Mood Swings With Menopause

When hormones are in flux, which happens during perimenopause, the period leading up to menopause, this can cause mood swings, just as raging hormones cause premenstrual syndrome. Females' hormones--estrogen, progesterone and even testosterone--control the levels of serotonin in their brains.

Serotonin

• Serotonin is a chemical that allows people to be happy and find pleasure in life. Serotonin, according to Epigee, manipulates mood. If serotonin level drops, so will mood. Feelings of anger, sadness, depression and lethargy may result.

Estrogen

• According to Dr. Aleksander Strande, estrogen is the culprit when menstruating women end up with raging PMS. However, estrogen can also do a number on women who are menopausal. Rather than being deficient in estrogen, women are more likely to experience estrogen dominance, or overload, along with low levels of progesterone, both of which play an integral part in females' reproductive cycles. Dr. Strande notes that the World Health Organization has determined that post-menopausal women, who are overweight, have more estrogen in their bodies than thin, pre-menopausal women.

Overdose of Estrogen

• Ironically, because the long-held belief is that mid-life women are deficient in estrogen, rather than filled with it (too much, in fact) this often ends in misdiagnosis of their condition. Women are often put on hormone replacement therapy or told to take oral contraceptives, which are full of hormones, increasing their already soaring estrogen levels. This is when emotions can go through the roof. This type of drug therapy can increase estrogen levels 100 times, according to Dr. Strande.

Outcome

• When women are misdiagnosed and are given more estrogen, this can result in anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings, insomnia, lethargy and flat out anger. Additionally, if taking oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy, this can steal vital nutrients, including folic acid, B vitamins, Vitamins E and C, zinc, selenium and magnesium, which isn't beneficial to women.

Things That Can Go Wrong

• Estrogen serves to block the release of hormones from the thyroid gland. If women have way too much estrogen in their system, this can result in a sluggish thyroid condition known as "hypothyroidism." If women have this condition, they may gain weight, have menstrual irregularities, depression, mood swings, lethargy and mental fogginess. Additionally, estrogen may cause the adrenals to produce cortisol, which is the stress hormone. A big dose of cortisol is not good. It can lead to bone loss (osteoporosis) and aging of the brain. If your adrenal glands are over-worked, they become fatigued, and this can result in all of the above symptoms, as well as crying jags and night sweats.

Awareness

• Being aware of your hormones fluctuating and extreme moodiness is the first step to dealing with any negativity related to menopause. Many women experience the same thing. You can make an effort to combat the mood swings by eating right, avoiding alcohol and too much caffeine, and, of course, regularly exercising. Exercising several times a week for even less than 30 minutes at a time can elevate your moods and sidetrack you from thinking about all of the bad stuff in your life. A proper diet can lift your serotonin levels. Good foods to eat include complex carbohydrates that are found in peas and beans. Hot milk actually helps raise serotonin levels. Snacking throughout the day can keep your energy levels up and tamp down the fluctuating hormones--just don't snack on bad stuff.