Contributor for the Clare Echo, Nicola Ryan, provides in-depth detail on how to cope with perimenopause.
A common symptom of perimenopause is the ability to switch from a feeling of calm to absolute rage in a split second.
Perimenopause, or a fluctuation in hormones at a biological or psychological level, changes the way the brain works. Hormone receptors in our brain are affected by these fluctuations and this in turn can have a massive impact on our mental health and our cognitive function. Oestrogen helps to regulate several mood-boosting hormones including serotonin, which can help with your mood, energy, motivation, and sleep pattern. Oestrogen also helps with cognition, so when oestrogen declines or fluctuates, the change in levels can lead to brain fog and forgetfulness, something most of us can relate to, which can be very debilitating in our daily life, at home, in work and often in a social setting. Oestrogen is required in many parts of our brain, including the hypothalamus, amygdala, and the hippocampus, which are all important areas that help regulate our mood.
This is just a quick synopsis of what is happening at a scientific level within our brains. Well, from my experience personally, this is where I struggled and thus, I decided to get informed around this topic as I was becoming unrecognisable. The rage and anger that take over my whole body at the smallest of inconveniences would usually instigate the downward spiral and it was usually my family that were ‘lucky’ enough to witness this crazy person let loose for the day and sometimes even longer. It was like the link from my brain to my mouth had disconnected. I could recognise what was about to happen. I would see the words that were about to come out of my mouth and while my brain is saying, ‘don’t do it Nicola, don’t say that,’ it comes out anyway and I lose the element of control over my own actions. I remember the stress that accompanied the morning routine, when we were all trying to get out the door. Now bear in mind, I have two teenage daughters and one who is ten going on twenty so getting everyone out of the house is a struggle on a normal day! Then throw a week where my hormones are playing havoc with my body into the mix. These mornings slowly started to become the worst period of time in my life as the aftermath would exhibit heavy consequences on those I love. The girls would sometimes go to school upset, followed by me in floods of tears on the way to work, wondering what the hell is wrong with me, where has Nicola gone? I used to feel really, really bad about myself, like I was a failure. We spend all our lives trying to teach our kids how to express themselves in a caring manor and there I was, failing to lead by example by expressing my emotions in the worst way possible. It was then when I spoke to my doctor, and we concluded that this was PMS (premenstrual syndrome) or raging PMS in my case. PMS is a term that we use to describe a collection of physical and emotional symptoms that we experience in the second half of our cycle. These hormone shifts can be very challenging, which can be due to the sudden drop of hormones just after ovulation and the time before your period starts. Then to top things off we also have extra hormonal shifts during perimenopause, so in my case, this just added to my plight. And if I remember correctly, this didn’t really shed light until my late 30’s, early 40’s, maybe due to the fact I was on a hormonal contraceptive pill for a good number of years that had high dose of synthetic oestrogen combined with progesterone which may have masked my PMS symptoms. So, the doctor and I decided we would start some hormone therapy to see if they would elevate symptoms and, oh my god – life changing for me and my girls.
There is a far more severe disorder called PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). PMDD is often described as an extreme form off PMS, and this can intensify after having children and/or entering perimenopause. This disorder can often go undiagnosed and there isn’t half enough emphasis on this topic as there should be. In my experience, professional and personal, this can start in late 30’s for some women and when they go to seek medical help thinking that this could be perimenopause, they can often be ‘fobbed off’ (words repeated to me before) and told that they are too young for perimenopause to occur. This may be the case for some, but for whatever the reason, their hormones are imbalanced, having a psychological effect on that person and worsening over time, in this case PMS or PMDD should be assessed. This is one reason why I advise ladies to be an advocate for themselves and, if possible, do a bit of research before seeking help. This way, there can be an informed decision made between you and your medical assessor.
If you can relate to this article and are experiencing any of these symptoms, then I would advise you to keep a diary of when these symptoms arise and how severe they are and please, speak to your healthcare professional, and remember you’re not alone!
“To be informed is to be empowered”
