What’s going on with my mood these days?

I work with a lot of women who have entered their perimenopausal, or menopausal years. I've blogged before about perimenopause, and the "fun" symptoms that often accompany these transitional years. Perimenopause is defined as the years leading up to true menopause, when a woman is still having (mostly) regular periods. She may start to notice that her cycles are shortening, or that she now experiences spotting for several days before her period starts. More often, women in the perimenopausal years come to me because they've noticed a worsening of PMS symptoms. These often include anger, irritability, sadness and anxiety.

It’s no surprise to hear that our eggs lose their youthfulness as we age, but so do the follicles that the eggs grow in. And, it’s the follicle remnant (corpus luteum) that produces progesterone in the second half (luteal phase) of our menstrual cycle. As we age, the amount of progesterone produced decreases. So, in a perimenopausal woman you may have a normal follicular phase (first half of the cycle) but a shortened (or absent) luteal phase, leading to disruptions in the estrogen/progesterone balance. So, if this sounds like you, there are things we can do to support healthy hormones that can keep these symptoms in check.

What about hot flashes and night sweats?

These symptoms are more likely to be due to shifting estrogen levels, which typically happens the closer you get to true menopause (when your periods stop for at least 12 months). Although many perimenopausal women experience them the week before menses as well. But, if you're having hot flashes during the day, we need to address the estrogen component of this equation! Thankfully, there are number of botanical options to consider that can help keep hot flashes and night sweats at bay. As most experiences of menopause are very individual, there isn't a one-sized fits all approach to choosing herbal medicine, so we will need to work together to find the right options for you.

But also give these suggestions a try:

Reduce alcohol and caffeine. I know, not fun. But if you do nothing else you'll likely see an improvement with this change alone.
Exercise: Find time for 30-45 minutes 3-5 per week. Several studies have found that exercise reduces the severity and frequency of menopausal symptoms!
Eat Plant Protein: Add beans, lentils and other legumes to your diet at least 3-5 times per week. These plant proteins contain phytoestrogens which act as estrogen modulators.
Flax, every day!: 1-2 Tbsp of ground flax can go a long way towards fewer symptoms!
Relax: Stress increases heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to an upwards shift in body temperature. This shift often triggers a hot flash, so let’s work to keep you relaxed.

I’d love to help you feel better. Most women I see report a significant improvement in their symptoms in as little as 3 weeks.