Electric Shocks

Many women describe experiencing strange sensations like electric shocks, jolts or tingling during menopause. While they can be alarming, they’re generally harmless, but understanding why they happen can make them feel a little less scary.

The exact cause isn’t fully understood, but fluctuating hormones are thought to play a role. Oestrogen helps regulate nerve function, so as levels decline, nerve signals may become a little more erratic, leading to these odd sensations. Stress and anxiety, which often increase during perimenopause, can also make them feel more noticeable.

I remember working in an office where all but one of the women were over 40, and we were constantly giving each other electric shocks. Doors, filing cabinets, handshakes… it became such a running joke that we stopped questioning why it was happening!

Burning Mouth

Many women experience the fiery discomfort of Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) alongside the many other changes menopause brings. It can feel as though you’ve scalded your tongue on a cup of tea, even though you haven’t.

Research suggests it affects a significant number of menopausal women, making it far more common than most of us realise. While the exact cause isn’t fully understood, hormonal changes are thought to affect the nerves responsible for sensation in the mouth.

If you’ve been experiencing burning, tingling or soreness in your mouth without an obvious cause, it’s worth speaking to your GP or dentist to rule out other conditions and discuss possible treatment options.

Increased Food allergies / intolerances

One thing I never expected as I headed into perimenopause was how much my body suddenly started reacting to foods I’d eaten for years without a second thought. While hot flushes and sleepless nights get a lot of the attention, increased food sensitivities and intolerances are a much lesser-known symptom that so many women seem to experience.

As our hormones fluctuate, particularly oestrogen, it can affect our gut health and even the way our immune system responds. Foods that never used to cause a problem can suddenly leave you bloated, itchy, congested or feeling generally unwell. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve developed a true food allergy, but if you’ve found yourself wondering why your body seems to have changed overnight, you’re definitely not imagining it.

Cold Flushes

Everyone has heard of hot flushes, but their much less famous cousin is the cold flush.

These sudden waves of chills can leave you reaching for a jumper one minute, only to be peeling it off again five minutes later. Like hot flushes, they’re thought to be caused by fluctuating hormones affecting the body’s temperature regulation. Instead of triggering sweating, your blood vessels constrict, leaving you shivering, covered in goosebumps and wondering what on earth is happening.

It’s estimated that around one in five women experience cold flushes during menopause, yet they are rarely talked about.

Rage

Menopause rage is something nobody really prepares you for. We hear plenty about anxiety and brain fog, but nobody talks about the overwhelming, white-hot anger that can seem to come out of nowhere. One minute you’re absolutely fine, and the next you’re full of rage because someone breathed too loudly, left a cupboard door open or asked you the same question twice.

It’s not about being an angry person. It’s about fluctuating hormones affecting your mood, stress levels and emotional regulation.

For me, it’s one of the most unexpected and misunderstood symptoms of perimenopause, and it often comes with a huge feeling of guilt afterwards. I get angry at the kids, I get angry at my husband, I get angry at inanimate objects, and I especially get angry at myself. All the while, the sting of ADHD overthinking and rejection sensitivity hovers in the background, making it ten times worse.

My symptoms

Electric shocks were actually one of my very first symptoms, and I certainly didn’t put them down to menopause. Most days, I managed to zap myself on light switches, door handles and computers before passing the electric shocks on to my kids, my friends and anyone else brave enough to shake my hand. I actually stopped shaking hands for quite a while! Thankfully, they do seem to have settled down now.

The food intolerances, however, have completely changed the way I eat. Foods and drinks I used to enjoy are now firmly off the menu, and it’s the one symptom that has continued to get worse as my perimenopause has progressed. The thought that it could be here to stay is, if I’m honest, a little depressing.

It’s another reminder that menopause affects so much more than our periods. The more we talk about these unexpected symptoms, the more women realise they’re not alone, and that what they’re experiencing is real.

Have you experienced any of these symptoms? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments.

Fay x

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