Perimenopause and POTS: Understanding the Symptoms You May Be Missing

If you’ve been feeling “off” lately, more anxious, more tired, more dizzy, more emotional, or just not yourself, you’re not imagining it.
And you’re definitely not alone.

Women in their 30s, 40s, and early 50s are navigating a season filled with parenting, careers, relationships, emotional load, shifting identity, and faith… all while their bodies begin to change in ways no one ever prepared them for.

For many of us, what we’ve been calling stress, burnout, or exhaustion might actually be the overlap of two very real conditions:

👉 Perimenopause
👉 POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)

Both are common.
Both are misunderstood.
And both can make women feel overwhelmed, confused, and dismissed.

Let’s break this down, honestly from someone walking this journey too.

Why You Feel “Off”… Even If Nothing Big Changed

Here’s what most women don’t realize:

Perimenopause doesn’t start at 50, it can begin in your 30s.
And POTS often shows up after illness, stress, trauma, or hormonal shifts.

That “I don’t feel like myself” sensation?
That might be your first clue.

Perimenopause symptoms can include:

  • sudden anxiety or irritability

  • heart racing

  • sleep disruption

  • brain fog

  • emotional sensitivity

  • unpredictable cycles

  • feeling overwhelmed

POTS symptoms can include:

  • dizziness when standing

  • feeling faint or shaky

  • heart rate spikes

  • exhaustion

  • temperature swings

  • “wired but tired” feeling

Individually, these feel frustrating.
But together, they feel unexplainable.

Most women say:
“I feel off, and I can’t tell anyone why.”

The Overlap Most Women Miss

When perimenopause and POTS overlap, your body is navigating:

  • fluctuating hormones

  • a stressed nervous system

  • changes in blood flow

  • unpredictable energy patterns

  • heightened sensitivity to stress

This creates symptoms that feel random but are actually deeply connected.

And the hardest part?
Most women blame themselves.

They think:
“Why can’t I handle things the way I used to?”
“Why am I so emotional?”
“Why does my body react like this?”
“Why am I suddenly exhausted?”

Here’s the truth:

Your body isn’t failing you.
Your body is talking to you.

You Are Not Making This Up

One of the most damaging things women hear in this season is:
“Maybe you’re just stressed.”
“Maybe you’re anxious.”
“You’re probably just tired.”

But women know their bodies.
And we know when something feels off.

Whether you’re experiencing:
✔ dizziness
✔ anxiety that hits out of nowhere
✔ heart racing
✔ fatigue
✔ brain fog
✔ emotional overwhelm

None of these are character flaws.
None of these are overreactions.
None of these are “being too much.”

These are real physiological responses your body is trying to manage.

Faith in the Middle of a Changing Body

This season isn’t just physical …it’s spiritual.

It’s the season where God invites us to slow down, listen, and lean into Him differently than we have before.

Not in perfection.
Not in performance.
But in presence.

God is not overlooking what you feel.
He meets you right where your body is changing.

The messy middle is not a punishment, it’s often the beginning of a deeper dependence on Him.

You’re Not Alone And You Don’t Have to Walk This Quietly

If you’ve been feeling confused by your symptoms, overwhelmed by your body, or unsure how to talk about it, I want you to know:

I see you.
I’m learning this right alongside you.
And I’ll be sharing more so you don’t navigate this season in silence.

Your symptoms are real.
Your body is communicating.
And there is a path forward — one filled with clarity, community, and grace.

You don’t have to ignore your body.
You just have to listen to it.

And I’m here to walk with you through that. 🤍

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When the “Busy” Makes You Miss What Matters: A Martha & Mary Reflection