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Thyroid & Menopause

The thyroid is a hormone producing gland that can dysfunction causing similar symptoms associated with menopause. It can also have additional symptoms. Thyroid dysfunction or disease coupled with menopause worsens shared symptoms making it vital to identify and treat.

  1. Common Thyroid Dysfunction and Menopause Symptoms

    • Shared symptoms of both thyroid disease and menopause include anxiety, depression, skin and hair changes, poor memory, low sex drive, fatigue, mood swings and insomnia.

    Thyroid Dysfunction and Menopause Symptom Differences

    • There are some differences that can help differentiate if thyroid disease is present either in tandem with menopause or on its own. Symptoms including neck pain, eye lash loss, eye brow loss, leg and arm swelling and significant weight gain are indicative of a thyroid problem and not related to menopause.

    When Symptoms Start

    • Menopause usually starts between the ages of 45 and 52 where thyroid disease normally starts between 35 and 65. So both conditions could easily coincide.

    Thyroid and Menopause Combined Symptoms

    • In a woman, the thyroid is part of a complicated hormonal balance that includes the thyroid and ovaries, so when the hormone balance is affected by menopause and thyroid dysfunction, the symptoms are worse than with menopause alone.

    Testing

    • To lessen the symptoms of hormonal imbalance due to thyroid issues combined with menopause, women should talk to their physicians who will be able to test for thyroid disease.

    Treatment

    • To help alleviate symptoms or both thyroid and menopause, a physician will advise the patient on her options that may include a combination of nutritional evaluation, stress management, medications, herbal supplements and exercise.

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