On 9 July at 9:09pm, I did something I never expected to do. I packed a small overnight bag, reluctantly bid my cats goodnight, and took myself to the hospital to get my heart checked.

I want to share this experience with you, not to alarm you, but because I know some of you are in the same stage of life as me, that in-between threshold where your body starts speaking a little louder. Where sleep changes. Where heat feels more intense. Where your nervous system feels like it is learning a new language overnight.

If you are in the beginning stages of perimenopause, or you suspect you might be, this is for you.

In the last week of June, I started having trouble falling asleep, and I was waking up exhausted. Hong Kong’s summer heat and humidity did not help, and by early July I began experiencing hot flushes through the day and night. My sleep became fragmented because I kept waking up to adjust the aircon, and I also noticed something else that surprised me, cold flushes. I did not even know that was a thing until a friend mentioned it.

The combination of disrupted sleep, constant temperature swings, and that “wired but tired” feeling can really mess with your resilience. It can also make it harder to hear what your body is actually asking for, because everything feels noisy.

A couple of days later I tried magnesium, hoping it would help me sleep. Instead, it seemed to do the opposite. I slept maybe two or three hours. I felt depleted, uncomfortable, and honestly confused. I remember thinking, what is going on?

As someone who works with the body every day, I still have moments where I realise I have been pushing through instead of pausing. That night was one of them.

The next day, while I was exhausted, weak, and likely dehydrated, I strained myself lifting equipment. I developed chest tightness along with soreness and cramping that got worse as the day went on. I tried to rest, hoping time would settle it, but when I woke up around 8pm the pain felt intense and my breathing felt uncomfortable, especially with deeper breaths.

I called my husband, and while I was talking, the cramping worsened. That was the moment I chose not to “wait and see” anymore. I decided to go to the hospital and get checked.

As I packed, I noticed something. Part of me wanted to spiral into worst-case scenarios. Heat stroke. Heart attack. Doom mode.

So I took a breath and asked my “ego mind” to step aside. I grounded into my body, I regulated my nervous system as best as I could, and I spoke to my body the way you speak to something wise. I reminded it what balance feels like, like muscle memory, and invited it to come back online. Not as a concept, as a sensation. Then I did the classic Asian thing. I told myself: “It’s probably nothing.” Then I packed an overnight bag anyway.

At the hospital, the doctor did an ECG, took blood and urine tests, and sent me for an X-ray. After about three hours, the results came back normal. My heart was fine. All my blood work was normal too. Thank goodness! My husband and I breathed a sigh of relief.

The doctor explained that the chest pain was most likely from the heavy lifting, a pulled muscle or ligament, or an irritated nerve. And because I had an upset stomach for the week leading up to it, they suspected the dizziness, nausea, and lightheadedness could have been linked to dehydration. I was advised to hydrate properly, and I was given electrolytes and painkillers. Panadol, of course. In Hong Kong, Panadol is basically a love language.

I am glad I went anyway, even though part of me suspected it was a strain. The pain had been worsening for 24 hours, and I knew I would not sleep if I did not seek medical care. There is no point spiralling into worry when you can take action in the moment, especially when it could be something serious.

And honestly, I think this is a form of self-care we do not talk about enough, the discernment to recognise when self-care is not another supplement or another tool, it is medical care. As a bioresonance therapist, I can support myself in so many ways, I can run a session on my machine, take an anti-inflammatory supplement, and give myself a lymph and fascia massage.

So this is my advice to you too, if you have chest pain, breathing difficulty, faintness, or anything that feels scary, please play it safe and see your doctor or go to the ER.

In speaking to my mom, my aunt, my friends and colleagues about symptoms of perimenopause, and looking back on my conversations with our clients who are on this age, I see a pattern that becomes more common in this stage of life:

And because Hong Kong summers can be relentless, dehydration can sneak up on you. Not just “I forgot to drink water” dehydration, but the deeper kind where your electrolytes and minerals are not supporting your fluid balance properly.

This is where it gets interesting, and where I want to bridge intuition with science.

Hydration is not only about water. It is also about minerals and electrolytes that help your body hold and use that water properly. If those are off, you can drink plenty and still feel depleted.

I am not saying every symptom is dehydration or mineral imbalance, and I am not here to diagnose anyone through a blog post. But I am saying this stage of life is a perfect time to stop guessing and start getting clearer data about what your body actually needs.

If you are in perimenopause and you feel like your body has changed the rules, you are not alone.

At Major Wellness, we can support you to explore what might be contributing to symptoms like fatigue, poor sleep, heat sensitivity, and that “something is off” feeling. One of the most helpful starting points for many clients is supplement testing, because it brings clarity. Instead of throwing random things at your body, we look for what is actually supportive for your system right now.

In session, we can also talk through your current symptoms, your lifestyle, your hydration habits, and what your body might be asking for in this phase. Sometimes the biggest shift is not one magic supplement, it is the right combination of hydration support, minerals, nervous system regulation, and consistent self-care.

This experience was a wake-up call for me. Not in a fear-based way, but in a deeply honest way.

It reminded me that self-care is not only the things we do when we have time. It is what we prioritise when we are busy, when we are tired, and when our body is whispering before it has to shout.

And this is one of the quiet, humbling lessons of perimenopause, your body often asks for a new relationship with you. Less force, more listening. Less pushing through, more honesty about what is actually true in the moment, including your limits. More rest, not as a reward for coping, but as a requirement for staying well.

And sometimes that new relationship starts in the most ordinary moment, noticing you are clenching your jaw, rushing your breath, skipping water, or treating exhaustion like a personal flaw. Perimenopause has a way of turning the volume up so you cannot ignore the signal anymore, and it invites you to respond with steadiness instead of panic.

I will be writing some follow-up articles on perimenopause, magnesium and dehydration, including practical guidance for staying hydrated through the hottest months, what to watch for, and how mineral balance can play a role in how you feel.

If this story resonated with you, and you are navigating similar shifts, I see you. Your body is not betraying you. It is communicating. We just need better tools, better support, and more gentleness as we ****learn to listen with curiosity, support ourselves wisely, and move through this chapter with more ease.

If you want a simple place to start with hydration and mineral support, here are a few options we stock at Detox-me:

This post is for educational purposes and reflects personal experience. It is not medical advice. If you have concerning symptoms, especially chest pain or breathing difficulties, seek urgent medical care.