Perimenopause lasts 4 to 6 years, on average. However, for some people it can last up to 10 years before menopause, and for others only a year. Perimenopause ends 1 year after your last period. The next stage is known as postmenopause.
How long does perimenopause last? The average length of perimenopause is about four years. Some people may only be in this stage for a few months, while others will be in this transition phase for more than four years. If you've gone more than 12 months without having a period, you are no longer in perimenopause.
More Time Between Periods
As you near the end of perimenopause, the time between periods will increase until they stop altogether. If you are going 60 or more days between periods, this is a pretty reliable sign that you are in late perimenopause.
That can then lead to perimenopausal symptoms appearing and for those symptoms to get worse the further through the perimenopause you go. The further through you go, the lower your hormones are going to get, and your body is going to have to work even harder to adjust.
Jocelyn Craparo, MD As it turns out, perimenopausal patients often complain of irritability, loss of sexual desire, difficulty sleeping, hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, depression, “brain fog,” and a host of problems all related to hormonal shifts happening in the years before menopause.
Between long cycles, short cycles, spotting, and heavy bleeding, your cycles during perimenopause may be generally irregular. They may not settle into any discernible pattern, especially as you get closer to menopause. This can be unsettling and frustrating.
Systemic estrogen therapy — which comes in pill, skin patch, spray, gel or cream form — remains the most effective treatment option for relieving perimenopausal and menopausal hot flashes and night sweats.
'During the late stage of perimenopause – which occurs around six months before the onset of menopause – oestrogen levels will drop significantly, often resulting in further hot flushes, sleepless nights, vaginal dryness or painful intercourse which can continue throughout the first few years of the menopause.
Perimenopause can last 10 to 12 years, but the worst symptoms are usually in the five years leading up to menopause. Menopause happens when the ovaries no longer have eggs to expel and so ovulation stops. Because ovulation stops, the production of estrogen and progesterone is greatly decreased.
“We discovered that menopause speeds up cellular aging by an average of 6 percent,” said Horvath, who is also a professor in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. “That doesn't sound like much but it adds up over a woman's lifespan.” Take, for example, a woman who enters early menopause at age 42.
Common physical symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include: hot flushes, when you have sudden feelings of hot or cold in your face, neck and chest which can make you dizzy. difficulty sleeping, which may be a result of night sweats and make you feel tired and irritable during the day.
The perimenopause is when melatonin levels start to naturally reduce, so increasing your intake of magnesium at this time can be particularly beneficial. A diet rich in magnesium is vital for your body to turn digested food and supplements into energy fuel, which is needed to keep you going throughout the day.
Perimenopause is a natural process caused when your ovaries gradually stop working. Ovulation may become erratic and then stop. The menstrual cycle lengthens and flow may become irregular before your final period. Symptoms are caused by the changing levels of hormones in the body.
Is there a perimenopause test? No, there isn't a test to find out if you are in perimenopause. It is very difficult to get an accurate measure of your hormone levels during this phase as your hormones are constantly fluctuating.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
It depends on your situation. Not all women need, want or are candidates for estrogen therapy. Estrogen can reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. If you have a uterus, you'll likely need to take progesterone along with the estrogen.
Nearly all women will experience a change in their body shape during perimenopause and menopause. This is usually due to fluctuations in hormone levels and this is often a good time to reflect on food choices and exercise, with a focus on future health and wellbeing.