MENOPAUSE: "A True Story"
- Cristina R. de La Mar, M.S., L.Ac., Doula
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
It's 8 am on my 50th Birthday and I'm sitting on my bed weeping. My poor husband is beside himself trying to understand why his announcement of a "surprise" day-long outing to NYC has me crying? I cry even harder when he presents me with a beautiful assortment of "50" small gifts - ranging from a kazoo with sheet music . . . to a dainty pair of artsy, pave-diamond earrings. They're beautiful! Now I'm full-on wailing. . .
In truth I had no idea why I was crying. I just knew that I felt overwhelmed, my clothes felt too tight and nothing fit comfortably. I was bone tired as I hadn't slept well for many months, and I literally could NOT imagine making the train ride into New York City. . .
How thoughtless of him to take me out for my birthday!
As it happened, that day also marked a full year since I'd had a menstrual cycle.
I was officially in menopause . . .
Over the previous few years my cycles had become increasingly irregular. The months I skipped a cycle left me feeling like a monstrous rainstorm that couldn't release. Sometimes I wore two bras to ease breast discomfort. I couldn't drink a simple glass of wine without feeling hungover. I lost my car keys . . . constantly. "You mean theeeese keys" taunts my Niece as she dangles the keys she just pulled out of the freezer. True story.
My hot flashes were comical - I frequently hot "flashed" my puzzled husband, spontaneously flinging off my clothes while cooking, watching a movie or working at the computer. Whatever! It was my body, I was hot! Besides which, he never complained.
Having finally hit full-on menopause (a year with no menses), I was relieved but wiped out. I remember thinking: "Great, now it's over, I made it through!" Going forward would be easier I reasoned; I was done with the "hard part." I'd figure it out from here on, after all I'm a healthcare Practitioner . . . I specialize in Women's Health for god's sake . . . . . . . I can do this!!!
Fast forward through the next five years of manic researching, learning and experimenting. I just wanted to thrive, feel more energy and stay healthy. As a Practitioner, I also wanted to pass what I was learning along to my patients. I dove deeper into optimizing exercise and nutrition for peri and post menopause; utilized acupuncture and herbal remedies as powerful and effective staples; engaged intermittent fasting, meditation, stayed low starch / low sugar, and worked hard to stay up-to-date on menopause health and wellness protocols.
I dug deeper into trail running, the steeper, the higher, the better. I re-immersed myself into Kickboxing, a life-long love of mine that I'd laid aside for some years. I found joy in trying to figure it out. I preached what I'd learned to my patients.
It was a delicate balance - I had to work so much harder to stay fit, get enough sleep, feel mentally / emotionally grounded. Yet, veering off my tightly controlled pathway had consequences. A late night out, getting sick, or a stressor I hadn't planned for - all took me down for a bit . . . but I eventually got back up. I was managing my weight, my sleep, my emotions - still with some forgetfulness, still with a good bit of "moodiness," . . . .
but I was okay . . . . . . . . . . . until I wasn't.
I've since learned that hitting "menopause" didn't mean ALL my hormones had run out, there just weren't enough of them to keep on menstruating. The residual hormones I did have, (Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA) would continue to decline over the coming years. Unbeknownst to me, throughout those years my body and brain were changing. Precious brain cells were losing their former protective hormonal inputs; my skin, muscles and joints were missing out on their anti-inflammatory and histamine-regulating benefits; and with declining hormones, my bones had begun to reflect "age-related bone loss." Who knew hormones played such a significant role! I didn't.
Even while I was making it through - my consistent complaint to my doctor were mysterios bouts of "deathly fatigue," and "just not feeling like myself." My doctor was concerned but could not pinpoint a cause. My labs were starting to skew, I gained a little more stubborn weight, my cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar were all creeping up - but nothing determinate. Given my family history (extreme rates of maternal-side cancer) - during those years I rotated through a whole host of doctors exploring my fatigue - an Oncological Hematologist, Surgical Oncologist, Breast Oncologist, Allergist and an Immunologist.
All the while my risk for heart, bone, muscle, joint and brain health issues would continue to increase, as my body's hormone production waned further, year by year. I knew none of this at the time - and not one of the multiple MD's and Specialists I saw said a word about it. Not once. I look back at this time in fury . . . why didn't anyone tell me!
Then, along came the COVID era. I turned 56 that year. Our small healthcare business was hard hit. My stress skyrocketed, and evidently, I had no reserves. This was my tipping point - when everything blew up.
Over the next several years I broke several bones, was twice hospitalized with sepsis, began having allergic reactions to things I'd never reacted to, and rashes that could be pinned to nothing. Everyone was stumped. My well-researched exercise, nutrition and fitness strategies were no longer working for me. I gained weight regardless. Non-specific anxiety now plagued me at strange intervals, and I spent those years unable to sleep through a night. My cholesterol skyrocketed, my blood pressure soared and I was often tired and cranky. Even while my motivation waned, I dragged on. I had family-commitments, a business to run, friendships to maintain, an aging Mother with dementia . . . . . the list goes on. I seemed to have no resilience.
The final straw was getting out of bed on a freezing cold February morning to discover that I COULD NOT WALK. I'd been perfectly fine the day prior - no injury, no overstretching, no over exercising . . . but that morning I literally . . . I could not walk! My right hip and lower back had seized up in excruciating pain, my body gave out, and I sat on the floor in tears.
So . . . you might be thinking, does mid-life hormone decline really have anything to do with all of this? That's a really wide range of symptoms! I mean, come on . . . hip pain!?
How in the world can that relate to hormones?
Well, it does . . . It did . . . and over the next few years I found out how. . .
To be continued in Part II
To learn more about the "why" behind the"symptoms" SEE REFERENCES BELOW
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REFERENCES
Hot Flashes - Peri & Post Menopausal: The main hormonal reason for hot flashes is a drop in estrogen, which confuses the hypothalamus in the brain, the body's thermostat. This hormonal fluctuation, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, causes the hypothalamus to mistakenly think the body is too hot and trigger a cooling response, like blood vessel dilation, sweating, and a flushed appearance.
Menopause Defined: Menopause is the natural biological process marking the end of a woman's reproductive years, defined as 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. This occurs when the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone, leading to symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep problems. The hormonal loss during Menopause can increase the risk for other health conditions like osteoporosis, muscle loss, systemic inflammation, and cardiovascular disease - among others.
Brain Changes with Menopause: Studies and research by Dr. Lisa Mosconi, PhD, renowned Neuroscientist and Women's Brain Health Expert, show that menopause causes significant brain changes, including a decline in brain energy and altered brain structure and connectivity, largely due to the drop in estrogen. While some changes the brain can adapt to, and if the brain is well cared for through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, it ease these changes. However, Menopause should be understood as a neurological transition, and the loss of hormonal support to a Woman's brain is linked to notably increases in risk of Alzheimer's plaques and other cognitive impacts long-term.
Skin, Muscles & Joints during Menopause: Declining hormone levels lead to increased joint pain, stiffness, and muscle aches due to greater inflammation and loss of bone density and muscle mass. This is known as the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause. This can also affect the skin, leading to dryness and decreased elasticity.
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits of Hormones: Hormones such as cortisol, progesterone, and testosterone generally exhibit anti-inflammatory benefits. However estrogen is a bit more complex, capable of being both pro-inflammatory or powerfully anti-inflammatory depending on the specific context, concentration, and timing. Estrogens anti-inflammatory benefits appear to decrease during peri and post menopause.
Estrogen & The Histamine Connection: Estrogen and histamine are interconnected! Estrogen can increase the release of histamine, and in turn histamine can stimulate more estrogen production, creating a vicious cycle. High estrogen levels, which occur naturally during the menstrual cycle or during the irregular surges which occur during perimenopause. This can trigger more histamine release from mast cells, leading to symptoms like headaches, bloating, and skin issues. Additionally, high estrogen can inhibit the effectiveness of diamine oxidase (DAO), an enzyme that breaks down histamine, further increasing histamine levels and potential symptoms.
Weight Gain & Menopause: Menopause-related weight gain results from lower hormone levels, which slow the metabolism, increase the loss of muscle mass (which in turn further decreases metabolism), and the body's compensatory mechanism of collecting visceral adipose tissue (VAT) distributed to the midsection. This VAT actually produces very low levels of estrogen, and is thought to be the body's way of compensating for estrogen loss during menopause.
Increased Cholesterol & Menopause: Menopause often leads to an increase in total Cholesterol, as well as an increase in LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and a potential decrease in HDL ("good") cholesterol, as estrogen levels drop. This, along with the loss of anti-inflammatory benefits from estrogen can compound the risks of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Heart Health & Menopause: Menopause increases heart disease risk due to a decline in protective estrogen, which leads to metabolic and physiological changes like higher blood pressure, increased LDL ("bad") and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol, weight gain with more visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and stiffer blood vessels. Early or premature menopause is linked to a significantly higher lifetime-risk of cardiovascular disease.
Blood Sugar & Menopause: Menopause can negatively affect blood sugar levels through hormonal changes that lead to increased insulin resistance and abdominal weight gain (visceral adipose tissue (VAT). As estrogen and progesterone decline, the body becomes less responsive to insulin, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) increases the risk for type 2 diabetes.
Blood Pressure & Menopause: Menopause is linked to an overall increase in blood pressure, likely due to hormonal shifts, aging blood vessels, and potential visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Higher blood pressure long-term, increase numerous health-risks for Women, such as: heart attack, stroke, heart failure or aneurysms. It can also cause damage to the kidneys, eyes, and brain, leading to vision loss, kidney disease, and memory problems.