Q. My pms has become severed in the last year. I am 42 years old now and
believe I'm entering perimenopause. The last three months my periods have
been irregular, so now I don't know when my symptoms are pms or not. Can we have extended pms symptoms when we are irregular? Also, dizziness has increased tenfold for me, to the point where I can't function, and fullness and ringing in my ears and sometimes headaches. I am not taking aspirin or ibuprofen. I had a bout of all of this a week ago, then felt
better a few days and now it's back. I am currently at 32 days in what
used to be a 21 day cycle. Does this make sense?
A. Welcome to perimenopause! Many women begin to experience the symptoms of perimenopause (the period when hormones begin to fluctuate before actual menopause begins) in their late thirties. More typically, symptoms of perimenopause begin after the age of 40. Lasting anywhere from one year to ten years or more, it marks the beginning of the time when your hormone production begins to fall or become unpredictable—and a worsening of PMS symptoms. They last longer, too.
What's Happening in Your Body?
Technically, perimenopause means you are beginning to ovulate irregularly, leading to a slowing down of your body's natural production of two essential hormones: estrogen and progesterone. You start to have cycles where no egg is released, called anovulatory cycles. As a result, there is not progesterone to smooth out the estrogen, and you are in an estrogen-dominant state. This can lead to early or late periods, water retention which can show up as some of the symptoms you’re having- dizziness, ringing in your ears, and headaches. Of course, you ought to see your doctor to rule out any more serious cause, but this is the likeliest. The solution? Follow the usual PMS regimen as described on this site including the PMS Balance. [more information]
