What you’re experiencing is real. All of it.
The heat that rises without warning. The nights you lie awake, mind racing or drenched in sweat. The fog that settles over your thoughts. The ache in joints that used to move easily. The desire that used to appear unbidden and now… doesn’t.
These aren’t signs that something is wrong with you. They’re signs that your body is moving through a profound transition—one that affects virtually every system you have.
What I’ll Walk You Through
Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
That sudden heat affects about 75% of us, with a median duration of 7 years. I'll explain what's actually happening in your brain.
When Sleep Won't Come
About 40% of perimenopausal women struggle with sleep. Night sweats, declining progesterone, racing thoughts at 3 AM.
Mood Changes
Depression risk rises 40% during this transition. I want you to understand why—and know that you're not failing.
Brain Fog & Memory
When words escape you and thoughts scatter. The research shows this is real, it has causes, and for most women, it improves.
Sexual Desire & Libido
Changes in desire are among the most distressing and least discussed symptoms. This isn't about effort or trying harder.
Skin & Hair Changes
The itching nobody warned you about. The dry skin, the thinning, the hair that's changed.
Aches & Joint Pain
Feeling old in your body. This isn't just aging—estrogen affects your joints, and this is real.
Dryness & Discomfort
Unlike hot flashes, this doesn't resolve on its own. But it's also one of the most treatable symptoms.
Menstrual Changes
From shorter cycles to longer gaps, heavier bleeding to skipped periods entirely.
Weight & Body Composition
Why your body redistributes fat regardless of diet. The visceral fat shift, metabolism changes, and what actually helps.
Pelvic Floor Changes
Incontinence, prolapse, and why trampolines aren't fun anymore. More common than discussed, more treatable than you'd think.
Sleep Apnea
Risk increases dramatically after menopause—and often goes undiagnosed in women. It's not just snoring.
Symptom Tracker
Track your symptoms over time. Find patterns. Bring data to your doctor. Everything stays private on your device.
Something Important to Understand
Your symptoms correlate with estrogen withdrawal—not just low levels. This is why:
- The wild fluctuations of perimenopause can feel worse than stable postmenopause
- Some days you feel almost normal and others you don’t recognize yourself
- Many women actually feel better once they’re firmly through to the other side
The chaos has a pattern. The pattern has an end.
Every Body Is Different
You may experience some of these, all of these, or symptoms not listed here at all. Your friend’s experience may look nothing like yours. This isn’t because one of you is doing something wrong—it’s because individual variation in this transition is enormous.
The purpose of understanding what’s happening isn’t to fit yourself into a box. It’s to have language for your experience. It’s to know you’re not alone. It’s to have knowledge for conversations with providers who may not understand. If it helps, you can track your symptoms over time—patterns often emerge that aren’t obvious day-to-day.
Right now, millions of women are navigating this same passage. Your mother did, and her mother, and every woman in your lineage stretching back through time.
They made it through. So will you.