Perimenopause symptoms may not be life-threatening, but they sure can mess with your sanity. Minimize the craziness with these simple strategies.
Migraines
Headache rates rise when women enter the transition to menopause, probably because hormones play a role in the pain.
Do this: If you are prone, take medication as soon as symptoms appear. "You stop the release of brain chemicals that cause painful swelling," explains Stephen Landy, MD, of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. One drug, Treximet, which combines Imitrex with a painkiller, has been effective.
Or this: Consider getting needled. An Italian study of 160 patients with moderate to severe migraines found that twice-weekly acupuncture, combined with medication, was more successful at minimizing pain than either medication alone or a "sham" procedure plus drugs.
Memory Problems
"Studies haven't picked up changes, perhaps because they're too subtle. But we know that women do frequently complain about forgetfulness," says Nanette Santoro, MD, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, in New York.
Do this: Because creating visual links helps you remember a group of items, "If you need to buy bread and milk, envision bread dunking into a glass of milk," Santoro suggests. Or try reQall.com, a free program that sends reminders to your cell phone or e-mail account.
Or this: Focus on good sleep. Scientists from Singapore have documented their finding that a tired mind absorbs only a small amount of visual information. (That's one way we take in important details.)
Joint Pain
One surprising finding of a large project known as the Penn Ovarian Aging Study: Nearly twice as many perimenopausal women complained of joint pain or other stiffness as women who were not yet in perimenopause.
Do this: Talk to your doctor if pain is stubborn or severe; you may need a workup to determine the cause. If pain is mild to moderate, consider these soothers: When joints revolt, relax them with a few minutes of heat (in the form of pads or baths) or numb them with ice.
Or this: Give yourself a massage. Apply a small amount of oil or lotion to your hands, and gently glide them over sore spots. (Skip joints that are very swollen.) Or use the discomfort as an excuse to head for the spa!
