If you are in your late 30s or 40s, you have found yourself rage-crying to reels, forgetting things at your desk, or drenched in sweat at 3 am, while your partner is sleeping peacefully beside you. People may have told you that you are overreacting. You must have told yourselves that you are going crazy. But, no, you are not ‘losing your mind’. It’s not just stress, and it’s not in your head. Dr Punam Krishan, an NHS GP from Glasgow, shared that this is an issue she encounters ‘every single day’ at her surgery. In a video shared on Instagram, the doctor made an urgent appeal to women in their 30s and 40s experiencing particular symptoms.
You might be perimenopausal
No, you are not crazy. You might be perimenopausal, and chances are, nobody warned you this was coming. “Feel like you’re losing your mind in your 40s? It might not be stress. It might not be burnout. It could be perimenopause — and no, you’re not too young!” Dr Krishan said.The 42-year-old revealed she is currently ‘right at the beginning’ of her own perimenopause journey. She also emphasized that too many women begin this stage of life inadequately informed or supported about what lies ahead. The GP also added that she hears the same complaints every day. “If you are a woman in your late 30s or 40s and you feel like you’re losing your mind, you’re absolutely not. You’re not making it up. You’re not going crazy. It might be that you’re perimenopausal. So let’s talk about it. Because every single day in my clinic, I hear women say this. In fact, today I heard it three times.”
What is perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the transitional stage where you experience symptoms of menopause. This can last several years and can affect physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. You will still have your periods during this phase.“Perimenopause just doesn’t mean it’s hot flushes or missed periods. It can sneak up years before menopause actually begins. And the worst bit is hardly anybody warns you that it’s happening. It just creeps in quietly. And suddenly you’re questioning everything about yourself when really your body is going through a massive internal shakeup,” Dr Krishan explained.Perimenopause may last from several months to multiple years, during which there will be a fluctuation in hormone levels, and the ovaries gradually produce fewer eggs while menstruation continues.
Symptoms of perimenopause
According to the NHS, the common symptoms include:
- Changes to your period: (irregularity)
- Changes in mood
- Anxiety, mood swings, and low self-esteem
- Brain fog
- Hot flushes
- Difficulty sleeping
- Night sweats
- Palpitations
- Headache
- Migranes
- Muscle aches and joint pains
- Skin changes (dry and itchy skin)
- Reduced sex drive
- Vaginal dryness
- Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Sensitive teeth, painful gums, or other mouth problems
You are not losing your mind
Dr Krishan emphasized the importance of being aware of these symptoms, and how perimenopause can start as early as your late 30s. “Perimenopause can start in your late 30s or early 40s. You might still have regular periods. It can feel like anxiety, low mood, or even pure rage, totally out of the blue. Sleep might fall apart. You’re wide awake at 3 am. Your brain’s all foggy. You’re wired but exhausted. Your joints are achy. Your fatigue feels deep boned. And the sad thing is that it often gets dismissed as stress, burnout, or even depression. So many women get disregarded, and that makes me both sad and just really mad because I know it doesn’t have to be this way. Your body isn’t broken, your hormones are shifting, and that affects everything: your energy, your memory, your relationships, your confidence,” she said.She added, “So if this sounds like you, you’re not going crazy, you’re not failing, you’re not just tired and stressed. Perimenopause is real, it’s powerful, it’s a transition into a new phase, it’s a whole new sense of identity and yes, it takes time to figure out, but that’s okay. Because the most important thing is, there is help and support, whether that is lifestyle support, HRT, or just finally being heard.”“Please don’t suffer in silence, ’cause you deserve to feel like yourself again. And if it helps at all, I am right at the beginning of my perimenopause journey too, so I totally get it – not just as a doctor, but as a woman who’s feeling all the wobbles too. We’re in this together, and if you are struggling, please make an appointment with your GP and get the support and help that you deserve.”The NHS also advises women who suspect they are experiencing perimenopause or menopause symptoms to consult a nurse or GP.