating

12. Hot flashes & night sweats

13. Chills and body shaking

14. Intolerance to heat or cold

15. Fatigue - mental, emotional, or physical

16. Weight gain

17. Weight loss

18. Muscle spasms

19. Restless legs

20. Cold hands and feet

Breasts (3)

1. Sore breasts

2. Fibrocystic breast changes

3. Enlarged breasts

Digestion and Stomach (13)

1. Bloating

2. Excessive gas

3. Changes in appetite

4. Digestive issues

5. Diarrhea (first time ever I have spelled this correctly from the start!)

6. Constipation

7. Food cravings and aversions (if you’ve been pregnant, are they similar? 😁)

8. Feeling full too quickly

9. Acid reflux

10. Heartburn

11. Nausea

12. Vomiting

13. Trouble digesting foods

Pelvis (15)

1. Vaginal dryness - this can feel like an infection, but without an infection present

2. Changes in libido

3. Changes in pleasure sensations & lack of lubrication

4. Painful intercourse

5. Bleeding after intercourse

6. Urinary urgency

7. Urinary frequency

8. Urinary leaking

9. Urinary tract infection or what feels like one

10. Heavy periods

11. Light periods

12. Skipped periods (or the opposite, closer periods)

13. Spotting

14. Pelvic pain

15. Increased or changes in discharge

Sleep (4)

1. Trouble falling asleep

2. Trouble staying asleep

3. Unable to sleep

4. Waking up too early and not getting back to sleep

100!

***If any of the above symptoms are concerning, please see a doctor. These symptoms could appear on the symptom list for a disease and may not be perimenopausal. Keep in mind that perimenopause can mimic other health conditions that a doctor can rule out or confirm. It’s best not to assume perimenopause is causing all of your health issues.

How Does this List Help?

Seeing the list in one place is validating and will save you a ton of hours that I know you’ll spend on Dr. G trying to find valid information to confirm your suspicions. When a lot of these showed up in my life all at once, I thought I was going crazy and, even worse, thought I was dying. Once I was able to identify it as something related to perimenopause, it brought me out of that survival mode that I often talk about.

Wait, there’s more?

We now know that estrogen and progesterone for women are so much more than reproductive hormones. They control so many of our body’s functions and functioning. They also control other hormones and body chemicals that we rely on to function optimally. While all of the above symptoms seem unrelated - they have one thing in common - your fluctuating hormones during perimenopause.

These fluctuating hormones can set the stage for other conditions and diseases. Here is a short list.

Some common health issues during perimenopause and should be evaluated by a doctor are:

• High cholesterol

• Gallstones

• Frozen shoulder

• Thyroid nodules

• Injuries

• Fibroids

• Ear noises & ringing (tinnitus) - scientists don’t understand why this happens in general let alone for us.

• Rib area pain

• Epstein-Barr Virus reactivation

• Prolapsed organs (bladder, vagina, and rectum slipping out of place)

• Heart conditions

• Diabetes

• High blood pressure

• Osteopenia and osteoporosis

• Eating disorders

In 4 Years Maybe Everything Will Be Better!

Perimenopause lasts between 2 - 14 years. I’ve heard that by the time you complete your first year of menopause, the hormonal havoc should be settled enough that some symptoms will have disappeared if they haven’t already by the time you reach menopause. Unfortunately, other ones may be ramping up.

For every single one of the above symptoms, I can tie it back to something that happens during perimenopause that can influence it. But, keep in mind, like anything with health there are usually multiple factors.

Are there any symptoms on the list you’d like me to explore further in an upcoming article? Post a comment below (free Substack account needed) to let me know and I’ll add it to my writing schedule.

Be well, stay cool…

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