Fatigue is one of the most common problems that women mention as they are moving through the menopausal transition. The reasons can be numerous and multifaceted. The commonly thought of causes include:
繚 sleep disturbance from hot flashes, restless leg syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea.
繚 anemia from irregular and heavy menses in peri-menopause
繚 medication to treat disorders and diseases, these medications can often cause fatigue.
繚 thyroid disorders can cause fatigue, as the thyroid hormones are responsible for setting our metabolic rate (the rate at which our bodily functions work).
繚 depression and anxiety can cause fatigue, mostly through the chemicals in our brain not being in enough supply or in the correct proportion.
Let's talk about hormones and how they can affect fatigue. The steroid hormones are hormones produced for an action, production is stimulated by the brain, and they are meant for immediate use by the body. The hormones I will discuss are produced in both the ovaries and the adrenal glands. The hormones that are primarily responsible for the change in how you feel during menopause are:
- estrogen
- progesterone
- testosterone
- cortisol
- DHEA
- thyroid hormone T3 and T4
Cholesterol is the precursor for all of these hormones with the exception of thyroid hormones. Cholesterol is broken down into basically 2 parent compounds which then go through changes to become the above list with the exception of thyroid hormones.
One parent compound, pregnenolole eventually becomes
- DHEA,
- progesterone,
- cortisol
- aldosterone.
The other parent compound becomes Adrostenedione which eventually becomes
- testosterone,
- estradiol,
- estrone.
Why is this important for you to know this? Once you understand what might be going on, you can decide to make changes to help relieve yourself of some of the symptoms you are experiencing.
Prior to menopause, the production of these important hormones takes place in both the ovaries and the adrenal glands. Estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries and also in the adrenal glands, the rest are produced by the adrenals.
The adrenals are small organs which sit atop the kidneys. When the ovaries stop working, the production ofprogesterone starts a slow steady decline. The estrogen level falls rapidly but can also rise as the ovaries sputter along in their declining function.
Many symptoms of bloating, fatigue and mood disturbance can be linked to not enough progesterone early in peri-menopause. Hot flashes, brain fog and fatigue can be linked to fluctuating and then low levels of estrogen. Prior to menopause, healthy estrogen levels help the action of cortisol which also helps to prevent cortisol excess. When estrogen falls, it leaves the cortisol unopposed and therefor in excess.
Why is excess cortisol bad?
Excess amounts of cortisol for prolonged periods of time can cause the following ill effects:
- weaken the immune system
- slow healing and normal cell repair
- impair digestion
- break down healthy muscle and bone
- interfere with the normal function of other hormones
- interfere with sleep
- increase appetite
Cortisol is a very important hormone when it is needed for immediate action or a stress response. Today's stressful lifestyles can cause prolonged increase levels of cortisol and as a result, the above list of problems can occur.
So what can a person do to decrease the effects of hormonal changes and stress?
There is, of course, medication to treat the different symptoms. It can usually require several different medications to control or treat the different symptoms.The following are all suggestions sited by the experts on how to change your lifestyle to help facilitate relief:
- decrease your stress response through measures such as yoga, meditation, prayer, anger management counseling, therapeutic massage
- exercise-this helps lower cortisol, lowers blood pressure, helps with stress, helps the cardiovascular system and your muscles remain healthy
- sleep-studies have shown people who get less than 4-5 hours of sleep are 72% more likely to be obese. This is due to hormones also
- a diet low in sugars and refined carbohydrates can lower the entire cascade of hormones which help to create obesity and elevated cortisol levels.
- a diet high in fresh vegetables and fruits, preferably produced locally so nutrients have not degraded, provides you with healthy anti-oxidants and other substances which the cells of our bodies utilize for healthy functions.
It is important to understand that you can change much of what is happening during menopause that is undesirable through your lifestyle.
It takes work and change and many people do not want to do this. The rewards of making changes and gaining some element of control over what is happening to your body can be very empowering. Most people that successfully makes these changes have been immensely satisfied by the improvement of how they feel. So ask yourself, what is stopping you from making the changes you know you should make?
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