Menopause Stories

Perimenopause blindsided me at 34. One month I was sleeping fine, and the next I couldn't sleep at all. Hot flashes and night sweats followed, along with periods that became completely unpredictable. When I went to my doctor, she put me on birth control pills, but the night sweats and hot flashes didn't stop. She told me it was probably just stress and sent me home suggesting CBD oil and melatonin.

It took over a year to find a gynecologist who actually listened to me and took my symptoms seriously. I'm on HRT now and finally getting some relief, though I still have difficult days. I've also started working with a dietitian and exercising. The hardest change has been giving up alcohol, even one glass sends my heart racing and guarantees a sleepless night.

Symptoms experienced: hot flashes, night sweats, irregular periods, alcohol intolerance, insomnia

What helped: HRT, diet changes, exercise

I was 46 when things started changing, though I didn’t have the language for it at the time. I just knew I wasn’t okay. I felt depressed and started having anxiety that I never had before. My hips hurt, I started gaining weight, and I felt hot all the time.

Once I started HRT it helped with everything. I started feeling like myself again. I only wish someone had told me earlier that what I was experiencing had a name and a treatment.

Symptoms experienced: depression, anxiety, hip pain, weight gain, hot flashes

What helped: HRT

Five years in, and I’m still trying to figure this whole thing out. Some days I'm overly emotional, and other days I’m so irritable. My joints ache in ways they never did before, especially in the morning. Even having a single glass of wine that I used to enjoy leaves me with a pounding headache the next day.

I've tried everything from ashwagandha to acupuncture. Some things help a little, but I'm still searching for what works for my body.

Symptoms experienced: mood swings, irritability, achy joints, alcohol intolerance

What helped: ashwagandha, acupuncture

My perimenopause symptoms started around 48, but I had no idea that's what they were. I just thought I was falling apart. The insomnia alone was torture—lying awake night after night, exhausted but unable to sleep. The hot flashes, brain fog, and anxiety piled on, while my periods became incredibly heavy and completely irregular. But the worst part was the loss of joy. Nothing made me happy anymore. I felt like a shell of who I used to be.

It wasn't until I was 54 that everything clicked and I finally sought help. HRT changed my life. Within weeks, I could sleep again. And slowly, the fog lifted and I could feel happiness again. I got myself back.

Symptoms experienced: insomnia, hot flashes, brain fog, anxiety, irregular periods, loss of joy

What helped: HRT

My perimenopause symptoms started two or three years before I connected the dots. A warm flash here, a weird cycle there, but then everything escalated: exhaustion, night sweats, aching joints, insomnia, and out of the blue rage.

What I wish I'd known is that symptoms don't all arrive at once. It's gradual and sneaky. Some months you feel almost normal, so you dismiss the bad ones. But the symptoms build over time. Then one day you wake up feeling absolutely terrible and you can't recognize yourself anymore.

I think it's so important for women to be educated about what perimenopause actually looks like so we can recognize these changes earlier and get help sooner.

Symptoms experienced: hot flashes, irregular periods, low energy, night sweats, achy joints, insomnia, rage

It's nearly impossible to say when perimenopause actually started—probably somewhere in my mid-40s. For years, I experienced weird joint pain, tiredness, and brain fog that affected my work. I blamed it all on being overwhelmed with three young children, a demanding job, and endless responsibilities at home. I thought I was just a tired, stressed-out mom.

Looking back, I lost a lot of time to symptoms I didn’t understand. Exercise and HRT have been lifesavers for me, along with magnesium and omega supplements.

Symptoms experienced: achy joints, low energy, brain fog

What helped: HRT, magnesium and omega supplements

For what felt like forever, I was just exhausted and felt miserable. I would have random bouts of vertigo that really stopped me from leaving the house and I felt depressed. I isolated myself, convinced I was just becoming a miserable person that nobody wanted to be around.

One night, I almost skipped dinner with friends, but I went anyway. That dinner changed everything. As we talked, we realized we were all dealing with similar symptoms! One friend had just seen a menopause specialist and connected me with her doctor.

Now I’m on HRT, and it’s like the lights came back on. I feel so much better and I’m so glad I didn’t bail on that dinner.

Symptoms experienced: low energy, vertigo, depression

What helped: HRT