Menopause and Brain Health
Menopause often comes with a myriad of symptoms beyond the hallmark hot flashes, including insomnia (and the dreaded 3 am waking), depression, anxiety, brain fog, and cognitive changes, mood changes, sexual changes, weight gain, joint and muscle pain, changes in hair, skin changes, teeth, vision, and so much more, as well as increased risks for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, and dementia.
Perimenopause can last around 4 years and these are often the most symptomatic years for women due to significant fluctuations in hormone and chemical levels. This is often the best time to take action to smooth out the transition and put preventive measures in place to ease the symptoms produced by these fluctuations and ensure proper protection around the systems that are at increased risk after menopause (cardiovascular, neurological, bones).
On the bright side, 51% of women say they’re happier and more fulfilled than in their 20s-40s and 75% of women reported making some kind of lifestyle change at menopause and many women decide this is the perfect time to start focusing on themselves and overhaul their health.
While we often focus on hormonal fluctuations being responsible for menopausal symptoms, neurotransmitters also play an important role. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that regulate the nervous system and emotional responses.
Mood and cognitive changes are amongst the top complaints of perimenopausal women which may include difficulty recalling words, names, anecdotes and numbers, difficulty concentrating and feeling easily distracted. This can often lead to unnecessary concerns about signs of early dementia.
The neurotransmitters:
Serotonin is responsible for controlling your mood, sleep, pain and stress perception.
Serotonin symptoms include hot flashes, aches and pains, bowel and bladder issues, anxiety, depression, insomnia, racing mind, emotional numbness, lack of interest and motivation, changes in appetite, like decrease interest in food, obsessive compulsive traits, and thoughts of escaping your current circumstances.
Dopamine is associated with the reward centers of the brain, motivation, cognition, sleep, mood, attention, learning and movement.
High dopamine can result in paranoia, while low dopamine can result in mood swings, anxiety, depression, loss of interest, wanting to isolate yourself, addictive behaviors, and forgetfulness.
Norepinephrine and epinephrine regulate your fight or flight response.
Imbalances can result in changes in attention, heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar.
Why might these levels be off?
Much of our ability to make and break down neurotransmitters is influenced by our genetics, but they are also greatly affected by hormone levels. Estrogen and progesterone are regarded as neuroprotective hormones, so when these levels drop, neurotransmitter levels also suffer.
How do we determine if the problem is hormones or neurotransmitters, or both?
There are specialty tests available that allow us to test hormone and neurotransmitters simultaneously to determine the exact cause of the symptoms someone may be experiencing.
How do we correct these things?
Ensuring vitamin D levels are adequate (ideally 50-80, which is often not what conventional lab ranges say) as vitamin D is a rate limiting nutrient for serotonin production.
Ensuring adequate levels of the amino acids that neurotransmitters are made from and the vitamin and mineral cofactors that are required.
L-Theanine has been shown to decrease depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances and cognitive impairments.
GABA helps you fall asleep faster and improve overall sleep quality.
Massage increases serotonin and dopamine by 28% and 31%, respectively, so be sure to treat yourself!
Perimenopause and menopause do not have to be a dreaded transition in a woman’s life. Women’s symptoms are often disregarded by doctors or they’re told to suffer in silence. With the right investigation around what is actually causing their symptoms and individualized treatment, it is possible for this to be a time to elevate health and not just be something women suffer through.