Gwyneth Paltrow Says Her Menopause Symptoms Were 'Out Of Control'

Oscar-winning actor Gwyneth Paltrow recently shared her experience with menopause, revealing how symptoms like anxiety and insomnia have affected her life. Speaking on the Goop podcast, the 52-year-old actor admitted that while she usually manages her symptoms well, there was a time when stress led her to turn to alcohol.

Insomnia, Anxiety: Gwyneth Paltrow Opens Up About Menopause Struggles

Paltrow recalled how the wildfires in Los Angeles took a toll on her mental well-being, pushing her to drink more than usual. “I think I drank every night,” she admitted, explaining that alcohol became a temporary escape during that difficult period. However, she acknowledged that drinking was only making her menopause symptoms worse.

She has since cut back significantly on alcohol. “Now I don’t drink at all,” she shared, adding that she may allow herself a drink once a week.

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One of the biggest challenges Paltrow faced during menopause was difficulty sleeping, something she had never experienced before. “I have been a real sleeper. There were nights where my anxiety, like, I just thought it meant, ‘Oh, you're not going to be able to sleep because you don't have enough progesterone or whatever.”

Along with insomnia, Paltrow described how menopause triggered intense anxiety, causing her to dwell on past regrets. “I would be up, like, for six hours,” she said. “Thinking about every mistake I've ever made, every person's feelings I ever hurt, like, every bad, you know. It was crazy.”

Despite these challenges, the actor remains hopeful that she is moving past the worst of it. “I feel like hopefully I’m coming out the other side,” she shared.

Paltrow's candid discussion sheds light on the often-overlooked emotional and mental struggles of menopause. Additionally, while sharing the podcast on her social media, she wrote that she hopes to normalise these conversations and encourage others to seek support, "Too many women enter perimenopause feeling unprepared and without the support they need. We discuss why perimenopause and menopause are still widely misunderstood—from myths about hormone therapy to gaps in medical education—and how focusing on yourself can change everything: your confidence, relationships, and even your sex life."

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