Episode #16
Episode 15 - Perimenopause Explained: What on Earth Is Happening to My Body?
️ Perimenopause Explained: What on Earth Is Happening to My Body? Hormones, brain fog, rage, anxiety, hot flushes, weight, sleep and why it all happens One day you feel relatively normal. The next you're forgetting words, waking at 3am, sweating through the night, gaining weight differently, experiencing bizarre anxiety, losing your patience with everyone and wondering whether you've somehow stopped being yourself. Welcome to perimenopause. In Part One of our perimenopause deep dive, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman unpack what is actually happening inside the female body and brain during the menopause transition and why the symptoms extend far beyond periods and hot flushes. We explore: What perimenopause actually is - when it starts, how long it can last, and why symptoms can appear years before your periods stop The hormonal rollercoaster - what happens to estrogen, progesterone and other reproductive hormones as ovarian function becomes increasingly unpredictable Your brain on perimenopause - why changing estrogen signalling can affect memory, concentration, motivation, mood and emotional regulation Anxiety, irritability and rage - why women can suddenly feel less emotionally resilient or simply not quite like themselves Hot flushes and night sweats - what happens to the brain's temperature-control system and why tiny changes in body temperature can suddenly trigger an enormous physiological response Sleep disruption - why perimenopause can completely dismantle sleep and how poor sleep can then amplify mood, cognition, appetite, pain and stress ⚖️ Weight and metabolic changes - why body composition and fat distribution can begin changing even when you're doing many of the same things you've always done Gut and food changes - why some women notice digestive symptoms or find that foods, caffeine or alcohol they previously tolerated suddenly seem to affect them differently Aching joints, muscles and bones - the emerging concept of the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause and why estrogen matters far beyond reproduction Trauma and the nervous system - why this transition can feel particularly destabilising when your nervous system is already carrying a significant stress or trauma load And perhaps most importantly, we talk about something women desperately need to hear: These symptoms aren't random. Perimenopause is not simply your periods becoming irregular. It's a major biological transition involving hormone-sensitive systems throughout the brain and body. Understanding that changes the conversation from: “What on earth is wrong with me?” to: “Okay. Now I understand what's happening. What can I do about it?” And that's exactly where Part Two: The Perimenopause Survival Guide Nobody Gave Us begins (stay tuned for Episode 17 for that). If you're somewhere in your late 30s, 40s or 50s and wondering why your body or brain suddenly seems to be operating by a completely different set of rules, start here. Topics Covered: Perimenopause, Menopause, Estrogen, Progesterone, Brain Fog, Anxiety, Rage, Hot Flushes, Night Sweats, Sleep, Weight Gain, Metabolism, Gut Health, Joint Pain, Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause, Trauma, Nervous System, Women's Health.
