Perimenopause is the transition to menopause, with symptoms including hot flashes, menstrual changes, and insomnia. Nausea is a common but undocumented symptom, possibly due to hormone fluctuations. Diet changes, such as increasing fruits and vegetables and reducing bad fats, may help alleviate nausea. Women with chronic nausea should see a doctor to rule out other causes and explore medication options.
Perimenopause is the transition of a woman’s reproductive life cycle to full menopause or the cessation of menstruation for 12 consecutive months. There is a lot of documented evidence of the symptoms of perimenopause women experience — including hot flashes, longer or shorter menstrual cycles, lighter or heavier menstrual cycles, and insomnia — but little research has been done to document the relationship between perimenopause and nausea. Some theories suggest that nausea during perimenopause is due to a hormone imbalance as the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone fluctuate during perimenopause.
There are three types of menopause: artificial, premature and natural. Artificial menopause is the surgical removal of the reproductive organs and precludes perimenopause. Early menopause includes perimenopause that begins as early as your late 20s or early 30s, culminating in complete menopause in your mid-30s or early 40s. Natural menopause includes perimenopause, which normally begins in the mid-40s to early 50s and can last up to 12-50 years before full menopause is reached.
Despite the lack of scientific evidence for a link between perimenopause and nausea, there is abundant anecdotal evidence pointing to a relationship. Many women going through early or natural perimenopause report feeling nausea similar to the morning sickness one experiences during pregnancy. Regardless of the lack of scientific evidence linking perimenopause and nausea, there have been a growing number of perimenopausal women and alternative and mainstream physicians recommending diet change as a means of symptom control when it comes to perimenopause and nausea.
Fruits and vegetables contain phytoestrogens similar to the hormone estrogen. Some believe that the phytoestrogens in fruits and vegetables can trick the body into thinking it has more estrogen than it does, which could ease nausea that could be caused by fluctuating estrogen levels. Therefore, higher consumption of fruits and vegetables could help reduce nausea in perimenopausal women. The exception to this would be women who are at risk of or have had estrogen-sensitive cancers, because phytoestrogens could increase the risk of cancer occurrence or recurrence in such women.
Reducing or eliminating so-called “bad fats,” such as trans fats or saturated fats, from one’s diet and replacing them with “good fats” such as omega-3 fatty acids has also been suggested as a means of controlling perimenopause-related nausea. Replacing corn and vegetable oils in cooking with olive or canola oil, using butter instead of margarine, and avoiding processed foods are all ways to increase the good fat in your diet. Some women also report that replacing caffeinated beverages with water and unsweetened juices relieves nausea.
Women who experience chronic nausea during perimenopause and are unable to relieve perimenopause symptoms through diet management may wish to see a doctor. You may need a doctor’s visit to rule out other, possibly serious, causes of chronic nausea. A doctor may also be able to recommend an over-the-counter remedy or prescribe medications that will help reduce or eliminate nausea.
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