If you’re struggling with this particular symptom or side effect, you might be wondering, how long does perimenopause nausea last?
Nausea is a common but frequently overlooked symptom of perimenopause that can be especially disruptive.
Perimenopause is a phase that’s transitional and leads up to actual menopause. The duration can vary among women, and in this guide, we’ll delve into the details, including how long certain symptoms, especially nausea, might last.
Key Takeaways
- Duration of perimenopause nausea: Nausea can vary widely in duration. Some women experience it as a symptom sporadically, while others will experience it consistently over several years.
- Causes and management: Understanding the hormonal changes and other factors causing perimenopause nausea can help you deal with it.
- Herbal supplements and remedies: Natural and herbal supplements can help with perimenopausal nausea and other symptoms.
An Overview of Perimenopause
Perimenopause is a transitional period that leads up to menopause. It marks the end of the female reproductive years. It most often starts when a woman is in her 40s but can begin as early as your mid-30s or as late as the early 50s.
The phase can last from a few months to a decade or more. The average length of perimenopause is around four years.
During this time, estrogen and progesterone production fluctuate. This irregular production of hormones is responsible for most perimenopause symptoms.
Common Perimenopause Symptoms
The wide range of symptoms you could experience during this time include:
- Irregular periods involve changes in the length, flow and frequency of your menstrual cycle.
- Hot flashes and night sweats.
- Mood swings include anxiety, irritability and depression.
- Sleep issues may include trouble falling or staying asleep or waking up too early.
- Reduced vaginal lubrication leads to pain during sex.
- Reduced libido.
- Tiredness and persistent low energy levels.
- Brain fog and problems with concentrating and remembering things.
- Weight gain, especially around the midsection.
- Thinning hair or increased facial hair.
- Feelings of queasiness and an unsettled stomach can also occur.
Why Does Nausea During Perimenopause Happen?
Nausea is a common symptom of perimenopause during the transitional phase leading to menopause. It’s likely related to a variety of both hormonal and physiological changes. For some women, it can also be a symptom of menopause.
Hormonal Fluctuations
The key reason for nausea is the fluctuation of hormone levels. Estrogen and progesterone regulate many bodily functions, including the digestive system.
As your estrogen levels fluctuate, it can slow down your digestive process, leading to not only nausea but also indigestion and bloating.
When progesterone levels go down, it can cause more contractions in the stomach and intestines, contributing to nausea.
Hormonal changes can affect the nausea center of the brain during this time.
For example, estrogen influences the vestibular system, which controls balance. Changes in this system can lead to dizziness and nausea.
Changes in Serotonin Levels
Serotonin plays a role not only in mood but also in digestive function. When you’re going through perimenopause, and your estrogen levels fluctuate, it can influence your levels of serotonin and lead to nausea.
Low serotonin levels can stimulate the brain’s nausea center.
A key area in the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) is involved in nausea and vomiting.
There are a lot of serotonin receptors in the CTZ. As you’re going through perimenopause, hormone changes can alter levels of serotonin and receptor sensitivity in this area, increasing nausea.
Higher Cortisol Levels
Going through perimenopause can mean higher cortisol levels. Cortisol is your main stress hormone.
Elevations in cortisol interfere with digestion and can lead to nausea.
Perimenopause can also generally come with more stress and anxiety, and that can affect your digestion and cause nausea and general stomach discomfort.
Sleep Problems
A lot of us go through sleep disturbances during perimenopause because of hot flashes, night sweats and hormonal shifts.
A lack of quality sleep can make nausea worse. Poor sleep quality might also negatively affect your body’s ability to digest food properly.
Sensitivity to Smells and Tastes
Some women will become increasingly sensitive to smells and tastes during perimenopause, triggering nausea when exposed to strong odors or certain foods.
Patterns of Perimenopause Nausea
If you’re struggling with perimenopause nausea, it can vary a lot in terms of its occurrence and intensity.
When you understand the typical patterns, managing this symptom more effectively may be helpful.
Common patterns women with nausea experience include:
Episodic Nausea
You might experience episodes of nausea rather than having it be a constant feeling.
So, how long does perimenopause nausea last when it’s episodic?
The episodes can last a few hours to a few days and are usually linked to hormonal fluctuations.
Nausea may coincide with irregular menstrual cycles. For example, you might feel nauseous during ovulation or right before your period starts.
Peaks in estrogen and drops in progesterone can also trigger episodic nausea. These hormone changes can lead to more sensitivity in the GI tract and brain centers responsible for nausea.
Morning Nausea
Similar to morning sickness during pregnancy, some people feel nausea mostly during the morning.
Cortisol levels are naturally elevated in the morning. Cortisol affects digestion and stress response, leading to morning nausea.
When you first wake up and your stomach is empty, it can make nausea worse.
Hormonal fluctuations can also affect your production of stomach acid, leading to morning nausea.
Stress-Related Nausea
Stress and anxiety are often increased during perimenopause because of hormonal changes.
You may notice that if you’re feeling increased levels of stress or anxiety, your nausea is worse. This is because of the release of adrenaline and cortisol. The release of both can affect your stomach and nausea center in the brain.
Emotional triggers can also trigger nausea.
Nausea Related to Food
It can be somewhat common to experience changes in your appetite and food preferences during perimenopause.
You might develop new aversions or food sensitivities. These can lead to nausea.
You could also overeat or skip meals because of hormonal fluctuations that affect appetite control.
Chronic Low-Grade Nausea
The patterns of perimenopause nausea above tend to happen at certain times and have specific triggers.
Some women have persistent low-grade nausea. So, how long does perimenopause nausea last when it’s chronic and low-grade? Unfortunately, it can last for periods of weeks or months.
The reason for chronic nausea during perimenopause includes constant hormonal fluctuations and changes in the digestive system, such as alterations in gut motility.
Nausea Associated with Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
Nausea may be linked to other perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes or night sweats. For example, nausea often occurs along with hot flashes and night sweats, likely because of the sudden changes in hormones that trigger both at the same time.
Night sweats can disrupt sleep. Poor sleep quality can also contribute to nausea.
Overall, How Long Does Perimenopause Nausea Last?
Back to the original question—how long does perimenopause last?
The length of time perimenopause nausea lasts can depend on a range of factors, including hormonal changes, stress levels, diet and overall health.
- Short-term nausea episodes can last a few hours to a few days. For example, short-term nausea can coincide with sudden hormone fluctuations, like right before menstruation or during ovulation.
- Intermittent perimenopausal nausea can last days to weeks, occurring sporadically. The nausea may be related to your menstrual cycle, coming and going, with symptoms peaking during hormonal changes and then getting better.
- Persistent low-grade perimenopause nausea can last several weeks to several months and may stem from persistent hormone fluctuations, sleep disturbances or ongoing changes in the digestive system.
- Long-term nausea can last for several months to years. This is most often in women experiencing perimenopause over many years, with nausea being a recurring symptom throughout this period. It can also stem from significant and prolonged hormonal imbalances.
A lot of figuring out how long perimenopause nausea lasts will be determined by the amount of time you experience perimenopause itself.
Perimenopause usually lasts around four years but can last for a few months up to ten years. The end of perimenopause is when you’ve gone 12 months consecutively without a period. This marks the onset of menopause.
Factors that influence how long you might experience perimenopause include:
- Age of onset: If you begin perimenopause at an earlier age, you may have a longer transition period.
- Family history: Genetics play a major role—if you have a close female relative like a mother whose sister had a longer perimenopause, you’re also more likely to.
- Lifestyle factors: Smoking, exercise, diet and your overall health impact the severity and duration of perimenopausal symptoms.
- Hormonal levels: Your baseline hormone levels and the rates they decline vary significantly among women and play a major role in how long you experience perimenopause and symptoms like nausea.
- Medical conditions: If you have conditions like thyroid disorders or autoimmune disorders, it can influence your perimenopause timeline.
Managing Perimenopause Nausea
If you’re dealing with nausea and other symptoms, regardless of the duration of your perimenopause experience, there are things you can do to improve your quality of life.
Generally, a healthier lifestyle with good sleep hygiene, eating well, a balanced diet, and regularly exercising can all help with many symptoms you might experience. Stress reduction can also help, and in some cases, if you have severe symptoms, your healthcare provider might recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other medicines.
If you don’t want medicines, natural remedies can help such as:
- Red clover
- Black cohosh
- Evening primrose oil
How Long Does Perimenopause Nausea Last—Final Thoughts
Perimenopause nausea is fairly common but challenging. The duration can last depending on hormonal fluctuations, genetics, and overall health.
Perimenopause nausea can last a few hours to several days if you’re dealing with short-term episodes. These occur intermittently. For weeks to months, you might experience persistent low-grade nausea, or in more prolonged cases, this could last several months to years.
Hormonal changes, especially shifts in estrogen and progesterone, play a central role in causing nausea. Other contributors include stress-induced cortisol levels, serotonin changes and lifestyle factors.
Perimenopause nausea can appear in different patterns, including episodic nausea linked to changes in your menstrual cycle, morning nausea, stress-related nausea, and food-related nausea. There are also patterns of persistent low-grade nausea and nausea related to hot flashes and night sweats.
Ashley Sutphin Watkins
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