Alright – I know what you’re thinking “You’re too young to be in menopause!”. I would love to tell you that you’re correct – but honestly, that would be a lie. Truth is, you can go into menopause at any point. I’ve heard of people going into menopause in their early 20s! Based around my cycle, I started to go into menopause about 4-5 years ago, though since peri-menopause is symptom based it was overlooked until I got some other symptoms (plus who thinks their cycle and period changing is because of menopause when you’re in your 20s? I totally contributed it to stress at one point, working out more at another, etc.).

That being said – I thankfully don’t have too bad of symptoms overall. Enough that my doctor could tell me I’m in it but I’m not far enough along to have my hormone levels impacted on any day but maybe the 3rd day of my period. For those that aren’t aware, that is apparently the magic day to test your hormones – on the flip side, I don’t always have a 3rd day of my period anymore so getting that blood work wasn’t really possible.

I do have some symptoms though, and those are things that impact my travels so I’m here today to talk about how I deal with them. I’ll do another post at some point about traveling with my period in general, since that’s probably relevant to more people.

Let me start though by saying that I do not take medications to assist with hormone control. There are a couple of reasons for that. One is that I found out about it fairly close to when I moved and didn’t have a chance to find options that would work well for me before I left Virginia and it wasn’t a priority in South Carolina before I left the country – mainly because the options I did try in Virginia made it worse. The Second is that I get auras with my migraines and that makes hormone anything a bit more tricky as it can put me at a higher risk for stroke. When I attempted some options in Virginia, I ended up with worse headaches and migraines along with the other symptoms that didn’t change. For those curious about the process that led me to finding out I was in peri-menopause, comment below! I’m willing to talk about it, but that’s not the point of this post so I won’t go into details here as it was about a year long process.

But anyway! Let’s get into the actual travel side of things since that’s what we actually care about. First off, my two biggest annoying symptoms with peri-menopause that impact my travels are:

1. Irregular period
2. Hot flashes / night sweats

Irregular Period

Many people deal with an irregular period – many get put on birth control to help regulate it. As I mentioned before, I can’t really do that since the hormones can cause me to have issues with my headaches/migraines or put my general health at risk. For me, my peri-menopausal irregular periods are seen though A) not being able to tell exactly when my period will start. My cycle will go from 24 days to 39 days – though thankfully typically it’s a bit less of a drastic change. B) the length of my period. For most women the average period lasts 3-5 days. It used to be about 5-7 days for me. I am now at about 1.5-2.5 days. It’s rare I get a period that lasts over 3 days, though I do sometimes spot a couple days later after it ended.

So how do I handle that? Do you just wear a pad all the time? Nope! That would be annoying. Though I do sometimes wear a liner if I feel like it’s coming soon (all reusable to limit waste and save money, especially while traveling!).

Honestly, I still track my period just like I have for years. I highly suggest one of the many period tracking apps that are out there for every woman with a period – it helped the doctor figure out that I was in peri-menopause and obviously there is always that question of “when was your last period” that is asked when you go to the doctor. Having that information on hand can be so helpful! But tracking it can help with my irregular period – while it isn’t always correct, it can give me a timeframe to work with. I pay attention to my body in general – there are always signs that a period could be approaching (headaches, cramps, body aches, tender breasts, diarrhea, etc.) and while it can be tough when traveling to pinpoint what is just from walking a million steps and what could be my body prepping to murder the lining of my uterus – it helps.

The other thing I do is as I’m approaching my period, I go to the bathroom more often – even when I know I don’t need to go. That sounds silly, but you can often pinpoint that your period is starting before you really see it. Checking the toilet paper, checking in the shower. I’m looking for tell-tale signs, typically seen in brown (oxidized / old) blood, that my period is about to come full force so that I can be ready for it. It doesn’t always work – let’s be real, who hasn’t ruined a set of underwear? – but it mostly works.

Hot Flashes / Night Sweats

The most annoying part of being peri-menopause (and actually what caused me to seek answers) is the hot flashes and night sweats. I don’t get them as bad/frequently as some women do – and for that I’m thankful. But I do get them! Most often I see them at night, but I will get them during the day sometimes too. They are a pain, they’ve been a pain since I first started to get them a couple years ago. But they’re more annoying traveling purely because air conditioning isn’t in use everywhere I go. The number of hostels that I have seen that don’t have AC far out numbers the ones that do. And the truth is, if you want AC you’re going to have to pay more for it. In some countries and seasons – I don’t bother – but in others I know that if I don’t I won’t last. Especially if I have a flare up. (I’m looking at Thailand…)

That being said – there are answers that don’t involve spending more in the day to day. One option is to have a re-freezable icepack. Many hostels will have a fridge that you can put it in (some will have a freezer) and then at night, just stick it behind your neck and it cools your entire body. I’ve fallen asleep like that multiple times. I just suggest one of the packs that have a soft felt side to it so that you don’t have to also wrap it in a towel to protect your skin. The lower back is another good place to put it along with by your feet. Even if you can’t refreeze it, having it spend some time in a fridge or running it under cool water for a while can be enough to help.

The best thing I use is actually a small portable and rechargeable fan that my staff got for me before I left Virginia. It is by far the most helpful thing! Obviously, I can use it throughout the day, and the one I have even triples as a flashlight and a portable charger, but the biggest boon for me is actually at night. I have used it multiple times in hostels. I’ll hook it to the bottom of the bunk above me, or will loop the carry strap around my water bottle sitting on a shelf, or have it sticking out of my backpack, and point it directly at me. I typically try to not aim for my face at night as that could lead to getting sick or at least stuffy – just like if you have the AC on too much – but this little fan has two speeds and even its slower speed tends to be enough to make a difference. As an added bonus it’s not really loud so it doesn’t disturb others (though in the quiet of a hostel room it can definitely seem louder to me than it is). 

Other Symptoms

There are other symptoms that I have. Brain fog, mood swings, body aches, and fatigue for instance. But honestly, these aren’t unique to periods and menopause so I’m not going into them in this post – though interestingly enough, I never got mood swings with my period until I entered into peri-menopause. Maybe I’ll talk about how I combat them in a future post – if you’re interested let me know!

Conclusion

Traveling with a period sucks. Traveling with peri-menopause sucks. But not traveling would suck more so finding ways to mitigate the issues is priceless.

Hopefully these tips that I use can help someone else that wants to travel but is worried about them holding you back. And remember – someone’s age doesn’t decide whether they can go into menopause, so pay attention to the signs and talk to a doctor if you’re concerned! It might not be menopause, but ignoring your body doesn’t help anyone.

Comment below with your own tricks and tips for traveling with menopause! And if you have any questions – feel free to ask them too.