Struggling with perimenopause symptoms like hot flushes, brain fog, dizziness, hip pain, or disrupted sleep? Our licensed Australian doctors create a treatment plan built around you, completely online.
Perimenopause is the period between when you reach the menopause - or until the time when your ovaries begin to produce less oestrogen and progesterone and then cease to do so. It is not an isolated incident. It is a hormonal change and can take years, and has symptoms that periodically appear and disappear, change in severity, and involve almost all the systems of the body.
Perimenopause is irregular compared to menopause which is defined as 12 consecutive months without hemorrhage. There is a possibility of a reduction or extension of cycles. Periods can be heavier and light. Hormones do not decrease in a linear fashion but range up and down and it is the oscillating processes that contribute to the most disruptive symptoms.
Being a middle-aged girl between 40 and 50, perimenopause usually starts at middle age, but with many women it starts at the end of 30s. The issue is that since it presents differently in all women, where some women hardly have this issue, and others have it in a substantial way, it turns out to be one of the most falsely diagnosed or denied health transitions that a woman will undergo.
We do not treat perimenopause as a rite of passage to be undergone at Longevity Clinics, rather we treat it as a hormonal state that is to be evaluated and treated appropriately.
Get Your Hormones AssessedPerimenopause has an impact in nearly all systems of the body - oestrogen receptors are nearly omnipresent. These are the most prevalent symptoms that cause women to pursue the treatment of perimenopause in Australia.
The effect of oestrogen on hypothalamus, which regulates the level of body temperature, causes sudden bursts of heat, accompanied by the temperature effect - sweats, chills, etc. One of the most recognisable perimenopausal symptoms.
Cycles can either be shorter, longer or heavy and light. This usually acts as the initial observable manifestation of perimenopause which is brought about by the up and down occurrences of oestrogen and progesterone.
Problems falling or maintaining sleep, night awakenings, and poor sleeping are inextricably associated with changes in progesterone and oestrogen, and can be further complicated by night sweats.
Common perimenopausal symptoms are word finding difficulty, poor concentration, and failure of short term memory. Oestrogen has direct effect on neurofirmness and clarity of mind.
Rudeness, depression, excessive worry, or touchy emotionally and not in character. Such fluctuations follow oestrogen ones and may have a substantial impact on relationships and wellbeing.
Dizziness around perimenopause is one of the symptoms that are often disregarded. The impact of oestrogen on the inner ear, vestibular system and blood pressure management is associated to cause dizziness, light-headedness or vertigo. See below treatment options.
Lowering of oestrogen levels lowers the fluid content in the joints and bone density leading to hip discomfort, knee pains and stiffness, especially in the mornings. This is a direct physiological result of hormonal change. Please see treatment options below.
Many women complain of fluttering or racing heartbeats during perimenopause. Oestrogen is involved in the regulation of the cardiovascular system; its change may lead to intermittent palpitations usually due to hot flushes.
The hormonal transformations in the perimenopause that cause weight gain occur primarily around the abdomen due to change in metabolism as well as insulin sensitivity and cortisol not by choice of diet or lifestyle.
Noteworthy: The symptoms may be similar to others. When suggesting a course of action, our clinicians rely on blood tests and extensive evaluation, in order to confirm that it is actually the perimenopause causing the problem.
No universal treatment of perimenopause exists. It all depends on your symptoms and severity, your health history and your likes and dislikes. This is a summary of the primary evidence-based remedies of perimenopause..
Best evidence-based intervention in the treatment of perimenopausal symptoms. HRT acts as a substitute for oestrogen (and in many cases progesterone) which your body is producing less of, tackling the hormonal underlying causes of your symptoms. In the form of patches, gels, tablets, sprays and vaginal preparations.
The use of low-dose testosterone is becoming more accepted as a significant role in perimenopausal therapy in women. It is able to work wonders in enhancing libido, energy, concentration and mood - those that oestrogen therapy may not necessarily completely fix.
Women who are unable or unwilling to take HRT can use a variety of non-hormonal drugs to treat certain symptoms of the perimenopausal phase. They comprise SSRIs/SNRIs against mood and hot flushes, night sweats of gabapentin, and specific symptom group targeted.
Specific supplementation can contribute to treatment of perimenopause. Some of the clinician-recommended supplements can be magnesium (sleep, mood, muscle tension), vitamin D and calcium (bone protection), omega-3 fatty acids (inflammation and joint health), and phytoestrogens.
Any perimenopause treatment regime is based on strength training, aerobic exercise, dietary changes, stress management, and sleep clean. These methods aid hormonal equilibrium, preserve bone density and mitigate the magnitude of symptoms - especially of mood, weight and pain of joints.
Bioidentical hormones Compounded bioidentical hormones - chemically the same as the ones naturally produced by your body - provide a personalisable option when standard got it wrong to your exact needs. Administered and overseen by our clinicians and with regular blood tests to achieve both safety and effectiveness.
Two of the most common and most incapacitating - perimenopausal symptoms warrant treatment of their own.
The fluctuating oestrogen stimulates the vestibular system, inner ear fluid balance, and blood pressure regulation, as well as cardiovascular system, which causes dizziness during perimenopause. It may manifest itself as feeling lightheaded or having a spinning feeling or being unsteady - especially during or after hot flushes.
Due to the long list of causes of dizziness, an in-depth medical examination is necessary. An effective treatment option should include:
TREATMENT APPROACHES - DIZZINESSThere is a direct relationship between hip pain in perimenopause and decreasing oestrogen. Oestrogen is anti-inflammatory and has a major role in the maintenance of cartilage, synovial fluid (joint lubrication) and bone density. When the level gets low, the joints will be more susceptible to pain, stiffness, and inflammation, especially the joints on the hips, knees, and hands.
In most cases, this pain is associated with age or working out yet it is hormonal. The management strategy is complex:
TREATMENT APPROACHES - HIP PAINAn organized, relaxed procedure about your symptoms - no book check list.
One comprehensive, non-rushed interview on your symptoms, history, and goals - with a specialist clinician.
Medical history, current medications, lifestyle and risk factors.
Blood test to evaluate oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, FSH, thyroid and so on.
Not an off-the-shelf treatment scheme but a synthesis designed to your hormones, to your symptoms and to your life.
Being followed up and also testing yourself annually to review how far you have come and amending the treatment as you change.
To receive a good treatment of perimenopause in Australia has in the past been a matter of picking your way through a disjointed system - GP referrals, lengthy waiting times to see specialists, and being repeatedly reassured that your symptoms are only part of the ageing process. That experience is changing.
Our comprehensive perimenopause treatment practice at Longevity Clinics will be provided through telehealth, which means that the expertise rests in the hands of women in all states and territories of Australia, and no waiting rooms or delay in receiving a referral result.
Schedule a free discovery session. Your symptoms will be evaluated by our clinicians and the treatment options they will find to be most appropriate to you are explained: clearly and frankly.
Book a Discovery Call Or call us: +61 468 155 554No question covered here, book a call, our clinicians will directly answer it.
Perimenopause is the intermediate stage which is preceding to the menopause as oestrogen and progesterone levels start to show variations and reduce. It usually starts in the mid-40s though it may have started in the late 30s and may last between 4-10 years. Menopause on its part is verified 12 months following your last period. Even in the state of perimenopause (in spite of irregularity), the periods may still be observed, and the symptoms can be equally dramatic as they are during the post-menopause phase. Treatment must and can commence during perimenopause and not as a full menopause.
Perimenopausal symptoms are best treated using hormone replacement therapy (HRT), especially for hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, sleep problems, and pains around the joint. Non-hormonal drugs, specific supplementation, and lifestyle modification are also significant issues, particularly in combination with hormonal therapy or in case HRT does not work. The exact mix will vary, based on your personal symptoms, past health history, and preferences, and can only be found out with the help of an adequate medical examination.
Yes - perimenopause dizziness is an admitted but often poorly perceived symptom. The inner ear, the system of the vestibules and the regulation of blood pressure are also influenced by the fluctuating oestrogen and can lead to light-headedness, a sense of being wobbly, or being unsteady. It is usually concurrent or immediately following hot flush episodes. The treatment of perimenopause dizziness involves stabilisation of oestrogen levels (usually using HRT), treating fluctuations in blood pressure and, with inner ear disease established, vestibular rehabilitation. Dizziness that can be related to perimenopause requires a detailed examination to differentiate this from other causes.
Yes. Oestrogen is anti-inflammatory and joint protective - it keeps cartilage healthy and lubricates the synovium (joints lubrication). Since, oestrogen levels drop in the course of perimenopause, most women complain of more painful joints, especially hips, knees and hands. The use of HRT to replace oestrogen protective action, bone density scanning to detect possible early osteoporosis, specific supplementation (vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3, collagen), diet anti-inflammatory therapy, and physiotherapy or strength training to provide hip joint support are common in the treatment of perimenopause hip pain. A lot of women experience pain in the joint which drastically reduces when HRT is put in place.
In the majority of healthy women, HRT is viewed as safe and its effects are more significant than risks, especially when it is initiated at perimenopause, before 60. HRT is recommended in women who do not have any contraindications and have significant perimenopausal symptoms, either with or without depleting reproductive hormone levels, including their position in the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS). These particular risks vary depending on the form of HRT, method of delivery, and other health concerns of the individual. Our clinicians will consider the full health history prior to any recommendation and apply the least dose in treatment of your symptoms.
The clinical diagnosis of perimenopause largely depends on symptoms and age, as no blood tests can be used to confirm it - the levels of hormones change so greatly within this period. Nevertheless, blood tests (especially FSH, oestradiol, and thyroid function) are applied to facilitate the formation of an image and eliminate other reasons. When you are in your late 30s or 40s and have irregular periods in addition to, hot flushes, sleep changes, mood changes, brain fog, joint pain, or dizziness, perimenopause is probably the cause and should be investigated with a specialist.
Yes. At Longevity Clinics, medication is available over the phone, with consultations of perimenopause, continuing management, and prescriptions of TGA-approved medications being included throughout Australia. Blood tests as well are carried out on your nearest pathology collection centre, and medications are delivered in anonymity at home. No expert referral is necessary to start and just make a discovery call and our clinicians will then help you through the process.
Yes. Although HRT is the best treatment of most perimenopausal symptoms, non-hormonal and natural treatments may have their own effect, either separately or together with hormonal treatment. It consists of changes in the diet (Mediterranean-style diet, phytoestrogen-rich foods), specific supplements (magnesium, vitamin D, omega-3, black cohosh with medical approval), strength training and aerobic exercise, stress relief activities, and non-hormonal drugs like an SSRIs or SNRIs to induce certain symptoms. Our clinicians construct treatment plans that are based on your own preferences and medical history.
Perimenopause is a hormonal transition occurring in a woman, which is one of the most dramatic hormonal transformations which females will undergo; however, it is likewise one of the least explored and untreated areas of women's health in Australia. Most of the women take years before they find themselves in a cycle of GP visits with claims that their symptoms are due to stress, depression, or just old age, only to discover later on that it was a hormonal issue.
This guide discusses what the perimenopause-is, how the symptom of perimenopause manifest, what treatment is accessible in Australia, and how Longevity Clinics goes on to mediate perimenopause transition among women.
There is a direct correlation between perimenopausal symptoms and treatment: the appearance of symptoms are due to hormones fluctuating and decreasing, and when one treats the symptoms, it involves hormonal changes. The problem is that the perimenopause symptoms of people differ vastly and in ways that are sometimes personal in nature: therefore, an individual approach is needed.
Others undergo a perimenopause that is mainly characterized by reproductive changes such as irregular, heavier or more painful periods whereas others are characterized by vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats), psychological symptoms (anxiety, mood swings) or musculoskeletal symptoms (hip and joint pains). Most of them encounter all the above at one point or another.
It is best when treatment of perimenopause symptoms:
Hormone replacement therapy is the most clinically effective in the treatment of perimenopausal symptoms. The Australasian Menopause Society (AMS) advocates HRT usage in symptomatic non-contraindicated women who begin taking HRT especially during the perimenopausal period when they have not attained full menopause.
During the perimenopause phase, HRT usually entails oestrogen (to manage the initial deficiency of hormones) and progesterone (where the woman has a normal uterus). The use of low dose testosterone by many women has contributed a significant result on treatment mainly on libido, energy and cognition.
During the perimenopause phase, HRT usually entails oestrogen (to manage the initial deficiency of hormones) and progesterone (where the woman has a normal uterus). The use of low dose testosterone by many women has contributed a significant result on treatment mainly on libido, energy and cognition.
Although thorough treatment of perimenopause deals with the underlying hormonal cause, certain symptoms can be treated by the local approach in addition to the systemic one:
Treatment of perimenopause in Australia is provided by GPs, gynaecologists, menopause specialists and specialist telehealth services including Longevity Clinics. A telehealth model can be of great benefit to the majority of women, who will not have to make waiting lists, seek clinicians specialising in hormonal health, and they will be able to control care at home.
Any HRT and prescription drugs prescribed by Longevity Clinics have been approved by TGA and are prescribed by qualified Australian medical practitioners. Where suitable, compounded bioidentical hormones are also possible and have been prepared by one of the accredited Australian compounding pharmacies.
Medical disclaimer: The contents on this page are for general educational and not medical guidance. The treatment of perimenopause is a healthcare issue that needs individual evaluation by a competent medical practitioner. There is individual variability in the suitability towards treatments like HRT. You should seek advice with your doctor or one of our clinicians before deciding on health care.