The 8 Most Common Menopause Symptoms and How to Get Relief
I was about 49 years old when I noticed a few small changes: lower energy levels, some joint pain, and less interest in romantic endeavors. But these symptoms were negligible and didn't bother me very much. I chalked it up to getting older and stress. I had just started working full-time in a new career and going to school at night for my master's degree; however, once I hit fifty, I experienced a laundry list of symptoms, and they were debilitating. I barely recognized myself. I couldn't deny it: I was in full blown menopause.
Here are a few common menopause symptoms and what I experienced:
Hot Flashes
My hot flashes felt like someone had implanted a small toaster oven inside me. I would begin to feel the warmth in my solar plexus until it radiated out toward my extremities and, finally, to the top of my head. Then I would begin to sweat profusely. This would usually only last a few minutes, but it happened several times an hour. The worst part is that for those few minutes I was somewhat paralyzed, and my focus was taken away from work, family, and life.
Night Sweats
Every night I would completely sweat through my pajamas. Sometimes I would have to change my pajamas two or three times! It was incredibly uncomfortable and made it impossible to get a good night's sleep. My husband’s suggestion was, “Just sleep naked!” 🙁 Brilliant! Then we would have to change the sheets in the middle of the night, unless you don’t mind sleeping in a swimming pool. Um, no.
Insomnia
Most nights, I wasn't sleeping much anyway (see “Night Sweats”). I would toss and turn for hours. After trying all of the usual remedies, I had to admit that this was hormonal.
Mood Swings
I'm generally an easygoing person. My husband and kids are amiable and even-tempered. So imagine their surprise to find a strange creature in the kitchen who looks like the lady of the house but has the personality of a barracuda. Watch out! I'm ashamed to admit that I screamed, I yelled… I acted like a tyrant. To my family and friends who were often in the line of fire, I am terribly sorry.
Sudden Weight Gain
I'm not exaggerating… within a few months of the onset of menopause, I gained over 30 pounds. Even when I exercised until my legs almost fell off and followed a strict diet, my weight continued to climb.
Puffiness and Swelling
My hands got puffy. My hands and feet got puffy. EVERYTHING got puffy. My ankles disappeared– it looked like someone had attached my feet to my calves! It got so bad, I didn't recognize the woman in the mirror anymore. When this happened to me, I began to recognize the same changes in other women my age. We all started taking on that football linebacker look– oversized, hunched over, broad back and shoulders. It wasn't pretty, and I felt like I was losing my femininity.
Skin That Feels Both Dry AND Oily
How can my skin have been dry, flaky, and itchy while also being uncontrollably oily at the same time? It was frustrating, to say the least. Applying makeup was impossible, so I finally gave up. I felt like I was going through a second adolescence, but this time I had bills to pay and tons of housework.
Thinning Hair
I've always had thick hair, but I noticed quite a bit of hair loss when I washed it. I also noticed the texture of my hair changing. This was probably the oddest, most surprising symptom. My hair was suddenly dry and oily at the same time, lifeless and impossible to manage.
Is There Help?
When I researched the common medical interventions and advice for managing these symptoms, this is what I found:
HRT or Hormone Replacement Therapy. This has helped some women with symptoms, but there are side effects that could cause serious health problems. Once a women starts this therapy, she usually takes it for the rest of her life.
Avoid caffeine and spicy food. You mean, deny myself two of the things that bring me immense joy?
Exercise regularly. Tried that (see “Weight Gain”).
Reduce your stress level. You mean, quit my job and avoid my relatives?
Take a cold shower. I live in Houston. The water doesn’t even get cold here.
Sadly, these remedies only mask the symptoms and often work temporarily, or not at all; they never actually address the root cause– hormone imbalance and inflammation. Dear Reader, if you've read any of my other blog posts on health or intermittent fasting, you know I love to read and research. My doctors’ advice on how to lessen the pain of menopause was to take pharmaceuticals for the rest of my life. No thanks! I had to seek some answers for myself.
Well, there is a lot of information out there, but I discovered some sound research and resources that helped me take control of my health and menopause symptoms. I highly recommend the books, websites, podcasts, and YouTube channels of Dr. Mary Claire Haber, Dr. Mindy Pelz, Dr. Jason Fung, Dr. Casey Means, and Morley Robbins of the Root Cause Protocol, to name a few. I’ve used so much of this information to transform my health. If you have experienced painful menopause symptoms, I encourage you seek answers and find what works for you. I hope you find what you need on your health journey!
All the best,
Jennifer Kaye