Menopause & Adrenal Insufficiency

The adrenal glands are vitally important in the operation of our body. These glands produce three hormones, including epinephrine, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone. Without these essential hormones, we would have grave difficulty coping with the stresses in our life. However, the adrenal glands can become fatigued and completely worn out. When that happens, they no longer operate sufficiently and efficiently, according to Safemenopausesolutions.com. As a result, too much, or too little, of these hormones can be produced.

Cortisol: Good and Bad

• If you are suffering from adrenal insufficiency, cortisol levels will be very high during the day and continue to rise at night. When this happens, it is referred to as hyperadrenia. Cortisol can be beneficial because it tames inflammation, increases your energy levels and your appetite and moderates your body's immune systems. However, if cortisol is continuously too high or too low, you may eventually experience osteoporosis (porous bone disease), which is a real concern for post-menopausal women. Other outcomes of extreme cortisol levels include weight gain, fluid retention, high blood sugar, kidney damage, adrenal insufficiency, yeast infections, atrophy of the muscles, cancer and allergies. You may also be at risk for contracting viruses, bacteria or parasites.

Get It Under Control Early On

• If your adrenal fatigue isn't diagnosed early on and treated appropriately, it can lead to a pattern of cortisol rising and falling unevenly as it attempts to balance itself. These attempts are sometimes futile because the adrenals are interrupted by factors such as carbohydrates and caffeine consumptions. The result is that the hormonal level is still not normal and continues to be too high at night. If you're "wired," you're not going to be able to sleep, and will be exhausted the next day.

Total Adrenal Exhaustion

• When you reach the advanced stage, the adrenals are completely done in and cortisol is never at the correct level.

Epinephrine

• If you are badly stressed and it never eases up, your adrenals will be constantly producing the "fight or flight" hormone, which is epinephrine. This is the hormone that makes your heart pound and the blood rush to your heart and muscles. You are able to tolerate more pain when you're getting a blast of epinephrine. Your brain begins functioning more quickly. However, too much epinephrine is not good for an individual. It should only be summoned in an emergency. If you are in a continual state of epinephrine-induced frenzy, the adrenal medulla will stop functioning efficiently because it is totally exhausted.

DHEA

• The adrenals also produce the hormone DHEA, or debydroepiandrosterone, which helps us resist disease and repair faster and builds our proteins. DHEA is necessary for the production of androgen and testosterone (male hormones that females also have), and estrogen. If a woman's adrenals are exhausted, she will experience a more difficult transition through menopause than will the woman whose adrenals are functioning properly.

Weight Gain

• Your stress level may increase when you are going through perimenopause or are in complete menopause; as a result, you may put on weight, according to Bodylogicmd.com. When you are under unrelenting stress, your body resorts to panic mode, which prevents you from losing weight. The body begins to store food because the stress hormones are telling it that you won't be eating again for a very long time.