Perimenopause: more than hot flushes and night sweats for some Australian women

Abstract

Objective: To identify the most common perimenopausal symptoms experienced by a group of Australian women and explore the extent to which those symptoms were distressing.

Design: A quantitative survey.

Setting: All women's health centers listed with the New South Wales Women's Information and Referral Service.

Participants: A convenience sample of 200 healthy women, aged 45 to 55 years, drawn from a statewide population of women residing in Australia.

Main outcome measure: The Women's Health Assessment Scale.

Results: Most frequently occurring perimenopausal symptoms included forgetfulness, lack of energy, irritability, and weight gain. The most distressing perimenopausal symptoms included weight gain, heavy bleeding, poor concentration, leaking of urine, and feeling as though life were not worth living. Current use of hormone replacement therapy contributed to the prediction of both symptom occurrence and symptom distress.

Conclusion: Perimenopause is marked by more than hot flushes and night sweats; cognitive and affective changes are other distressing symptoms. The relationships between hormone replacement therapy use and both symptom occurrence and symptom distress warrant further investigation. In addition, practitioners should address concerns related to urinary incontinence, weight gain, cognitive and affective dysfunction, and general health status.