3 other strange symptoms of perimenopause and menopause explained

Strange symptoms you may experience during perimenopause and menopause

Here are 3 more strange symptoms I have been asked about recently:

1. Jaw pain

This is quite a common one, believe it or not. It can be caused by a lot of different things. Firstly, we know that falling oestrogen levels can affect the mobility of the joints, and that happens anywhere. It can be your fingers, hips, shoulders, neck, and even the jaw. So, it can be caused just simply by changing hormone levels.

It could also be due to a lot of dental work. If you're sitting in the dentist's chair for long periods of time with your mouth stretched to the maximum, that can impact on the joints, sometimes putting extra strain on them, and then you end up with a bit of inflammation going on.

It can also be due to posture. As you go through menopause, your skeletal structure can change due to age, and due to things like osteoporosis, which can cause your posture to change. If you're doing a lot of work at a desk all the time, then you get a lot of pressure on the neck, and that can also lead to pressure on the upper neck and the jaw.

In this situation try and figure out what the cause is. Has the jaw pain started since you've been to the dentist? Has the jaw pain started since maybe you're doing extra work, you're working from home, or you've become more sedentary, you're doing less exercise? So, try and figure out what may be the root cause, and then it's much easier to fix.

Generally, for joint inflammation, you can try the herb Devil's Claw. You can also take a fish oil supplement, which can be really helpful. Even just something as simple as doing a very gentle massage around the joint area may be helpful.

The other thing is if it starts to get really uncomfortable, then you could look at maybe seeking the advice of a craniosacral practitioner. They focus on the neck, and the jaw, and the head, and they may be able to do some kind of gentle manipulation just to ease things a little bit for you.

2. Period pain and other period symptoms but no period

This can happen during perimenopause, especially if you're getting to the point where maybe you're getting a period and missing a month, and then getting a period, missing two months, and so on. And it's also really common once your period stops for good, especially in your first year. So, all that's happening here is that even if there isn't a period, you're still getting that monthly cycle of hormones. The hormones are still doing their usual thing, but they're just not high enough to trigger an actual period.

If you’re low in magnesium, then any spasm or contraction in the womb, related to a ‘phantom’ period (one which doesn’t produce a bleed) will be worse.

So, something really simple, a magnesium supplement, maybe 150, 200 milligrams, twice a day, can be really helpful for that and can work quite quickly.

If you're in a lot of pain, if you find that you're getting this every month, especially once your periods have stopped, and as time goes on, if this is getting worse, if you're getting more pain, if you're having to take painkillers, then that's the point when you should visit the doctor. There could be other issues, such as fibroids. There could be polyps or cysts, or you could even have something like a prolapse. So, it's always a good idea. Don't try to sit this one out thinking it's going to get better. Just get it double-checked.

3. Phantosmia (phantom smells)

This is where you smell odours that are not actually there. One of the most common smells for some reason, is cigarette smoke. You also may find that you're smelling a certain perfume, or sometimes it can be an unpleasant smell, but there's nothing in the area to actually cause that.

So again, this can be due to a number of things. It is not necessarily a hormonal thing, but as we get older, the nerves in the nose may change slightly. It could be that your falling oestrogen is drying out the nasal passages, in which case a Sea Buckthorn oil supplement can be really helpful.

It could also be due to things like having had a cold, having allergies, which we tend to be more prone to as we go through menopause anyway, just because our immune function can be that little bit weaker. It could also be due to things like polyps. And for some reason, quite a lot of people who have had COVID end up getting this after some time.

Short-term, if it just happens after you've had a cold or if your periods have stopped and you get it on and off for a few months, that's fine. But there can be other brain issues that can cause this, so if this goes on, if you feel that the smells are getting stronger, if they're not easing off, then again, just get this one double-checked by your doctor.

I hope you found this helpful. As I said before, there are so many strange symptoms that can pop up. If any of you have experienced any other strange symptoms, then please let me know because I will include them in future blogs. And you know I love reading your stories.

Until next time, take care, and have a lovely week.

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