14 Menopause Symptoms and What They Really Feel Like
What No One Tells You About Menopause Symptoms
As a woman in midlife you know there’s this word that looms, and it most likely involves something called hot flashes, possible night sweats, insomnia, and weight gain among other ‘lovely’ symptoms.
But what does this word menopause REALLY mean? I’m not talking about the clinical description, which in a nutshell is the time when your menstrual cycle ends, defining the end of your reproductive period.
What I’m talking about is the down and dirty reality of menopause symptoms. That for some reason, no one really talks about.
Unless of course, you ask your doctor. Which I wholeheartedly recommend. Because they can help! Take it from me, I suffered a long time before speaking with my doctor and getting on a regimen that absolutely helped reduce and in most cases removed these symptoms.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that has been recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help keep this site up and running! Please check out the disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!
The Down and Dirty Reality of Menopause Symptoms
These are my own experiences. I’m not a doctor. But, I am a woman who has been through these symptoms. Your experiences may be different.
Honestly, I hope they are.
Hot Flashes
Or as some fun woman (I hope) named them, Power Surges.
I have to be honest, I prefer this empowered name, making this symptom super-hero like. Because let’s face it. We, women, are superheroes in our own right.
I digress. That is an article for another time.
Back to Hot Flashes.
You know you’re having one when all of a sudden, you feel like there is an internal inferno happening in your chest area and moving up your neck and back. Your face may turn red and you might even have sweat dripping from your forehead. This usually happens when you’re stressed, or at least it did for me. Sigh. Good times.
Each episode can last a few minutes or longer.
Tip: When it’s over, you’ll most likely feel cold. So layer those clothes so you can take them on and off as needed.
Night Sweats
You’ve been asleep for a while (if you’re lucky – see the Insomnia point), dreaming of being on the beach in Tahiti or some other wonderful tropical place, getting a sunburn while swimming.
But in reality, it’s 2 am when you wake up and realize you’re in bed, soaked to the bone with sweat. Eww.
And you’ve done nothing fun to warrant this. Ugh.
Having to change your clothes and sheets is a definite possibility.
And people wonder why we’re irritable during this time…
Insomnia
This is when you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. This isn’t so bad if you’re a night owl. But, for the rest of us, it’s not so fun.
It could take more than 30 minutes to get to sleep. Or you may actually get to sleep quickly, but then be wide awake two hours later with no chance of getting back to sleep.
Bonus: you’ll most likely see your friends on Facebook in the middle of the night because they can’t sleep either. So there’s that.
Not having enough sleep can affect many other symptoms.
You know how it is when you haven’t had good sleep in days. You can become irritable, eat junk food, and think everything is ten times worse than it is. Oh yay. *eyeroll.
Tip: Make your bedroom as cool as you can. 65 degrees is recommended and may help with the night sweats as well. Also, stop any unnecessary noises and turn off any lights that may disturb your sleep.
Tip 2: When I had more than 2-3 nights of poor sleep, I took this over-the-counter sleep aid, called Simply Sleep. It has only the sleep ingredients and not the pain reliever of the other popular brands.
Weight Gain
To say your metabolism slows down is a gross understatement, especially in your midsection. Personally, I didn’t have kids, but whoa did I look like I might have had a few during this time. My belly was huge and it happened quick!
One minute I was a normal size, and then what seemed like overnight, it looked like I swallowed a car tire. And it wasn’t just in my belly, the excess was in my hips and backside too. Yes, attractive I know.
It has been referred to as the Meno-pot – basically, a potbelly that happens during menopause.
And once it arrives, losing fat in that area is tough. But, not impossible.
Tip: Eating healthy and moving more is always a good idea at any age, but now especially it is recommended just to keep your current weight. Plus adding weight-bearing and strength training exercises is encouraged to help strengthen your bones.
Moodiness
One minute you might be laughing and the next second you could be crying your eyes out. You might feel like you’re losing it when in reality those darn hormones are playing you like a fiddle. Truly there is no controlling these mood-swings. They come and go willy-nilly. What a rollercoaster ride it can be.
Irritability
I was agitated at the simplest things. And honestly didn’t like being in my own skin. It’s never a good thing to be perpetually annoyed, but that’s what this symptom felt like.
Although it is absolutely understandable given how our bodies are changing during this time; being tired and sweaty all the time.
Depression
Not only are you happy one moment and sad the next, you feel like a dark cloud is following you for no reason. I know a thing or two about low-level depression as I’ve had it before in my life. But, this was different. Doom and gloom are what it felt like. And nothing seemed to help.
Anxiety
This one was interesting, to say the least. I had never experienced anything like it. I can only describe as unexplained fear. For example, one time I was supposed to meet up with some longtime friends, I hadn’t seen in a while. But for some reason, I just couldn’t leave my house.
There was no explanation for this feeling. A sour stomach and heart palpitations also were present. Honestly, it freaked me out. So I stayed home and did some meditation.
And the next day I was fine. Go figure.
Migraines
Sometimes people with small headaches exaggerate and call them migraines. But, the reality is these types of headaches are nothing little. They’re like a vice has attached itself to your head and you can barely breathe. And they can last a long time. Or so it seems.
Any amount of light, movement or even the slightest sound will make you me, nauseated. Sleeping and Excedrin Migraine coated caplets are the only things that help me.
Fatigue
We’re not talking just a little sleepiness after a long day. It’s more like you’ve had a great night’s sleep and coffee, but you are still dragging like you haven’t slept a wink in weeks. Which is possibly true, because of that insomnia thing no one’s told you about.
Nausea
For me, it was mostly being car-sick, especially when I was driving. This posed quite an issue since I’m alone in my car a lot.
It felt like the road was moving sideways and my stomach had that sour feeling.
Tip: Sucking on ginger candies and drinking fresh ginger tea helped combat this a bit.
Tea: Add fresh ginger slices to hot water and let steep for a few minutes. Drink hot.
Breast Sagginess
Let’s face it, our breasts have been on their way down for a while, but at this stage in life, it’s like they’re skipping two steps at a time to be the first to get to the floor. This doesn’t feel like anything in particular, but it is definitely a symptom of menopause.
Joint and Muscle Pain and Aches
You know what I’m talking about. When you get up off the couch and now you’re stiff which is new to you. Or you have an unidentified pain in your back or leg and you haven’t worked out in days.
Tip: Over-the-counter pain meds help with this. So does unflavored, powder collagen which can be mixed into virtually anything; coffee, soup, oatmeal, water, etc. Plus, it makes your hair, skin, and nails look better too.
Dry and Itchy Skin
Sometimes so itchy that you might think you will scratch the top layer of your skin right off. Eww. But, this has happened. Increasing your water intake, moisturizing your body and increasing collagen are some ways to combat this symptom.
I hope this list helps you prepare for this time in your life and makes it less scary for you. I was freaking out until I went to my doctor and realized all of these symptoms were normal for someone on the menopause path.
I also hope that this will help to start more conversations about menopause symptoms and what to expect. This would have been helpful to me while going through menopause, not only for myself but to help others in my life understand what was happening too.
Have you had any different experiences? What would you add to this list? Tell me in the comments.
For blog updates, news, special offers and more, please subscribe at the button below.
Pin to Pinterest
31 Comments
Jennifer L Markell
I think I will send this to my husband to read! LOL! This is spot on for sure! I am 48 and I have been experiencing peri meno symptoms for about 3 years now! Misery loves company! 😁 Great site, awesome content!
Lora
So I definitely have the hot flashes, night sweats, and waking up after like three hours of sleep and cannot get back to sleep for the life of me! Love the line of at least my friends are on Facebook because they can’t sleep either🤣 so true! Great summary of all our midlife problems. I don’t have the weight gain or other gut issues due to eating a plant paradox diet! No nightshades, no grains, no sugar is so good for weight loss and good gut health!
Jill DeMasi
Very helpful post! I’m not there yet but do experience a lot of these symptoms already unfortunately. Exercise helps me stay sane!
Sydney Delong
Well, at least now I know what to look forward to LOL
Debbie
Omgosh! Yes! I think you covered them all. I must be very powerful by now! Lol 😜😓Magnesium helped me with sleep issues. I’m glad I’m not the only one with nausea! Wondered if it was menopause related. Thanks for the ginger tea tip!! 🍵 I love natural remedies if possible!
Tonya | the Writer Mom
I’m really not looking forward to menopause!
Lisa
Thank you for sharing the reality of the symptoms of Menopause. This is such a “taboo” topic that should be discussed.
Lee Anne
Wow! This is a lot of great information. I didn’t realize quite how much could change.
Lisa Manderino
I do not look forward to this! I want to cry just thinking about it. Hopefully I have a little while before this all starts!
Lora Rovegna
I see I have a lot to look forward to. I know my time will be here before I know it. I already get hormonal headaches so my hope is that they will go away when I get menopause. Fingers crossed! I definitely don’t want more.
Kareena
I am not there yet, and I am not looking forward to any of these. Good luck to the husbands out there! LOL. This was really good info! Thanks so much for sharing.
KENDRA
haha! I enjoyed the levity you put in this post! I can relate to most, if not all of this! What a freaking joy! LOL
jen
well that was a giant 13 point reality check LOL
Cathy
I can relate to most of this! Don’t know what all the answers are, just have to find a way to get through it, thanks for your great insights!
heather J jandrue
I am 47 and not having any symptoms yet, however, I am bracing for them. I did not know aches and pains were part of menopause. I am a runner, so I always have mild aches and pains. I do take collagen, so hopefully, I can keep it at bay.
judean
While reading this, I felt it was me writing it. I have had almost all of these symptoms for what seems like forever (as I type this, I have gloves on because I am freezing but I’m sure when I am done, I will be sweating)! We keep the heat on 63 at night and I still wake up in a gross sweaty mess! That has slowed down in the past 6 months but was ongoing for at least 4 years or so. I also do not sleep through the night – never. So – I am with you sister! When I talked to my doctor – she said I’m pre-menopausal – what the heck? This can’t go on any longer!
Brianna
This is very helpful! I’ll make sure to exercise so by that time it’s become easier to do. Thank you for this post.
Katherine Wolfe
I’ve had almost every single one of these and am soooooooooooo ready to be done with it all!
Jennifer
I use a salt lamp and air humidifier, mainly to manage asthma. And, they have a calming affect too. There are salt rooms that others tell me about. I do exercises and walk in the hydropool which helps, it’s very soothing on the body and mind.
D'Ann Forman
Great post. I think there’s a lot of younger women who have no clue of what to expect! I was fairly lucky with symptoms – the one that got me the most was brain fog, but with bio-identical hormones, the fog cleared.
vanessa
I laughed so hard reading this…You were right on point about those hot flashes and night sweats. I thought my mom was being dramatic with her hot flashes, but look who’s the drama queen now! Too funny!
Carrie M Beaton
Thanks for this information! I’ve actually been wondering about this as I am in my mid 40’s and super curious! Ugh….
Lisa
This is a great list. Saving for later.
Suzan
Yup…welcome to menopause. At times you feel like your drying up from the inside out (eyes especially for me), especially when you are laying in bed at 3 a.m. with eyes wide open, LOL.
jody
I so hated menopause when I went through the stages. I was thrown into it due to surgery it sucked bad. But there is a end to the suffering. I loved your post.
T.M. Brown
I’ll be honest and the nausea surprised me. I’m not at this stage yet, but it’s good to hear from other women what they have endured during this stage of life. Thank you for sharing.
Cindy
I am one of those fortunate few who breezed right through menopause. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t experience difficulties with my periods either. My sister on the other hand had experienced all of these!
Danielle
Hi Cindy – you are definitely one of the lucky ones! I have four sisters and two of them were just as lucky. 🙂
Marianne
Loved your article! I’m 47 and the symptoms are now starting to creep up on me. I had a great laugh over the whole ‘Power Surge’ thing! Been doing that for years… pregnancy, period, no reason at all… not looking forward to them getting worse!
Heike Yates
I have to say that exercise really helped me through a lot of the menopause symptoms. They helped with sleeping, weight gain, and overall feeling better about my self. I highly recommend it along with a diet high in vegetables and protein and least amount of processed foods (that’ includes wine). Keeping a positive attitude despite all those miserable side effects is a plus too, even when you are sitting there dripping with sweat. It’s a phase in life and it will pass too.
LISA
Love the term Power Surge! The hot flashes and irritability are the worst things for me. But, yeah, I’ve had just about all of these menopause symptoms too. Thanks for reminding me that I’m not alone! (And for the tips!!)