| Perimenopause
 Perimenopause refers to the years during which a woman's sex hormones fluctuate and decline as she heads toward menopause. For most women, perimenopause begins in her mid-30's and lasts up to 10 years. During this time, estrogen levels fluctuate and progesterone and testosterone levels often decline. The loss of progesterone, often called the mood hormone, can be significant. Progesterone is created primarily during ovulation, but ovulation is often inconsistent during perimenopause. Declining progesterone can lead to mood problems and depression, irregular periods, weight gain, and loss of sex drive.
During perimenopause, the ovaries are changing and shrinking and are less responsive to the hormone signals that cause the egg to mature and be released, and for progesterone to be manufactured. Without progesterone, estrogen is unopposed resulting in a condition called estrogen dominance. (Ovulation is also typically irregular during the first couple years of menstruation, and many young teens also experience estrogen dominance.)
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