PERIMENOPAUSEAND MOOD SWINGS
Dr Steven R. Goldstein, a Perimenopause Specialist NYC treats women suffering from Perimenopause. Women never come in saying that they are suffering from Perimenopause, though they may suspect it having read about it. Perimenopause is unpredictable, and that is the only thing predictable about it. It is highly individualized with great variation from one woman to the next.
Perimenopause is unlike menopause where the symptoms are clearly defined. In Perimenopause the symptoms are more subtle, and they cannot be taken alone. A doctor needs to see a “family of symptoms” following a specific pattern of events in order to make a diagnosis of Perimenopause. Women who are in their late thirties to late forties are the ones affected by Perimenopause, a transitional phase into Menopause.
It’s a very lucky woman who doesn’t know about premenstrual moodiness, because she’s never experienced it. But now it seems to happen at all times
of the month. One of the symptoms is mood swings. Women in their late thirties to late forties will often say “I was feeling fine a minute ago”.
Dr Goldstein, a Perimenopause doctor NYC, emphasizes that women at this stage in their lives do not come into the office saying that they are “cracking up” or “freaking out” or going crazy. They don’t fit old stereotypes about women with raging hormones, incapacitated and on the brink.
It is much more subtle. Women talk about heightened sensitivity. Of being irritable. Or experiencing more than the usual PMS moodiness. Of doing what they’ve always done, but without the same enthusiasm. One patient described it as being like having a virus that concerned her only because it didn’t go away in a few days.
Are you suddenly quick to anger? You’re not alone. It’s theorized that estrogen affect neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which help regulate emotions. In any case, being quick to anger is a symptom many of Dr Goldstein’s patients report, along with a changing menstrual cycle.
Clinical depression and anxiety need to be ruled out. But realize you can have depression and anxiety secondary to a changing hormonal balance. Certain drugs for allergies and some of the over the counter cold medicines have been known to cause anxiety as well. Fad diet pills are largely caffeine. They can make you irritable one moment and listless the next.
So, is it Perimenopause? Progesterone is usually the culprit when women complain of moodiness. It tends to bring on negative moods. Estrogen has a tranquilizing effect. When your estrogen levels are ebbing, moodiness can result.
All of this requires a detailed examination not just of the hormone levels, but of the uterus and uterine lining which can tell of hormonal function.
Dr Steven R. Goldstein is a past president of the International Menopause Society, a Certified Menopause Practitioner and coauthor of the book “Could it be….Perimenopause?”. If you suspect you have Perimenopause,
Dr Goldstein, a Perimenopause Specialist NYC is available for consultation at his office in Manhattan and a detailed examination.