I Tried Acupuncture for Perimenopause for 2 Months

I was sitting in an acupuncture office waiting for my first appointment and I was convinced it was going to be a waste of time and money. I had never done acupuncture before. The idea of needles being stuck all over my body seemed uncomfortable at best and pointless at worst. But I was desperate. My perimenopause symptoms were not responding well to the other things I had tried, and a friend had enthusiastically recommended acupuncture. She swore by it. She said it had changed her entire perimenopause experience. I was skeptical, but I was also willing to try anything at this point. I was 47 years old and I was spending money on every possible intervention I could think of.

How I got here

The symptoms that were most affecting me were hot flashes during the day and anxiety that was constant and unpredictable. I had tried supplements. I had tried dietary changes. I had tried exercise. I had started meditation. Nothing was giving me the relief I needed. My friend had been very specific about how much acupuncture had helped her with her hot flashes and her anxiety. She had described a feeling of being more balanced and grounded after treatments. She had also mentioned that acupuncture was very focused on hormonal balance and that Chinese medicine had thousands of years of experience treating exactly what I was going through. That intrigued me enough to try.

What I actually did

I scheduled a series of eight acupuncture sessions over two months, once per week. The acupuncturist, whose name was Michelle, was very knowledgeable about perimenopause. She did an intake assessment where she asked detailed questions about my symptoms, my cycles, my energy levels, my digestion, my sleep. She explained that acupuncture would be working on balancing my whole system, not just targeting the hot flashes. She also gave me some herbal supplements that she recommended taking between sessions. The first session was less uncomfortable than I expected. There was a slight sensation when the needles went in, but it was not painful. Once they were in, I did not feel them at all. I lay there for about thirty minutes and actually felt quite relaxed. Week one after the first session, I did not notice anything different. Week two, I thought maybe I had had fewer hot flashes, but I was not sure if it was placebo. By week three, the hot flashes were noticeably less frequent. By week four, I was also noticing that my anxiety was less constant. I still had anxious moments, but the baseline anxiety that was always sitting in my chest seemed lower. By week six, I was noticing significant improvement. The hot flashes were less frequent and less intense. The anxiety was manageable. By week eight, I had to admit that acupuncture was working. The symptoms had not gone away completely, but they were substantially better.

What actually changed

The hot flashes decreased significantly. I went from having them multiple times per day to having them maybe once or twice a day. The anxiety improved. The constant low-level sense of dread was gone. The acupuncture seemed to address both symptoms through a systemic approach. What I could not determine was how much of the improvement was from the acupuncture and how much was from the herbal supplements or from just the placebo effect of being proactive about my health. But regardless of the mechanism, I was experiencing improvement. What did not change is that I still had symptoms. Acupuncture was not a cure. But it was a helpful treatment that seemed to make a difference.

What my routine looks like now

I have continued acupuncture beyond the initial eight sessions. I am going every other week now instead of weekly. The symptoms remain improved. I am also taking the herbal supplements that Michelle recommended. I cannot definitively say that acupuncture is the reason for the improvement because I have made other changes too. But I believe it is part of the combination of things that is helping. I use PeriPlan to track my symptoms and I can see that on weeks when I have acupuncture, my symptoms tend to be better. That visibility has kept me committed to continuing the treatment even though it is an added expense and time commitment.

If you are interested in trying acupuncture for your perimenopause symptoms, I would recommend finding an acupuncturist who has experience with perimenopause and women's health. Make sure they understand what you are trying to treat. Give it at least six to eight weeks to see if it helps because the benefits seem to build over time. It was not my first choice of intervention, but it has turned out to be helpful. Be aware that it is an ongoing expense if you want to continue it. What worked for me is not medical advice, and what your body needs may be completely different. Always talk to your healthcare provider about your specific situation before making changes. If you are considering acupuncture, mention it to your provider to make sure it will not interact with anything you are taking.