It is during perimenopause that most of the symptoms occur and can be more difficult to manage than actual menopause itself. Fortunately, at the threshold of menopause most of the symptoms cease. Certainly the most talked about and dramatic symptom. Up to two-thirds of perimenopausal women report experiencing them. Women may suddenly feel hot, perspire profusely, and then just as quickly experience a cold chill.
Hot flashes can last briefly or up to an hour.
Doctors believe that low levels of estrogen cause the pituitary gland in the brain to release a surge of gonadotropin-releasing hormone that causes the hot flash. For many women, menstruation becomes either heavier or lighter. There may be decreased or increased cramping. In the long run, menses will lessen, become intermittent, and then stop altogether. These include memory loss, short attention span, and mental fogginess.