Dr. Louise Newson

And often when our hormone levels stabilise...

whether they're stable low or stable high in pregnancy or stable sort of middle of the road, people often don't get symptoms because the body sort of acclimatizes really.

It's a bit like if you're hungry, initially your brain is like on overdrive telling you how hungry you are and after a while it just accommodates and it just sort of adapts.

And it's the same as menopause actually.

The body can adapt, but it will often be in a different level and a different gear and obviously there's more inflammation.

But in perimenopause, hormone levels, especially estradiol, but also testosterone and progesterone really do fluctuate.

And it's a bit similar to women before they have their periods.

They can get real changes in their hormone levels just before their periods.

So those symptoms are the same because of the changing hormone levels.

Yeah.

I mean, the problem is, you know, it's really sad because the divorce rate increases in the forties, but we know that a lot of couples, I see so many couples who have just their relationships falling apart.

And, and it's not because they don't love each other.

They just can't tolerate each other in the same way.

And they don't realize what's going on.

And, and,

You know, I was perimenopausal about 11 years ago.

And, you know, just looking at the way my husband ate food and listening to him breathing was just the most frustrating thing ever.

It's really hard to explain.

I had an argument once and I've got three daughters and we're really close.

I've known my husband since I was 18.