TweakAWeek: Is alcohol quietly making YOUR perimenopause harder?
Let’s talk about the thing no one really wants to talk about: Alcohol.
For most of my adult life, I loved a night out. Not the casual glass of wine on the sofa. I was the “let’s go OUT out!” person. Loud. Fun. Rounds at the bar. No apologies.
So, this isn’t coming from a place of judgment. It’s coming from lived experience. At 46, I finally joined the dots. My perimenopause symptoms were out of control, anxiety, mood swings, itchy skin, the works and the one thing quietly making everything worse? Alcohol.
Now I’m nearly seven years sober. And honestly? I’m still the same sociable, funny, let’s-make-a-plan woman I always was. I just get to feel like me again, without the next-day regrets.
Why does alcohol hit harder after 40?
Here’s the truth no one told us in our 20s: Once you hit your 40s (and especially if you’re perimenopausal), alcohol affects your body differently. Your hormones are already doing the conga, and alcohol throws even more chaos into the mix.
It messes with your oestrogen, cortisol, and insulin
It disrupts your sleep, especially the deep restorative kind you actually need
It heightens anxiety (hello, 3am doom spirals)
It impacts your mood, brain function, and decision-making
It adds extra sugar and inflammation into a system that’s already more sensitive
Oh, and that “one fun night out” you had on Friday? Your body might still be recovering on Monday. It can take up to 72 hours to clear alcohol fully from your system. No wonder you feel foggy and frazzled.
But isn’t a drink “self-care”, it’s good to let your hair down? We’ve been sold the story that wine is a treat. A reward. A little moment of “me-time.” But when you’re in perimenopause, the payoff gets smaller and the cost gets bigger. If you’ve caught yourself thinking:
“I don’t feel like myself anymore. I’m flat. Foggy. Fed up.” It’s worth asking: Could alcohol be part of that?
The health reality
Even low levels of drinking increase the risk of certain cancers (especially breast cancer), and that risk rises with every extra drink. Alcohol also slows the liver’s ability to process oestrogen. Which means more hot flushes, night sweats, and hormonal chaos.
It affects bone health too, reducing your body’s ability to absorb calcium and putting you at higher risk of osteoporosis.
And let’s not forget the obvious: It’s packed with sugar and empty calories, sending you straight onto the blood sugar rollercoaster. If you are anything like me, drinking would also lead me to making poor food choices, at the time and for the following day, especially when my hangovers started to derail me.
The good news? Your body starts to bounce back fast. Most women I coach tell me they notice positive changes within days or weeks of cutting back on their alcohol consumption:
Better sleep
Clearer skin
Mood that feels more stable
Sharper thinking and better focus
More energy
A sense of self-trust (no more waking up thinking: “What did I say last night?”)
Personally? Quitting alcohol was the best decision I ever made. I’d burnt out and been signed off work and started taking antidepressants. (And thankfully things have moved on, if you’re suffering with perimenopausal symptoms, then HRT should be the start of the discussion with your GP). I realised that something had to give and for me, it was the booze. Since then, I’ve:
· Handled stress without numbing
· Slept like the Queenager I am
· Lost the guilt and self-loathing cycle
· Gained confidence, clarity, and real energy
· Navigated perimenopause with power, not panic
And the best bit? I still laugh my head off. I still go out, including regular visits to the pub, comedy nights and festivals. I still love people and parties. I just get to wake up without the feck-sh*t-what-did-I-say fog and NO HANGOVER head/belly!
Tweaks you can try this week
This isn’t about “all or nothing,” it’s about better choices that work for you right now and remembering to be kind to yourself. Here’s your #TweakAWeek strategy for reducing your alcohol consumption:
1. Have a drink plan - Decide before you go out how many drinks you’ll have. Start the night with a non-alcoholic drink, it slows your pace and puts you in charge of the night, not the other way round. Pro tip: Tell a trusted friend your plan because quiet accountability can be a game-changer.
2. BYOB (bring your own backup) - Take an alcohol-free drink with you if you’re heading to a mate’s house, or check the bar menu ahead of time. There’s loads of choice now; AF beers, cider, Nosecco, Fever-Tree tonics and zero gins. And nobody needs to know what’s in your glass. Bonus: You get all the fun, minus the regrets.
3. Rehearse a chill “no thanks” - You don’t owe anyone a big explanation of why you don’t want to do shots or join in on the bottle of wine. A relaxed “I’m good for now” or “pacing myself tonight” usually shuts down any pressure, or you can be honest and share that you’re reducing your alcohol consumption – maybe they’ll be inspired to join you! Extra hack: Plan something you love for the next morning, a walk, a swim, breakfast with a friend. Waking up clear-headed? That’s the real treat.
Want support?
If you’re curious about cutting back, or just want to feel more like you again, I can help. Because you don’t have to figure this out alone.
Ali
#TweakAWeek
