Brain fog and mood swings? Perimenopause starts earlier than many women realise
Perimenopause starts in a woman's thirties and brings brain fog and mood swings; combined medicines help manage it.
Many women get sleep problems, weight gain, heart palpitations, and mood swings without knowing these are perimenopause signs. Melanie Leef figured out her own symptoms, brain fog, sleep loss, and frustration, at age 46, when a friend told her about a podcast on the topic.
Leef found relief by mixing Western medicine like hormone therapy with Chinese medicine like acupuncture and herbs. Dr Rose Holloway, a Chinese medicine doctor, says perimenopause can start around age 35 in some women and may last two decades.
When women understand what's happening, they know they're not "losing their minds" but going through normal hormonal shifts. Both Eastern and Western approaches together can ease symptoms like insomnia.
- 46 years old
- Age when Leef realised
- Around age 35
- Perimenopause can start
- Up to 20 years
- Duration
- Dr Rose Holloway, Chinese medicine
- Practitioner
Why it mattersWomen who know perimenopause symptoms can get help earlier and manage their mood and energy better. This lets them stay active in work and life instead of suffering alone.
AustraliaAustralian women often miss or dismiss these symptoms as stress or ageing; better awareness helps more women access treatment options available through GPs, supplements, and complementary medicine practitioners.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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