Perimenopause and the Roller Coaster Ride

Judith Reichman quotes a patient in her book as saying: “so am I perimenopausal, or has an alien taken over my body?” Perimenopause is a roller coaster ride of hormones. The hormone levels fluctuate erratically because of intermittent ovulation. Estrogen continues to decrease,
Perimenopause occurs in the 40’s to 50’s. The symptoms include changes in periods, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, concentration problems, libido changes, and mood swings. Perimenopause is the period of transition from regular menstrual cycles to amenorrhea. Therefore, the symptoms which are experienced during the perimenopausal years have a relationship to the changing of the reproductive functioning. Perimenopausal women have a much higher incidence of depression.