During perimenopause is nausea normal?
Answer:
Nausea is a very common symptom of perimenopause. It hits women in different ways - some describe being stricken with a wave of fierce nausea before the onset of a hot flash; while others experience it most drastically when they get stressed out or nervous over something unrelated. Others even say that their nausea depends on what foods they’ve eaten; many blame fatty or greasy foods as the prime culprits.
Whatever the cause, nausea during perimenopause can feel similar to the morning sickness that a woman experiences during the first couple months of a pregnancy. It can accompany hot flashes and night sweats and also cause perimenopausal women to miss work, social events and even to lose drastic amounts of weight.
The strange thing about nausea is that you’ll be hard pressed to find it included in a list of symptoms associated with the onset of perimenopause, so we’re not sure why it happens. It could be your hormonal changes, or it could be due to the stress that entering menopause is causing you.
If you do a search online for “nausea during perimenopause” you’ll find some great forums and Blogs related to this topic. Many of these forums serve as support networks for women looking to relate to other women who are experiencing the same things they are. If you have access to a computer, a menopause Blog can be a very helpful support system for you that you might not be getting from your family, friends or doctor. If you don’t have access to a computer, track down a local menopause support group that meets regularly in person.
Meanwhile, to curb your nausea try one of these remedies that I found recommended on various menopause websites:
- Herbal Teas - peppermint tea, dandelion tea, hot water with lemon, ginger tea and licorice tea.
- Crackers - saltines, dry Melba toast or any type of non-salted cracker.
- Antacids - or Milk of Magnesia.
- Supplements - ginger capsules or Licorice root extract (or DGL).