PMS during menopause is technically impossible, but symptoms can continue during perimenopause. Hormonal changes can increase PMS symptoms, and irregular periods can make symptoms worse. Treatments include hormone therapy, natural hormone creams, therapy for depression, and a healthy lifestyle.
Technically, it’s not possible to have PMS during menopause because true menopause means that your periods have stopped and haven’t occurred for a year. Many people define this life change more loosely and include the period of time before menstruation ends, although this may also be called perimenopause. When menstruation is still present, albeit irregularly, PMS is certainly possible, and even some of the symptoms of true menopause are similar to PMS.
When people refer to PMS during menopause, but they mean perimenopause, it’s safe to expect PMS symptoms to continue before each period. Some women notice a decrease in these symptoms, as hormones go lower and lower, but others don’t notice much change. If anything, symptoms such as moodiness and flashes of anger or crying may increase. This isn’t completely due to the menstrual cycle, but could also be due to the impending menopause, which has depression as a potential symptom. It’s worth noting that moodiness may not be strictly associated with one period but could occur at other times during the month.
The degree to which you regularly experience other PMS symptoms during menopause or perimenopause may depend on how often these symptoms have occurred earlier in life. Women who have always had significant PMS are likely to continue to experience it. Sometimes changes in hormones at this point make women more likely to have PMS than they used to. They may notice more swelling of the breasts and stomach, additional cramping, increased headaches, and other symptoms. Some women have fewer symptoms.
One comment women often make about PMS during menopause, or just before, is that increased irregularity of periods sometimes leads to more PMS symptoms, particularly if there are long gaps between periods. Others suggest that short cycles, common to some women, are just as challenging because they can mean having PMS more often. After menopause or around the time menstruation is about to stop, some women may comment that they feel like they have PMS all the time and experience more mood swings on top of all the menopause symptoms like hot flashes , headaches, poor sleep , difficulty losing weight and others. Some women also note that during the few years leading up to menopause, menopause symptoms seem to occur more during menstruation.
There are some suggested treatments for PMS and menopause symptoms. These include regulating hormones with birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. This solution is not particularly favored given the high risk of cancer. Naturopaths are strong advocates of using natural hormone creams, but it’s unclear whether these are particularly effective. Other ideas include therapy for depression issues, choosing a healthy diet and exercise, increasing your calcium intake during this transitional period.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
