You probably don’t want to hear this, but estrogen decline can start sooner than you might expect. Trust me, I was not a happy camper when my Ob-gyn told me at 39 that I was most likely entering perimenopause. I had actually come in to see her because I wanted to have a second baby, which I ended up doing anyway, but that’s a different story.
The point is that now that I’m in my fifties and I’m going through menopause, I wish someone had been there to comfort me when I experienced my first symptoms of perimenopause.
Let me tell you, the entire process of dealing with estrogen decline is much easier to bear when you accept that it’s happening and that it doesn’t affect your identity as a woman.
If you embrace the changes your body goes through after 40, you will be more likely to seek information, find answers to your concerns and remedies for your symptoms.
Symptoms of estrogen decline during perimenopause
Here are a few things that happen when your estrogen starts declining in perimenopause (roughly between the ages of 40 and 50, but this can vary), as per WebMD:
Hot flashes
Breast tenderness
Worse premenstrual syndrome
Lower sex drive
Fatigue
Irregular periods
Vaginal dryness; discomfort during sex
Urine leakage when coughing or sneezing
Urinary urgency (an urgent need to urinate more frequently)
Mood swings
Trouble sleeping
Unfortunately, some of the symptoms can unknowingly and mistakenly be attributed to many other factors. In my case, I was raising babies in my early forties, so I thought my symptoms were due to the exhaustion that accompanies motherhood. The good news is that not every woman has all of the symptoms, and some women actually sail through this life period without a care.
Symptoms of estrogen decline during menopause
At 50, which happens to be the average age when women enter menopause, I started skipping periods.
And a few months after turning 51, I just could not believe how menopausal symptoms sneaked up on me from one day to the next, turning my whole world upside down.
Back to WebMd, the list of possible symptoms of the onset of menopause are:
Mood swings
Lower sex drive
Hot flashes
Sweating
Racing heart
Headaches
Vaginal dryness and soreness
Painful sex
Trouble sleeping
And oh, my, I did have them all. Not to mention increased anxiety, night sweats, lack of concentration, crushing fatigue (the kind that makes you fall asleep anywhere just like when you’re first pregnant!) and a short temper. My poor husband and kids!
Effects of postmenopausal estrogen decline
I’m much, much better now. And yet I’m really looking forward to post-menopause, which is when you haven’t had a period for twelve consecutive months.
Unfortunately, it’s up to my body, not me! In the meantime, I do everything I can to feel as good as possible and keep my energy levels up.
I practice yoga daily, I rest as needed, follow a healthy diet and try to find reasons to laugh!
I also do weight-bearing exercises since post-menopause also brings with it bone loss.
If you’re experiencing perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms, please rest assured, there are things you can do to minimize the impact of the decline of estrogen in your body, which is the culprit of all the symptoms detailed above.
Some women opt for HRT (hormone replacement therapy), which involves taking progesterone and estrogen (estradiol) to replace these hormone levels in your body.
This is something you really need to have a good and long conversation about with your physician, as not all women are good candidates for this type of treatment.
Of course there are also women who, even with a clean bill of health, simply do not wish to take hormones.
A natural alternative to HRT in treating estrogen decline iall 3 stages
Fortunately, there are alternatives to HRT, like Femarelle, which is a natural solution for menopausal symptoms for women who cannot or do not want to use HRT.
What’s cool about this natural alternative to offset the symptoms of estrogen decline, is that Femarelle has formulated three distinct products targeted at the most common symptoms experienced at each stage: perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause.
That means your specific symptoms get focused and effective attention at the right time of life.
Each formula contains a proprietary amino acid-rich natural compound (DT56a), derived from tofu, that acts on estrogen receptor sites to restore balance.
In addition, each of the three products contains a custom blend of complementary ingredients to address the symptoms of each stage of estrogen decline.
If you aren’t quite sure which of the three products you should be taking, Femarelle Rejuvenate, Femarelle Recharge, or Femarelle Unstoppable, you can visit the website and find your match by clicking on your current symptoms.
Based on these, you can read about the reasons behind your symptoms and find the best Femarelle match for you, as well as what you can expect from taking the supplement.
While derived from the soybean plant, Femarelle contains No soy isoflavones and is drug-free, estrogen-free, non-GMO certified, Kosher, Halal and gluten-free.