Every great bodily transition comes with its own unique set of experiences. Think puberty and or pregnancy? They all have their pros and cons. Well, menopause is no different. Did you know there are thirty plus symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause? Symptoms vary from none, mild or severe. And to be clear, perimenopause and post-menopause symptoms often overlap, with perimenopause onset occurring much earlier. You can read about perimenopause, here.

I began experiencing perimenopause at thirty-eight, and it started with heart palpitations and feelings of anxiety. Those symptoms have since disappeared, giving way to new ones. This more or less has been the pattern. As some symptoms fade away, new ones pop up. Currently, I’m experiencing mild hot flashes, night sweats, some weight gain and occasional brain fog. I’ll share all the symptoms I’ve experienced and how I manage them in another post.

In the meantime, here are some symptoms that are said to be associated with the menopausal phase. Some are super weird, and I can attest to a few weird ones on this list. Which ones seem weird to you?

Perimenopause & Menopause Symptoms

Brain fog	Urinary incontinence	Migraines
Heart palpitation	Mood swings	Vaginal dryness
Dry skin	Breast tenderness	Hot flashes
Night sweats	Decreased libido	Bloating
Tingling extremities	Joint pain	Electric shock sensations
Itchiness	Irregular periods	Sleep disturbance
Changes in voice	Earache/tinnitus	Depression
Anxiety	Allergies	Acne
Weight gain	Osteoporosis	Dry mouth
Panic disorder	Gum disease	Dry eyes
Fatigue	Taste changes	Dizzy spells/vertigo
Thinning hair/hair loss	Body odor	Burning mouth
Difficulty concentrating	Brittle nails	Cold flushes
Altered spatial awareness	Formication – feeling of insects crawling on skin	Metallic taste in mouth

Be mindful that these symptoms may not be due to perimenopause or menopause. They could be associated with something entirely different. Hence the reason why it’s essential to talk to your primary care partner about any changes you might be experiencing.

Are you going through perimeopause or menopause? Which symptoms, if any, are you experiencing? Or perhaps you don’t know. If you’re not sure, take the menopause quiz here and get a bit more clarity. Share your thoughts and comments below.