Bonafide

Normal bloodwork, but you still don’t feel like yourself? That’s worth talking about.

Lab results are one piece of the picture. Your symptoms, when they started, and the patterns you’ve been noticing can help give your healthcare provider more context—especially when you’re trying to understand whether changes could be related to perimenopause.

Start tracking what you’re experiencing, then bring those notes to your next appointment.

Longer recovery, more joint or muscle discomfort, and changes in strength and body composition can make the workouts that used to feel great suddenly feel different. That doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.

For some women, the answer is adapting—not pushing harder. Walking, Pilates, and lighter resistance training can all be part of finding a routine that feels better in this phase.

💬 Have you had to change how you exercise during perimenopause?

Weird perimenopause symptoms can go way beyond hot flashes.

Itchy ears, dry mouth, tingling, dry eyes, and other unexpected changes can leave you wondering what’s going on. Not every new symptom is caused by perimenopause, so anything persistent or unfamiliar is worth discussing with your healthcare provider. But women deserve to know the transition can involve much more than the symptoms everyone talks about.

💬 What was your most unexpected perimenopause symptom?

Your period can still be showing up while perimenopause is already changing the way you feel.

Sleep suddenly off. Mood different. Memory less reliable. Cycles heavier, lighter, closer together, or farther apart. Early perimenopause often shows up as a pattern before it shows up as one obvious “menopause symptom.”

Paying attention to those changes can make your next conversation with your healthcare provider much more useful.

“Brain fog” doesn’t quite capture what it feels like to forget a word in the middle of a work meeting.

Word-finding trouble, memory lapses, and changes in focus can show up during perimenopause and menopause — and when they happen at work, the frustration can quickly turn into questions about your confidence or competence.

You can still be very good at what you do and have days when your brain needs an extra second.

Perimenopause can affect more than your period.

Anxiety, irritability, brain fog, word-finding issues, and feeling suddenly overwhelmed can all show up during the menopause transition. If these changes feel intense, unfamiliar, or start affecting daily life, they’re worth discussing with your healthcare provider.

💬 What changed first for you?