17/12/2025
Perimenopause is not just โthe time before menopause.โ
Itโs a major rewiring of your entire hormonal symphony โ and yet most women are never taught whatโs really happening in their body, mind, or terrain.
Instead, theyโre told:
โItโs just stress.โ
โItโs part of getting older.โ
โTake the pill.โ
โTry an antidepressant.โ
โHereโs some HRT.โ
But perimenopause is not a malfunction.
Itโs a biological metamorphosis โ a bridge between two powerful phases of womanhood. And when you understand whatโs really happening beneath the surface, you can move through it with more clarity, strength, and even grace.
Letโs break it down fully โ from the root causes to the ripple effects, to how to support your body naturally and wisely.
๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐?
Perimenopause means โaround menopause.โ Itโs the 10โ15 year phase leading up to the end of menstruation โ most often starting in your mid to late 30s or early 40s (yes, that early!).
Itโs marked by fluctuating hormone levels, but itโs much deeper than that.
Itโs the time when your ovarian hormone production begins to shift โ especially progesterone, which is the first to decline.
๐ก You are not in menopause just because youโre 50.
True menopause = 12 consecutive months without a period.
Perimenopause is everything that happens before that โ often the most turbulent years.
Itโs not linear. Some months your hormones surge, other months they crash. You can feel on top of the world one day and like you're unraveling the next. The unpredictability is not your fault โ it's the hallmark of this transition.
๐งฌ ๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?
Perimenopause isnโt just about one hormone going up or down.
Itโs about a cascade of interrelated changes:
๐. ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐
๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ
Ovulation becomes less frequent or weaker โ less progesterone is produced.
This leads to estrogen dominance โ not because estrogen is high, but because itโs unopposed by enough progesterone.
Result: mood swings, anxiety, insomnia, heavy periods, breast tenderness, irritability, crying spells.
๐ฌ Progesterone also supports GABA, a calming neurotransmitter. Without it, your nervous system becomes more reactive. You may feel more sensitive to lights, noise, criticism, or even textures and smells.
๐. ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง ๐
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ
Estrogen doesnโt decline gently โ it spikes and crashes, sometimes higher than ever before.
These surges can trigger migraines, breast pain, and intense emotions.
Sudden crashes can bring on hot flashes, night sweats, and weepiness.
๐ High estrogen can also stimulate mast cells, triggering histamine release โ which is why many women develop sudden food sensitivities, skin reactions, or histamine overload in their 40s.
๐. ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ฎ๐ฉ
Your adrenal glands are asked to โpick up the slackโ as the ovaries slow down.
If youโre burned out, depleted, or running on stress hormones โ this magnifies symptoms dramatically.
๐งช This is why perimenopause often feels worse in women with trauma, chronic stress, overwork, or unresolved nervous system dysregulation.
๐. ๐๐ก๐ฒ๐ซ๐จ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐
Progesterone supports thyroid function. As it drops, many women experience subclinical hypothyroidism โ even with โnormalโ labs.
Hair thinning, fatigue, cold intolerance, and weight gain become more noticeable.
โ ๏ธ Most doctors donโt test reverse T3, T3, or thyroid antibodies โ meaning many women are misdiagnosed or ignored during this phase.
๐. ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฌ
Progesterone is calming (like natural Va**um). As it declines, GABA, serotonin, and dopamine signaling shifts.
You may feel more anxious, restless, emotional, or even experience panic attacks and rage.
๐ง This is not a mental health crisis. Itโs a chemical shift in the brainโs terrain that needs nourishment, not numbing.
๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Hereโs what women often report โ and sadly, what theyโre often dismissed for:
โข Fatigue or burnout, even with sleep
โข Insomnia or racing thoughts at night
โข PMS intensifying or changing
โข Irregular, heavier, or painful periods
โข Brain fog or forgetfulness (โwhere are my keys?โ)
โข Mood swings, rage, anxiety, or sadness
โข Breast tenderness, bloating, or water retention
โข New or worsening histamine sensitivity
โข Libido changes or vaginal dryness
โข Hair loss or texture changes
โข Weight redistribution (especially belly fat)
โ ๏ธ These symptoms are not random.
They are the bodyโs way of adapting to hormonal terrain changes โ often in the context of long-standing stress, inflammation, nutrient loss, gut imbalance, and trauma.
Theyโre warning signs โ and invitations to rebuild.
๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐
๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?
Many women suffer unnecessarily because of whatโs happening underneath:
โ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ + ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ
Decades of overwork, emotional labor, caretaking, and internalizing pressure to โdo it allโ leads to adrenal exhaustion.
Your adrenals are the backup system for hormone production once the ovaries begin to slow down โ but if theyโre burned out, that backup is compromised.
๐งฌ The stress response demands cortisol, which steals the precursors (like pregnenolone) needed for progesterone and other s*x hormones.
This creates the โprogesterone drop + cortisol spikeโ pattern that fuels:
โข Anxiety, insomnia, weight gain, rage
โข Blood sugar swings and estrogen dominance
โข Loss of resilience to lifeโs stressors
This isn't a psychological weakness โ it's a physiological trade-off.
โ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Your liver is responsible for conjugating and clearing estrogen, but it also filters every toxin, medication, pesticide, alcohol molecule, and synthetic hormone that enters your system.
During perimenopause, when estrogen spikes unpredictably, the liver is under increased pressure to break down not only your bodyโs own estrogen but also xenoestrogens โ the fake estrogen-like compounds from plastics (BPA), fragrances, tap water, cosmetics, receipts, and more.
If the liver is overburdened, sluggish, or lacking key nutrients (like B6, glycine, choline, sulfur, and magnesium), it canโt keep up.
โก๏ธ This leads to estrogen buildup, poor bile flow, and toxic recirculation through the gut โ worsening symptoms like:
โข Breast tenderness
โข Bloating and water retention
โข Mood instability and migraines
โข Heavy or clotty periods
High estrogen surges often amplify histamine release (mast cell stimulation), leading to sudden allergic reactions, rashes, or inflammation, which the liver is too burdened to clear.
๐ก Supporting liver drainage, bile flow, and phase 1 + 2 detox is essential to smooth the ride through perimenopause.
โ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ
Zinc, magnesium, copper, boron, and sodium shifts affect the entire endocrine system.
Stress depletes minerals fast โ and women in perimenopause are often running on empty after years of output, dieting, medications, and low-mineral water.
These minerals regulate:
โข Estrogen receptor sensitivity
โข Progesterone synthesis
โข Thyroid conversion (like T4 to T3)
โข Adrenal resilience
โข Neurotransmitter balance (serotonin, dopamine, GABA)
๐ When minerals are off, hormone therapy alone doesnโt work โ because the hormone "locks" have no keys.
Minerals are the keys. Theyโre the spark plugs of hormonal balance.
โ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ
Your gut is more than digestion โ itโs a hormone-modulating ecosystem.
Thereโs a group of bacteria called the estrobolome that helps metabolize estrogen. If the gut is imbalanced โ due to antibiotics, processed food, stress, or infections โ this delicate system falters.
๐ Estrogens that should be excreted through stool get reabsorbed via the gut wall, leading to estrogen dominance and systemic inflammation.
Gut permeability (leaky gut) also triggers immune overactivation, which fuels:
โข Autoimmunity (especially thyroid-related)
โข Mood instability
โข Food sensitivities
โข Joint pain and skin issues
๐ฑ A healthy microbiome = a smoother hormonal transition.
โ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ, ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Melatonin isnโt just a sleep hormone โ itโs a powerful antioxidant and hormone modulator.
Modern light exposure โ especially blue light from phones, TVs, and LEDs โ tricks your brain into thinking itโs daytime, suppressing melatonin and delaying deep sleep.
And when you donโt sleep, your hormone system doesnโt reset.
Cortisol stays high. Estrogen surges. Progesterone drops. Thyroid tanks.
Over time, this leads to:
โข Night sweats and insomnia
โข Fatigue and anxiety
โข Poor blood sugar control
โข Brain fog and irritability
๐ The bodyโs light-dark cycle governs every hormone, and perimenopause makes this even more fragile.
Resetting circadian rhythm can be one of the most powerful tools for hormone regulation โ and itโs free.
โ ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ + ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐
Perimenopause is often the time when buried emotional layers resurface. Itโs not just a chemical reaction โ itโs a soul checkpoint.
Many women begin experiencing:
โข Flashbacks of old trauma
โข Deep sadness with no clear reason
โข Anger they were never allowed to express
โข Grief over their identity, body changes, or aging parents
This isnโt weakness. Itโs biological invitation to complete old cycles and reclaim energy.
The limbic system (your emotional brain) is tightly wired to your hormone system โ and when estrogen shifts, emotional memories reawaken.
๐ True healing in this phase requires not just hormone support, but emotional witnessing, nervous system regulation, and often a return to your inner truth.
โจ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐
Perimenopause is not just a hormonal shift โ itโs a spiritual and biological rite of passage.
In ancient cultures, this time was honored โ not pathologized.
It was seen as a crossing into wisdom, intuition, and embodied power.
But for modern women in a world that punishes rest and glorifies productivity, this transition can feel jarring โ because it demands slowness, truth, and self-prioritization.
๐ก Perimenopause can become a powerful time of:
โข Reclaiming your voice
โข Redefining your worth outside of roles
โข Honoring your needs and nervous system
โข Letting go of external validation
โข Becoming the wise woman, not the "broken one"
๐ง ๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐
This transition doesnโt need to be chaotic or medicated into silence. When we honor the bodyโs innate intelligence and nourish the systems that support hormone balance, we empower a smoother, wiser, and more resilient transformation.
Hereโs how to gently support perimenopause from the ground up โ through terrain-based, functional, and ancestral strategies:
โ
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ
Minerals are the spark plugs of your endocrine system. Without them, your hormonal symphony loses rhythm and power.
โข Magnesium calms the nervous system, supports progesterone synthesis, and helps regulate cortisol.
โข Potassium balances sodium, supports adrenal resilience, and fuels cellular hydration.
โข Boron improves estrogen metabolism, bone density, and magnesium retention.
โข Zinc is vital for progesterone and testosterone production, and helps buffer copper overload.
โข Selenium supports thyroid hormone conversion (T4 to T3) and protects the ovaries from oxidative stress.
โข Sodium (real salt, not refined table salt) helps support adrenal function and fluid balance.
๐งฒ Support Tools:
โข Add trace mineral drops to water or tea daily.
โข Use an HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) test to assess your current mineral ratios.
โข Eat mineral-rich ancestral foods like seaweed, beet greens, bone broth, liver, raw honey, root vegetables, Celtic salt, and unprocessed dairy.
โข Replenish daily, especially during times of stress, high sweating, or detox support.
โ
๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ
The liver is your main hormone filter โ it breaks down estrogen, stress hormones, toxins, and more. If itโs congested or overburdened, your hormonal balance will suffer.
๐งฌ Why it matters:
โข Estrogen is detoxified in the liver through methylation, sulfation, and glucuronidation.
โข If the liver is sluggish (from toxins, alcohol, meds, poor bile flow), estrogen can recirculate โ leading to estrogen dominance, mood swings, heavy bleeding, and fibroids.
โข Liver function also affects thyroid hormone conversion and bile flow โ both essential during perimenopause.
๐ฟ Support Tools:
โข Bitter herbs: dandelion root, burdock, gentian, artichoke leaf (stimulate bile flow and liver detox)
โข Castor oil packs over the liver โ reduce inflammation, improve lymph flow, support bile movement
โข Protein (especially from clean animal sources) provides amino acids for detox pathways
โข Beets, lemon water, turmeric, ginger, milk thistle, and schisandra can all gently support liver health
โข Avoid alcohol and seed oils โ they congest the liver and disrupt hormone detox
โ
๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ
Perimenopause is a time of deep recalibration โ but if youโre stuck in fight-or-flight, your body interprets that as โunsafe to change.โ
Stress robs your body of the raw materials needed to make hormones. It pushes your adrenals into overdrive, depletes progesterone, and increases cortisol and blood sugar imbalance.
๐งโโ๏ธ Healing happens in the parasympathetic state โ the โrest, digest, and repairโ mode.
Thatโs where hormones are rebuilt, ovulation becomes possible, and deep emotional processing can occur.
๐ Support Tools:
โข Breathwork and slow exhales (stimulate the vagus nerve and lower cortisol)
โข Fascia release and myofascial unwinding โ tension in the tissues stores trauma and restricts lymph/hormone flow
โข Epsom salt baths (magnesium + warmth = relaxation + mineral restoration)
โข Nervine herbs (like lemon balm, passionflower, skullcap, blue vervain) to ease racing thoughts
โข Time in nature, grounding barefoot, forest walks โ recalibrate circadian and emotional rhythms
โข Somatic trauma work, EMDR, or inner child healing for unprocessed grief from earlier life stages
โ
๐
๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐๐ก๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ข๐
Your mitochondria arenโt just making energy โ theyโre deeply involved in steroid hormone synthesis, especially estrogen and progesterone.
๐งฌ When mitochondria are inflamed, starved of nutrients, or blocked by oxidative stress, hormone production crashes.
๐ฅ Support Tools:
โข Nutrient-dense food: pasture-raised liver, eggs, collagen, leafy greens, sardines, oysters, and root vegetables
โข Redox balance: glutathione, vitamin C, melatonin, selenium, and NAC help recycle antioxidants and repair mitochondrial DNA
โข Sunlight in the morning (triggers mitochondrial biogenesis)
โข Red light therapy or infrared sauna โ fuel ATP production, lower inflammation
โข CoQ10, PQQ, and alpha-lipoic acid may help in severe fatigue cases (optional)
โ
๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ
Your gut microbiome doesnโt just digest food โ it also helps regulate estrogen, synthesize vitamins, and balance inflammation. During perimenopause, gut permeability (leaky gut), dysbiosis, and slow motility are very common.
๐ The estrobolome โ a subset of gut bacteria โ plays a direct role in detoxifying estrogen. If itโs imbalanced, estrogen can recirculate, fueling symptoms like bloating, mood swings, fibroids, and breast tenderness.
๐ฟ Support Tools:
โข Remove inflammatory foods (gluten, industrial seed oils, excess sugar, artificial sweeteners, glyphosate-exposed foods)
โข Rebuild gut lining with L-glutamine, collagen, marshmallow root, slippery elm, and zinc carnosine
โข Support stomach acid with bitters, lemon water, or betaine HCl
โข Use broad-spectrum spore probiotics or soil-based organisms only if tolerated
โข Address stealth infections if needed (candida, SIBO, parasites)
โ
๐๐ฒ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฅ๐ (๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ )
Even if cycles become irregular, the body still craves rhythm and predictability. Re-aligning with natureโs cycles (lunar, seasonal, energetic) helps restore hormonal feedback loops.
๐ Tracking your emotional, physical, and energetic patterns โ not just the bleed days โ helps you make empowered decisions and soften the edges of transition.
๐ป Support Tools:
โข Seed cycling โ rotate flax/pumpkin (follicular phase) and sesame/sunflower (luteal phase) to gently support estrogen/progesterone
โข Herbal allies: vitex (chaste tree), black cohosh, red clover, d**g quai โ used wisely and cycled
โข Align with the moon: full moon = ovulation energy, new moon = bleed energy
โข Journal your energy, mood, libido, hunger, sleep, dreams, and intuition โ they often shift before your physical cycle does
๐ฌ ๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐
If youโre crying for no reason, if you feel like your body has betrayed you, if youโre exhausted and no one is listening โ itโs not all in your head. Itโs in your biology, your hormones, and your unseen load
This is a powerful transformation, not a disease.
You donโt need to silence the signals.
You need to listen, nourish, and honor them.
๐บ Perimenopause is not the beginning of the end.
Itโs the beginning of becoming who you really are.
A good read by Pete wurst
