Is it Peri? Or Something Else?

mariekesteen
Sep 26
6 min read

#perimenopause #perimenopausesymtoms #histamine #hormoneimbalance #settingboundaries #puttingyourselffirst #selfcare #womenshealth #lifestylechanges #agegracefully #isitperiorsomethingelse

path in between fields - which way to go — image AI generated

You can't blame peri for everything.... this may sound strange to you since I’m usually the one pointing out how much hormones affect every little aspect of our wellbeing.

And it IS true that likely most of the symptoms you are experiencing are somehow linked to fluctuating or declining hormone levels.

It’s also easy to just shrug things off and make peri responsible for them. It’s not your fault right, because you have crazy hormones.

But the main reason is often the lifestyle:

Not sitting down when you eat
Not chewing your food enough
Not detoxing on a regular basis (if you haven’t done this in the past or are currently doing it more or less regularly, you’ll likely have built up a lot of toxins just from daily exposure in foods, plastics, air, water, etc
Not moving enough
Not drinking enough water
Not listening to your body
Not making yourself a priority

If you’re in your 40s (or even your late 30s), chances are you’ve already started noticing new and strange things happening in your body. One week it’s bloating, the next it’s itchy skin, then suddenly your sleep feels broken for no reason.

It’s confusing, it’s frustrating, and it can make you feel like a stranger in your own body.

And yes - hormones are absolutely part of this. Perimenopause is a wild ride where estrogen, progesterone, and sometimes even cortisol and insulin go on a rollercoaster that you didn’t sign up for. Many of the symptoms you’re experiencing are connected to shifting hormones.

But here’s the tough love part: you can’t blame peri for everything.

Why? Because life happens too.

Sometimes what looks like a “hormone problem” is really a life problem showing up in your body.

You’re running on too little sleep because you don’t have boundaries with work or screens.
You’re living on caffeine and skipping meals because you’re stretched too thin.
You’ve stopped moving your body in ways that feel good - or you’re over-exercising to “burn it off.”
You’re saying yes to everyone but yourself, and your body is showing the stress.

When women tell me they feel like every week there’s a new symptom, part of that is hormones - yes. But part of it is also the accumulation of years of not making space for your own needs.

Here’s the tricky part: how do you know what’s hormonal and what’s not?

Perimenopause can mimic or magnify so many other things:

Anxiety or mood swings: sometimes it’s low progesterone, sometimes it’s chronic stress or gut issues.
Bloating: could be estrogen dominance, but could also be wolfing down dinner while scrolling emails.
Weight gain: yes, hormones shift metabolism - but so does late-night snacking, alcohol, or stress eating.
Fatigue: peri can definitely drain your energy, but so can overstepping your boundaries, dehydration, nutrient deficiencies, or not moving enough.

It’s not about dismissing what you feel - your symptoms are real. But if you put everything on peri, you stop asking the deeper questions that could actually help you feel better.

What About Histamine?

There’s one more sneaky culprit I see all the time in women during perimenopause: histamine intolerance.

Histamine is a natural compound involved in your immune response, digestion, and even your menstrual cycle. But when levels get too high: because your body isn’t breaking it down properly, because you’re getting too much from food, or when you have too much histamine producing bacteria in your gut - it can trigger a wide range of symptoms that often get blamed on peri:

Acid reflux or heartburn
Itchy skin, redness, or hives
Nausea or digestive upset
Migraines or headaches
Sudden flushing or hot sensations (that feel like hot flashes)

The Hormone Connection

Estrogen naturally increases histamine levels, while progesterone helps calm them down. In perimenopause, progesterone tends to fall earlier and faster than estrogen, which means you’re left with excess histamine. That’s why so many women suddenly notice that foods they used to tolerate (wine, aged cheese, fermented foods, chocolate, or tomatoes) start triggering symptoms during this stage.

But It’s Not Just Hormones

Here’s the part that often gets overlooked: your ability to break down histamine depends on the health of your gut and liver and also your genetics:

Gut health: If your microbiome is imbalanced, or if you’re dealing with things like parasites, candida, or leaky gut, your body produces less of the enzyme DAO (diamine oxidase), which is needed to clear histamine from food. Some gut bacteria even produce histamine themselves, adding more to the bucket.
Liver health & toxic load: Your liver also helps process histamine. But if it’s overloaded with toxins (from food, alcohol, medications, environmental exposures, mold, plastics, etc.), histamine clearance slows down. This creates a “backlog” that makes every little exposure feel more intense.
Genetics can tip the scales further: some women carry genetic variations that slow histamine breakdown - DAO in the gut, or HNMT (histamine-N-methyltransferase) in the liver and tissues. If these enzymes are less efficient for you, you may have always been sensitive, but perimenopause becomes the perfect storm: shifting hormones, reduced gut clearance, higher toxic exposures, and genetics all converging at once.

So when you layer hormone changes on top of a stressed-out gut and liver, you can end up histamine intolerant almost overnight. In reality, the capacity to clear histamine was already stretched thin - perimenopause just pushed it over the edge.

If you’re struggling with reflux, itching, flushing, headaches, or food sensitivities in perimenopause, don’t assume it’s “just your hormones.” Supporting gut health, lowering toxic load, and improving liver function can dramatically reduce histamine symptoms - and make this stage of life much smoother.

First steps if you suspect histamine intolerance:

Swap high-histamine foods (aged cheeses, wine, cured meats, leftovers) for fresher options.
Support gut health with gentle digestive support (chewing well, probiotics, fiber, and healing foods).
Reduce toxic load and exposure to allergens where you can (filtered water, indoor air filter, clean sleep support & personal care, less plastic).
Track your symptoms to spot patterns between food, stress, hormones, and reactions.
Seek support to test and address deeper triggers like gut infections or mold exposure.

A Quick Example From My Own Life

Right now, I’m working on clearing parasites - and let me tell you, they can cause major bloating, constipation, and discomfort. And here’s the thing: parasites aren’t just a “perimenopause problem.” We’re all exposed to them through food, water, pets, swimming in lakes or the ocean...

So if I were to simply blame my hormones for my bloating, I’d miss the bigger picture. The truth is, parasites are driving a lot of my current symptoms - and until I address them, no amount of hormone support would fix that.

And earlier in my journey, I struggled with severe candida overgrowth in my gut. My anxiety skyrocketed, my sleep was awful, and my skin constantly broke out. Those are all things you could easily connect to hormone imbalance or perimenopause. But in reality, my gut was overloaded with candida and the toxins they produce, which were stressing out my brain and nervous system. Once I got those levels down, my mood, sleep, and skin improved dramatically.

Where to Start Instead

Instead of just sighing “ugh, peri again,” take an objective look:

Boundaries: Are you overcommitted, overstimulated, or constantly “on”?
Nutrition: Are you eating foods that support steady energy and blood sugar, or relying on quick fixes?
Movement: Are you moving your body daily - in ways that support your nervous system, not just punish it?
Rest: Are you prioritizing sleep and downtime, or are you last on your own list?
Stress outlets: Do you have healthy ways to process emotions, or is your body holding it all in?

These may sound simple, but they’re often the hardest changes to make - because they require you to put yourself first, which many women haven’t done in years.

The Bottom Line?

Perimenopause is real. Hormonal shifts are real. But life is also happening at the same time - stress, grief, hidden infections, gut imbalances, and sometimes just the wear and tear of years of ignoring your body’s needs.

So yes, give yourself compassion when new symptoms pop up. But also give yourself honesty. Ask: is this really my hormones - or is my body asking me to finally slow down, change something, or dig deeper into what else might be going on?

You can’t blame peri for everything - but you can take back some power by owning the parts you can influence.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When a New Symptom Pops Up

Before you decide it’s just your hormones, pause and ask yourself:

What’s been happening in my life lately? Stress, grief, travel, illness, or even a big change in routine can all trigger symptoms.
How are my basics? Am I eating balanced meals, drinking enough water, moving daily, and getting enough sleep?
Is this really new - or has it been building up? Sometimes what feels like a “sudden” symptom has been simmering in the background for months.
Could something else be at play? Gut imbalances, parasites, nutrient deficiencies, infections, or toxins can mimic hormone symptoms.
Do I need to dig deeper or get support? If the symptom is persistent, getting testing or professional guidance can save you months (or years) of guessing.

✨ The point isn’t to dismiss perimenopause - but to widen your lens. When you ask these questions, you stop putting every new ache, pain, or mood swing into the “it’s just peri” box, and start uncovering what your body is really telling you.