Menopause: The Lesser Known Symptoms

When it comes to the menopausal transition, every woman’s experience is uniquely her own. For some women, the journey may take over a decade, while for other women who enter menopause due to surgery or chemotherapy, the transition may happen quickly. The official definition of natural menopause is when a woman has had no menstrual bleeding for one full year, so it is a retrospective diagnosis. However, the decade leading up to a woman officially entering “menopause” or being post-menopausal, can often be a tumultuous time, due to the roller coaster ride of hormonal changes. 

These hormonal fluctuations are typically happening while a woman is still menstruating, although her menstrual cycle may become somewhat irregular. Many women come to Diana Health and are surprised to realize that the symptoms that they’ve been experiencing may be due to entering the menopause transition, while often in their early to mid 40s. Below are five common menopause symptoms that you may be experiencing, but would never guess it’s due to menopause! 

At Diana Health, we know this can be a challenging time, and we are here for you to educate you and engage in shared decision-making, every step of your journey. 

But First – Menopause Isn’t Just Night Sweats & Hot Flashes!

Most women have heard of hot flashes and night sweats, and about ¾ of women can expect to experience this during the menopause transition. Although the majority of women who go through menopause experience at least some hot flashes or night sweats, you may never experience a hot flash or night sweat during your menopausal transition, and that is completely ok! It doesn’t mean that you are abnormal or that your menopause transition is not as significant as another woman who experiences hot flashes, it just means that your journey is unique, just like you. 

1. Losing Sleep

About half of all women struggle with sleep during the menopause transition. Night sweats (hot flashes that occur overnight) are common disruptors of sleep during this time. However, some women struggle with sleep and don’t have night sweats or aren’t aware of why they are waking up more each night or having difficulty falling or staying asleep. The impact of hormonal changes on mood as well as weakening of the circadian rhythm, can also contribute to sleep problems. Underlying sleep difficulties make some of the other common menopause symptoms such as brain fog, mood changes, fatigue, and body changes more common. 

2. Body Composition Changes

Starting about a decade prior to the final menstrual period, most women will start to gain more fat around their abdomen and lose some of their lean muscle mass. There is no shame, blame, our guilt behind this. It is a physiologic change that occurs when our estrogen levels fluctuate, making it more challenging (though not impossible) to have a healthy body composition. This creates a time of health vulnerability, but it can be used as an  opportunity to explore whether your nutrition and activity habits are supporting a healthy body composition or if there are new lifestyle behaviors you could embrace during this transition.

Many women find that although they are eating the same and getting in the same type of physical activity, that they experience a gain in weight and increasing abdominal circumference. It is not your imagination. Engaging in resistance training during this time becomes extremely important, in order to maintain or even gain some lean muscle mass. We aren’t talking about becoming bodybuilders (unless you want to!). Maintaining your muscle strength allows you to  continue lifting packages and walk up and down the stairs.

3. Feeling Anxious or Depressed (or just general moodiness)

During the menopause transition, hormone levels fluctuate greatly, which make women’s moods more sensitive to stressful situations. Circumstances that used to feel like small hassles, may feel major. Your risk for anxiety and depressive symptoms also increases during this time. A certain amount of mood fluctuation is normal during this transition time, but if you are struggling with symptoms of depression, reach out to us at Diana Health as we have LMSWs, LCSWs, and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners who are here to help you. 

4. Brain Fog

Because of the rollercoaster of hormone levels during the menopause transition, and eventual persistent decline in estrogen, about half of all women experience cognitive changes or “brain fog” symptoms where they feel like they’re not thinking as clearly, have difficulty remembering words or concentrating.  Although women may worry that this is the start of premature dementia, it rarely is. Some brain fog is completely normal and typically resolves within a few years of becoming postmenopausal. 

5. Vaginal Dryness & Discomfort (Genitourinary Syndrome)

As the menopause transition progresses and continues into post-menopause, symptoms of vaginal dryness or discomfort become more common. This is known as genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Some women have more frequent urinary tract infections, while other women may have an uncomfortable sensation of dryness. Many women experience painful sex when vaginal intercourse becomes uncomfortable due to the dryness. If this occurs, know that you are not alone. Also, please reach out to us at Diana Health. There are great treatments available that range from prescription medications to over-the-counter treatments such as vaginal moisturizers and lubricants. 

Although the list of symptoms may seem daunting, most women do not experience all of these symptoms at one time (if ever), and their intensities can range from mild to severe. This is where every woman’s journey is so unique. We’ve reviewed some of the most common symptoms, but there are still other symptoms, such as an increase in headaches, more aches and pains, fatigue, dry skin and eyes, and even nausea or rapid heartbeat during hot flashes. First, know that you are not alone. You are not crazy. Your body is changing. 

Sometimes in our ageist society, it is easy to feel like people make menopause seem like a disease. It is NOT a disease. It is a normal part of the female lifespan. If we are fortunate to live long enough, every woman will go through the menopause transition. Even though these symptoms are often part of the normal menopause transition, it’s important to realize that YOUR experience of the symptoms is important. Are the symptoms disruptive to your life, do you want to know more about potential treatments? At Diana Health, we have many tools in our toolkit to help you. Don’t assume that there is nothing that can be done. We have expertise in nutrition, physical activity, stress resilience, restorative sleep, over-the-counter medications, as well as prescription medications. We pride ourselves in our desire and ability to educate you and engage in shared decision-making so that you can make the best choices for you and your personal experience. The menopause transition should be a time when you can focus on growing into your most authentic, healthiest, and happiest self. At Diana Health, we are with you to support you, every step of the journey. Book a visit with us today.