Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. It’s a transition that many women dread. However, did you know there are multiple phases in this midlife transition? A phase that is often overlooked is perimenopause. It’s the gradual phase leading up to menopause when hormone levels begin to fluctuate. "Peri" means "around," so this is the period around menopause. It can last for several years, typically starting in your 40s, but sometimes it begins earlier or later.
Perimenopause symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, irregular periods, and sleep issues can be confusing and sporadic. In fact, they can be misdiagnosed or chalked up to stress or simply aging. The key is understanding what is happening in your body and learning how to manage perimenopause. Supporting your body throughout all phases, including premenopause, perimenopause, and menopause, is essential. Rest assured, there are a few important lifestyle integrations that make this transition smoother and more manageable for women aging.
What Is Perimenopause and When Does It Begin?
Perimenopause typically starts anywhere in the transitional years from your late 30s to mid-50s, with 40s being average. However, it varies from woman to woman. It can last a few months or several years. Generally, the first sign of perimenopause is irregular periods. Even though your menstrual cycle becomes irregular, it is still possible to conceive or get pregnant during perimenopause. (1)
During this time, your ovaries begin producing less hormones. Specifically, estrogen can rise and fall like a rollercoaster. When estrogen levels fluctuate, it throws off your balance of progesterone. By the time your body reaches menopause, your body creates such small amounts of estrogen that you stop releasing eggs. Once your menstrual cycle has stopped for 12 consecutive months, you are officially in the phase of menopause.
The Role of Hormone Fluctuations in Common Symptoms
How your body reacts to shifting hormone levels varies from that of another woman you may know. So you cannot compare– even to your own mother, sister, or aunt. The drop in progesterone, followed by erratic estrogen, can have a profound impact on your body. It’s common to experience menopause-like symptoms including hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness.
Other common symptoms of perimenopause include: (2)
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Irregular periods
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Hot flashes and night sweats
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Worsening PMS
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Anxiety
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Brain fog and forgetfulness
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Weight gain around the midsection
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Bladder incontinence
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Sleep irregularities
These symptoms are often a result of biochemical processes happening in your body, contributing to hormonal imbalances. The good news is that you can learn how to manage perimenopause effects. It is possible to naturally support and alleviate these undesirable symptoms and improve how you feel every day.
Daily Habits That Help Stabilize Hormones
Balancing hormones has become a trendy topic for women of all ages. After all, hormones play a role in everything from reproductive health to bone health and energy levels. When it comes to perimenopause, balancing these sporadic dips and increases makes sense.
To help manage perimenopause symptoms and support your overall health, I recommend these daily habits:
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Maintain a consistent sleep schedule: Ideally, aim for 7–8 hours of quality sleep each night. Restful sleep supports hormone regulation, mood, and metabolism.
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Eat blood sugar-stabilizing meals: Focus on eating meals rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fats to stabilize energy and prevent mood swings. Eliminate inflammatory and toxic foods, which can worsen symptoms.
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Avoid endocrine disruptors: Choose personal care and cleaning products free of parabens, phthalates, and other endocrine-disrupting toxins.
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Practice stress reduction: Incorporate meditation, yoga, or even short daily walks to lower cortisol and support adrenal health.
These daily habits are the foundation of treatment for perimenopause symptoms. They can be transformative for your hormone health and the relief of unwanted symptoms.
Foundational Nutrients for Hormonal Resilience
Perimenopause can affect nutrient absorption due to hormonal changes. Your metabolism can slow down, which can alter your gut microbiome. (3) This can potentially lead to nutrient deficiencies. Focusing on essential micronutrients to support your hormone health during perimenopause is extremely important.
I recommend supplementing with key nutrients such as B vitamins, Magnesium, Selenium, Iodine, Vitamin D, and Calcium. B vitamins and magnesium support mood, energy, and stress resilience. Selenium and iodine are essential for optimal thyroid function. Vitamin D and calcium promote bone health, which becomes increasingly important as estrogen declines. (4)
The Myers Way® Multivitamin is a comprehensive formula that includes these nutrients that help replenish stores and support overall hormone function. AMMD™’s multivitamin is designed for optimal absorption and bioavailability, making sure your body gets the most out of every capsule. It supports thyroid and adrenal function, maintains hormone balance, and promotes detoxification—even for those with MTHFR mutations.
Supporting the Adrenals During Perimenopause
Your adrenal glands play a key role in hormone production during the years leading up to menopause. Perimenopause is closely associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and adrenal gland function. As ovarian hormone production slows, your adrenal glands continue to work hard to produce androgens. This includes DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, which naturally declines with age.(5) DHEA is the precursor to both testosterone and estrogen. The adrenal glands become more important in contributing to the overall androgen balance in the body.
This shift in androgen production may contribute to some perimenopausal symptoms, including changes in mood and energy levels. The decline in progesterone and estrogen can impact the HPA-axis. This can cause changes in your stress response and adrenal hormone production. Chronic stress or burnout can overwhelm this system. It’s important to support the HPA-axis with rest, adaptogens, and key nutrients.
AMMD™’s Adrenal Support helps buffer stress and maintain steady energy levels. It contains a blend of adaptogenic herbs such as Rhodiola Rosea, Panax Ginseng, Eleuthero, and Ashwagandha that facilitate a stress response and support optimal cortisol levels. It also includes the amino acid L-Tyrosine to promote catecholamine production, essential for an optimal stress response.
Healthy Estrogen Metabolism and Detox Support
Hormone metabolism is just as important as balancing hormone levels. Your liver is responsible for breaking down estrogen and eliminating it from your body. If your liver is not functioning optimally, excess estrogen can accumulate. (6) Microbiome imbalances, low magnesium levels, and little fiber intake can all inhibit your liver from removing the accumulation of estrogen. Sluggish detox pathways can lead to estrogen dominance. This can cause symptoms of heavy periods, breast tenderness, and mood swings.
That’s why I formulated AMMD™’s EstroProtect. A targeted supplement that supports healthy estrogen metabolism through a powerful blend of clinically researched nutrients. This formula is designed to help you break down estrogen into protective estrogen metabolites, rather than harmful disease-causing estrogen metabolites. It works by binding to excess hormones with ingredients such as alpha lipoic acid and milk thistle. It supports phases I and II of liver detoxification to effectively clear excess estrogen and reduce the risk of estrogen dominance.
When to Consider Testing or Professional Guidance
If you feel your symptoms have become unmanageable or unclear, it’s time to seek professional guidance. Especially if you feel you’ve tried everything but you’re just not seeing improvements. If you experience signs such as extreme fatigue, significant mood changes, or very heavy bleeding, it’s time to seek additional help. Especially if you notice your periods are lasting more than seven days, or you are changing your pads or tampons every two hours.
A functional medicine practitioner can guide you in receiving the correct hormone and thyroid panels, or gut testing to help uncover deeper imbalances. Find more resources or view the practitioner directory for support on AMMD™’s website.
Take Control of Perimenopause With AMMD™’s Women’s Health Bundle
Perimenopause is a natural, though sometimes challenging, phase of life. It’s the stage before menopause marked by hormonal fluctuations. This transition of life is not something women need to "tough out" alone. Symptoms are real and can be very uncomfortable.
AMMD™’s Women’s Health Bundle featuring EstroProtect®, Adrenal Support, and The Myers Way® Multivitamin, can help your body navigate hormonal shifts and ease daily symptoms. This bundle is designed to provide that support during every phase of the change of life, including perimenopause and menopause. Now that you’ve learned how to manage perimenopause, you can take back control of your hormones, reclaim your vitality, and ease into a holistic treatment for menopause when the time comes.
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