Feeling Nauseous & Menopause

Menopause is typically begins once a woman has not had a menstrual period for at least 12 consecutive months. This is a normal consequence of aging and usually begins in women between their mid-40s and mid-50s, although it can start much earlier or later. Although not normally thought to be a consequence of menopause, nausea can be an issue during the time period leading up to menopause, known as perimenopause.

Symptoms

• The list of symptoms can can accompany perimenopause up through menopause is extensive and may include irregular heart beat, hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, gastro-intestinal disturbances, tinnitus, mood swings and nausea among many others. It is believed that many of these symptoms, including nausea, is cause by the natural depletion of the hormone, estrogen.

Estrogen

• The female hormone, estrogen, is thought to be responsible for the fat deposits that protect a woman's reproductive organs during the childbearing years. As the need for such protection diminishes with age, and the production of estrogen reduces, the resulting bio-chemical changes in the woman's body can result in feelings of nausea.

Progesterone

• Another hormone that goes through fluctuating levels during perimenopause and into menopause is progesterone. This hormone is necessary for balancing levels of sugar and electrolytes. It also helps to regulate blood pressure. The fluctuation of progesterone levels in a woman's system can cause nausea.

Fatigue

• One of the more common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause is extreme fatigue. Menopause-induced fatigue can result in dizziness that produces an odd sort of motion sickness which leads to nausea. Fatigue brought on by other symptoms of menopause, such as insomnia and night sweats, can also contribute to nausea.

Treatment

• For fatigue-induced nausea, relief can often be obtained by simply lying still in a dark room for a short period of time. Hormone-induced nausea may be treated with the application of a natural progesterone cream. If the nausea become more than a nuisance and interferes with normal life, a woman should consult her health care provider for appropriate treatment.