Perimenopause really took me by surprise. Physically, emotionally, biologically I really didn’t see it coming. And I think this is the same for a lot of women, largely because there’s so little information out there - and also because we are taught to fear it. A lot of the mishandling of perimenopause is due to the internalised misogyny of a society historically uninterested in women’s health (except for sex and pregnancy). I can now confirm that, yes, we change during perimenopause. But what if it isn’t for the worse?

I’m a resilience coach and so I firmly believe that mindset plays a big role in how you experience something like perimenopause. If you’re dreading it, full of fear and anxiety (which a lot of people are for the reasons just mentioned) then you’re going to make your experience harder and you’re likely to be less proactive about helping yourself. Perimenopause can start as early as 35 and it’s just the beginning of the journey to menopause - which can take 10+ years. In simple terms, it’s when hormone levels start to fluctuate and, eventually estrogen and progesterone, exit the building. It’s something women have been doing since…well forever. So, it’s actually not something to fear. There’s just an unnerving knowledge gap.

I am a perimenopausal woman in her 40s

I have regular periods and none of the menopausal symptoms we are all taught to look out for - no night sweats or hot flushes. No loss of libido or hair. I’m the fittest and healthiest I’ve ever been. And yet… About a year ago I felt something just wasn’t right. Prior to this we had the pandemic and my gift from that was getting covid five times in three years and one long covid, all of which threw my understanding of my body into disarray. But even after that lifted, I still felt something was different. 

I was exhausted. All the time. For no reason. Working out felt twice as hard. Winter hit me like a bus in terms of joint aches and pains. I had apathy for the first time in my life - I’m an overachiever, I don’t do apathy. I’ve been depressed and this is not that. The level of rage I was experiencing was almost uncontrollable on some days. Plus, strange physical symptoms I thought were my fault somehow (as women will often do), from vertigo, itchy skin, insomnia to (more recently) random and inexplicable weight gain around my waist for months at a time that made my body feel like someone else’s. 

I went to the doctor and was offered a progesterone coil and estrogen - and/or antidepressants. I knew I wasn’t depressed and my periods were completely regular, which indicated to me I already had enough of those hormones. I did do a private blood test that showed a lack of testosterone but the first GP I spoke to said that testosterone would only be available to me on the NHS if I decided I wanted a sex change. She kind of laughed at me for asking for it - implying it was a hormone only men need (it’s not) - which was enraging and not helpful. Clearly, until I fully hit menopause, the NHS wasn’t equipped to help me at all.

And that left me… completely lost. And still exhausted, apathetic, in pain and feeling disconnected from the things I loved like weight training, adventure, socialising, creativity. That was a really horrible experience that I know many other women have had. It was at this point that I discovered adaptogens.

Adaptogens and hormone health

Adaptogens are herbs and mushrooms that help the body adapt to stress. That might be physical stress, environmental, emotional or biological. They are all about restoring balance and, to me, that made a lot of sense because that was what I really felt physically in my late 30s/early 40s - off kilter, unbalanced and out of alignment. My approach was to have an adaptogens experiment and see if they could help with my biggest challenges: energy, anxiety, and clarity. Here’s how I got on.

I tried Reishi and Cordyceps for energy and recovery

I wonder whether the perimenopause energy drain is simply because the body is literally converting into something different and that’s why we feel so damn tired all the time. No one asks a caterpillar to keep showing up to work every day when it’s becoming a butterfly, right? But this is the thing about all things perimenopause related - there is no straight answer. You need to experiment and see what works. 

So, I started with something that was really upsetting me - the fact that I was struggling to find the energy for weight training, a recently discovered love of mine. My sessions felt hard and my recovery rates were low, which meant I was just dragging myself from one session to the next, no joy, no satisfaction, no progress. So I tried reishi and cordyceps via The Herbtender's Perform & Recover supplement for 6 weeks and this worked. 

Result: A huge improvement in my body’s ability to recover - I felt this and I also saw it via an increase in my Whoop recovery stats, which went from 30-40% recovered to 85%+. Plus, (more importantly to me), my enthusiasm came back and I started to enjoy training again.

I tried Lion’s Mane for clarity 

‘Brain fog’ is a symptom often allocated to perimenopause. I regularly forget what I am doing now, why I’ve walked into a room, etc. Cognitive changes in perimenopause happen because estrogen and progesterone regulate brain function. But also because of the overwhelm that can be the result of how life feels when you’re going through this. Lion’s Mane is ‘the brain mushroom’ and has been found to improve cognitive function, reduce brain fog and is also showing some positive response as a protection for dementia. So, it seemed like a good option to try The Herbtender's Focus & Clarity supplements, which also have the antioxidant Holy Basil and Gotu Kola, a nootropic that improves cognitive function. 

Result: I definitely felt much less foggy taking these supplements - they delivered a calm kind of energy that I found perfect for focusing on work, reducing procrastination and being more productive - and so I would recommend trying them. 

The nervous system and brain fog

It’s worth noting here that anxiety can also be responsible for brain fog. Anxiety means the nervous system is in fight/flight/freeze and when you’re in that activated state you simply can’t think clearly. You actually biologically can’t because your body - having received the ‘danger’ signal - has gone into survival mode and drawn all of your resources away from parts of the brain you need for rational thought and getting perspective on situations. Instead, your body’s resources are pushed towards your muscles, etc., so that you can fight or run. Nervous system work, processing the impact of your past and redirecting habitual anxiety responses can all be useful to do alongside trying adaptogens. It can help you spend more time out of overwhelm and feel more emotionally in control. This is work I do with clients as a resilience coach and it’s been invaluable in understanding, and supporting, my own anxiety challenges.

I started taking Ashwagandha for anxiety

Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder than men. Perimenopause doesn’t help because, when estrogen levels start to drop, cortisol rises. Cortisol is one of the body’s main stress hormones, so it’s inextricably linked to anxiety and mood. It’s also a big factor in sleep-wake patterns, how we eat, experience physical activity, and basically how we adapt to challenges in life. Plus, it can be responsible for weight gain around the face and stomach, adult acne and a drop in muscle strength (lightbulb for my symptoms!). I looked extensively at Ashwagandha because it has a lot to offer and has been the subject of clinical research. In one study, otherwise healthy stressed adults who took Ashwagandha daily had significantly lower cortisol levels after just 56 days. So, I decided this was definitely a good option and tried The Herbtender's Calm & Collected supplement.

Result: Within the hour I could feel a physical tension release happening - it was quite powerful, which surprised me. I started taking the supplements in the evening when I wanted to switch off and ease into relax mode. Initially I had a headache every time I took them so I halved the dose to one and the headache went. I am now trying Calm & Collected in the longer term to see how they impact my cortisol type symptoms (alongside Vitamin D with K2 supplements). I’m happy to report that the spare tyre is already dissolving! Calm & Collected also contains Lion’s Mane, so I am tracking for improvements in brain fog too.

I’m just not prepared to accept that there isn’t a better way to do this

I refuse to believe this transition has to be the big festival of suffering and misery that it’s been made out to be just because medicine hasn’t ‘solved’ the menopause problem yet. It’s such a privilege to age and, regardless of the fact that the world isn’t designed to accommodate women going through this, I think we can have an influence on how we experience it. 

• Take back your mindset. Swap a negative, fearful, shame-filled, self-doubting mindset for one that is proactive, self-compassionate, flexible and authentic (how I define a resilient mindset as a resilience coach and what I help my clients to develop).
• Look beyond your GP. Adaptogens are a great way to fill the gaps where the GP might have nothing to offer. And there are also so many other things to try that are increasingly proving effective. You could also look at cold water dips, anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric and ginger for joint pain and supplements like magnesium and Vitamin D (with K2) to counter inflammation, bloating and sleep issues.
• Try resistance training to build strength, generate testosterone, build stronger bones, improve heart health. It’s never too late to start getting stronger - and reminding yourself what TF you’re capable of.
• Understand your nervous system. Because this has a huge influence on your daily experience, whether you’re aware of it or not. When you have the tools to move flexibly through nervous system states (e.g. calm or panic) you will feel more in control. This is incredibly simple and something I do with clients as a resilience coach.
• Be more self-compassionate. Yes, it’s nice to be kind to ourselves but self-compassion is also just the best way to get the most out of your human experience. It reduces anxiety and overwhelm, facilitates problem solving, enables us to learn from mistakes and means we don’t get stuck in negativity (being hard on yourself will do the opposite). All the things we need more of when life is challenging.
• Track your cycle/mood/thoughts/behaviours. This is about gathering data on yourself so you can see patterns, make connections and solve problems yourself. We are 100% more likely to feel empowered to change (my stat) when we know how we function and why.

There is a huge knowledge gap about perimenopause - and menopause - but there are also lots of things you can try that are highly effective, that don’t cost the earth or have mad side effects. We are not powerless, no matter how overwhelming and unsupported perimenopause and menopause might currently feel. We can intentionally make choices that change our experience. So, what do you need to do to make this time of life feel more like a leap to growth and freedom than the end of the line?

References:

• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Ashwagandha-HealthProfessional/ - Ashwagandha study. 
• A September 2023 review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Functional Foods found that healthy, stressed adults who took ashwagandha daily had significantly lower cortisol levels after 56 or 60 days of treatment compared to a placebo.
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20834180/ - Lion's Mane