Perimenopause? How to prevent one drink from leaving you tipsy & anxious?

I had one Baileys recently and felt light-headed almost immediately.

I am not even a drinker — but still?

At first, I thought it was just a "me thing."

Then, a friend going through perimenopause shared her symptoms

and also said she would get tipsy after a glass of wine?

So I did some research to understand whether perimenopause might explain why alcohol affects us differently.

How Perimenopause Changes the Way Alcohol Affects You

1. Your hormones are fluctuating

During perimenopause, alcohol enters the body with hormone estrogen levels that rise and fall unpredictably.

Estrogen influences the same brain systems that affect:

• mood

• calmness

• focus

• temperature regulation

  
  

When estrogen levels are lower, drinking alcohol will feel different. You may notice a stronger reaction, mood swings, or poorer sleep.”

2. You may feel more anxious after drinking

Alcohol can make you feel more relaxed initially.

But as alcohol leaves your system, stress hormones like cortisol can rise.

If estrogen is too low to balance that out, instead of feeling calm, you may experience:

• anxiety

• irritability

• restlessness

• a "wired but tired" feeling

3. The body breaks down alcohol more slowly with age

During perimenopause, your body may take longer to process alcohol.

This means:

• Alcohol stays in your bloodstream longer

• You feel the effects faster.

• You recover more slowly

Even with small amounts.

4. Hormonal changes reduce total body water

This one is surprising but essential.

As oestrogen declines, your total body water decreases.

Less water = alcohol becomes more concentrated in your system.

So the same drink you tolerated before now produces a higher blood-alcohol level.

This explains why you may feel drunk more quickly — or feel tipsy after just a few sips.

5. Your liver may be working harder during perimenopause.

   
   

The liver is responsible for processing around 90% of the alcohol you drink.

However, during perimenopause, it often has much more to deal with than before.

At this stage of life, the liver may also be busy:

• processing medications

• processing supplements

• clearing excess oestrogen

• managing stress hormones

When your liver is "busy," alcohol takes longer to break down — meaning you feel more stronger effects from drinking it.

What you can do to counteract alcohol hitting harder in perimenopause

 

• Drink water alongside alcohol (for example, one glass of water per drink).

• Choose lower‑alcohol options or smaller serves.

• Avoid drinking on an empty stomach.

• Include protein, fibre and healthy fats before or with alcohol to slow absorption.

Conclusion

Changes due to perimenopause affect how your brain, liver, stress and water in the body. This is why the same alcoholic drink can now hit harder, making you tipsy, lightheaded, feel more uncomfortable, lead to anxiety or slower recovery.

If you would like support, navigating perimenopause — without judgement or embarrassment, I invite you to join my free community.

👉 Join the Perimenopause Victors Club

If you would like a copy of the free eBook Overcoming Anxiety in Perimenopause, pick one up here