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Why Do You Get Fatigued in Menopause?

by | Last updated: Apr 5, 2022 | Menopause, Women's Health | 0 comments

During menopause, you have many different symptoms related to your declining sex hormones, including fatigue. Fatigue can be both physical and mental exhaustion. While fatigue can occur at any age, it affects over 85% of post-menopausal women and over 46% of peri-menopausal women, compared to less than 20% of pre-menopausal women. 

What causes menopausal fatigue?

The root of fatigue is often complex in menopause. Fatigue can worsen by the fact that most menopausal women have trouble sleeping. If you’re not able to sleep, of course, you’re going to be more fatigued during the day. 

But the main issue is that as your estrogen and progesterone levels start to bottom out, your hypothalamus gets unbalanced. And it’s your hypothalamus that controls your metabolic rate, or how fast your cells produce energy. If you produce energy very slowly, then you don’t have enough energy to do the things that you would like to do. You also feel mentally and physically fatigued.

Your hypothalamus directs your energy production by controlling thyroid function, adrenal function, and glucose metabolism. Plus, your hypothalamus controls melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Which directly controls mitochondrial energy output. When your sex hormones bottom out in menopause, your hypothalamus no longer properly regulates your cellular energy production.

Can HRT help? 

Hormone replacement therapy can help to balance your hypothalamus. Which will help with your fatigue. Estrogen is particularly helpful with fatigue because it helps stimulate insulin receptors. Which in turn help to get glucose into your cells. This allows you to burn more energy.

Estrogen also helps to calm your hypothalamus down so that your metabolism is a little bit higher. 

What alternative therapies help menopause fatigue?

When you support your hypothalamus with nutraceuticals, it can make a huge difference. It will increase your energy. When you calm down the unbalance in your hypothalamus, caused by menopause, you naturally increase your ability to produce energy. 

Be sure your diet is rich in B vitamins, which your cell mitochondria use to produce energy. Although B vitamins are naturally found in many foods, they are destroyed by processing, alcohol, and cooking. Your body cannot store water-soluble B vitamins. So you need to eat foods rich in B vitamins daily. Foods rich in B vitamins include whole grains, eggs, meat, and poultry. As well as fish, legumes, citrus fruits, avocados, and liver.

Exercise has also been shown to increase mitochondrial activity. It trains your cells to make more energy naturally. It may take a little time to increase energy production through exercise. When you improve your sleep habits it will also help increase energy. Make sure that you are sleeping in the dark and that you are not on digital screens after dusk. That will interfere with melatonin production.

Between Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, hypothalamic support, and lifestyle changes, you can combat menopausal fatigue. 

If you have any questions regarding menopausal fatigue, please join us in our Hormone Support Group. Which you can access this when you sign up for my free Hormone Reboot Training below. I hope you’ll join us!

About the Author - Deborah Maragopoulos FNP

Known as the Hormone Queen®️, I’ve made it my mission to help everyone – no matter their age – balance their hormones, and live the energy and joy their DNA and true destiny desires. See more about me my story here…

     

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