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Post-Menopause Hormone Imbalance

Menopausal women are likely to be diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance, which is an abnormal state. The goal is to try to restore hormonal balance so that you feel better. A woman is considered fully menopausal when she has gone 365 days or one year without a menstrual period. At the same time, she is considered post-menopausal.

  1. Thyroid Disorder

    • More than one-fifth of all menopausal women in the United States are diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, according to Womentowomen.com. More often than not, the diagnosis is a sluggish thyroid, which is called hypothyroidism. This condition frequently pops up during perimenopause.

    What Happens as Women Age

    • Dr. Richard Shames, a graduate of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania who has been in private practice for 25 years, explains that low thyroid function is often overlooked in menopausal women. Low thyroid function is common as a woman ages, and ironically, more thyroid hormone is needed during the perimenopause and menopause transition period. When there isn't enough thyroid hormone produced, an imbalance occurs.

    Over-Hypothyroidism

    • A woman may have borderline low thyroid function and then slip into overt-hypothyroidism with the onset of menopause. If she is taking hormone replacement therapy, the estrogen increases globulin, which ties up the thyroid hormone in her bloodstream. This bound hormone can’t enter into the cells and do the metabolic work that it is supposed to.

    Hormonal Fluctuation

    • If you are terribly symptomatic during perimenopause and menopause, hypothyroidism can worsen your symptoms, which are caused in large part by fluctuating and then diminishing levels of estrogen and progesterone. Synthetic thyroid can treat this condition or a non-prescription thyroid booster can be added.

    Potential

    • Correcting a thyroid malfunction with medicine may return your system to normal and your other menopause symptoms might not be as egregious. If you are taking HRT, you may need less estrogen to control your symptoms. Thyroid medication can also ease other menopausal symptoms such as insomnia, irritability and atrophic vaginitis.

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