It's Not Just the Hot Flash: Leh We Talk About the Rest
Leh we talk about everything that is NOT a hot flash.
Hot flashes get all the attention. They're the star of every menopause joke it seems. Like- why is this funny that we constantly feel like we about to self combust?? But, there is so much more to this menopause transition- so leh we really talk bout the rest.
Sleep. Trouble sleeping is one of the most common symptoms of this transition. It affects about 5 out of every 10 women in perimenopause and after menopause. The most common complaint isn't falling asleep- although we know that is difficult already- the heat, the mosquito dem, the snoring husband or partner, and just about anything else keeps us up. Staying asleep is the bigger problem. Night sweats can wake you up, but also the trips to the bathroom, the heat, the stress, etc.
Here's some research that may not surprise you- in a large U.S. study, Black women were less likely than white women to say they had trouble sleeping. But when researchers actually measured their sleep, Black women were sleeping about half an hour less each night. And 40% of them were getting less than six hours, compared to 19% of white women. We are so used to running on empty that we don't even call it a problem anymore…we just live with it. Now, I know this was a US based study, but until we get better data from the Caribbean, this is what we have.
Aches and pains. Stiff joints. Sore shoulders. Hurting when you get out of bed in the morning. Over 70% of women have these kinds of muscle and joint symptoms during the menopause journey, and about 25% of them have them bad enough to get in the way of daily life. We have a name for it: the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. We know what that feels like- and we say, “Yea, I just getting old”.
Brain fog. You walk into a room and forget why. The word you want is right on the tip of your tongue. You read the same email three times. You see your co-worker, and can’t remember her name, so you play it off. That's brain fog. A large U.S. study tested women's memory and thinking over several years. During perimenopause, women didn't learn as well as they had before. But the good news is- after menopause, their scores bounced back. So for most women, menopause brain fog is temporary. One caution: if your memory is getting steadily worse, or it scares you, don't just blame menopause. Get it checked.
Mood. Irritable. Weepy. Anxious for no reason. Snapping at people you love- and if dem children make any more noise….. If you had mood changes with your periods or after having a baby, you may be more likely to have them now too. But even women who never had those problems can get them. If your mood swings feel more like a low feeling won't lift, talk to your doctor or someone you trust. Don't carry that alone.
Tired all the time. Fatigue is very common during the menopause transition, but it often gets overlooked. We seem to think it’s some badge of honor to tell people how tired we are. But that fatigue catches up with you, and it compounds until your body says- “That’s it- we done!”
Down there. Pain during sex and bladder problems, including leaking urine, can show up during this time too. Hear this clearly: leaking urine is not a normal part of getting older, and there is help for it. This topic deserves its own full conversation, more on that soon.
So why does all of this matter?
Because if you don't know these symptoms are connected to the menopause transition you may never bring them up. And even when you do, they can get missed. In an online survey of Black women, mostly in the UK and many of Caribbean descent, some women said their menopause symptoms were mistaken for depression and they were given antidepressants. A few said their doctors wouldn't consider menopause because of their age.
Here's your homework. For the next two weeks, write down how you feel every day. Not just hot flashes: sleep, aches, mood, memory, energy, bladder, all of it. Rate each one from 1 to 5. Bring that list to your next doctor's visit. It's a lot harder to brush off a woman who shows up with two weeks of notes.
If you’re ready to learn more about the menopause transition, and get a plan together, My Guided Menopause Journal is perfect for that.
See you next week. While you're waiting, check out
Be Good.
I Gone,
LaVaughn (hello@cheekygeekymenopause.com)
