Menopause is a transformative phase in the lives of all women. It isn’t a question of if it will happen, but when. Menopause is overly stigmatized and under-explained. Nobody talks about how intense and sudden the hot flashes are. Nobody talks about how they keep us awake at night. People rarely talk about mood swings, and when they do it’s just a passing “oh, and the mood swings…” When you read about them, they’re just an event, but we live with the aftermath. The mood swings are real! They’re reactions to things happening in our bodies and they’re reactions to how the people around us act and react to the reality that we have emotions and responses to their actions. Our bodies are changing and our emotions are changing to match that. We aren’t looking to hurt anyone’s feelings, but we spend too much time policing ourselves and it isn’t a surprise that when you do that for more than 40 years, that your body might get sick of it and take things into its own hands.
How do you Manage Mood Swings From Menopause?
There are countless at-home remedies and scientifically supported ways of managing mood swings, but how do you know which ones to trust? There are doctors that recommend HRT , changing your diet, exercising, cutting back on alcohol, and a variety of other suggestions that are given blanketly for any problem you may face in life. We looked at peer reviewed studies, blogs, articles, and first hand accounts from women with peri and post menopause and we want to share what we learned about menopause and mood swings with you.
Understanding Mood Swings in Menopause:
The Mood swings we experience during menopause aren’t an isolated incident . Your body is changing, and that has tangible effects on your body. The primary culprit is the reduced levels of estrogen in your body. Estrogen helps your body produce serotonin, and along with reduced serotonin levels, lowered estrogen levels have also been linked to irritability, fatigue, and stress. Your mood swings are not just hormonal. Your body is physically changing, and the people around you are reacting to it and influencing you too. Your mood, energy levels, and many other aspects of your physical and mental health are in flux. Menopause kills your motivation to exercise and eat healthy and do tons of other things that keep your serotonin receptors firing. You can do everything doctors and bloggers say you should do and still get hit with mood swings. There are countless accounts from women online who are on HRT, exercise regularly, doing everything right and still dealing with this. We aren’t saying this to make you feel trapped or doomed, we’re saying this so you know you aren’t alone, and your mood swings aren’t a sign that you’re doing something wrong.
You Know Your Body.
Your body is unique and you know it better than anyone. You know what feels normal and what doesn’t, and advocating for that can be scary and liberating at the same time. If you haven’t entered peri yet, you will know when you do, and you shouldn’t be afraid to talk to someone about it. It can be scary talking with your partner about it. If you are a partner and you’re reading this, listen! And reassure your partner that you support them and will always listen when she wants to talk about it.
Will Exercise Keep Mood Swings Away?
Exercise on its own isn’t guaranteed to help with your mood swings, but there are studies showing that exercise can help regulate mood. The actual science behind why exercise helps with mood isn’t as clear. It isn’t all tied directly to the exercise itself, although it can help. Part of the benefit comes from the normalcy and routine that you may have associated with exercising, tiring your body out so it is easier to fall asleep, and the other general health benefits that come with exercising. One underappreciated aspect of exercising is the social aspect. When you join a dance club or play a sport, you’re interacting with other people. There are groups built specifically for peri and postmenopausal women to exercise together, and tons of accounts from women on how exercise has helped them manage their menopause symptoms. It can be difficult to get started, but once you’re in the routine of it your body will thank you.
What is HRT and will it help with mood swings?
Hormone replacement therapy is essentially adding back some of the hormones your body is no longer producing on its own. Most prominently, peri and postmenopausal women are usually prescribed estrogen, and sometimes also prescribed progesterone. There are innumerable accounts from women across the world sharing their experience with estrogen patches and other forms of HRT. The effects of HRT on peri and postmenopausal women are still being studied and we’d prefer to leave the discussion of this to the doctors and people who have experience using HRT. There aren’t any OTC hormone replacement options available on the market at the moment, meaning if you decide this is the option for you, you’ll need to make that choice with a doctor and get a prescription.
Does What You Eat Influence Your Mood swings?
There is no denying that your diet plays a role in mood swings, but it’s also important to recognize that your diet doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Your body is changing, you have cravings, and not all of them are going to be great for your health. Balancing your body’s cravings with your body’s needs is not easy, and there isn’t a guarantee that just eating healthier will clear up all of the other effects you experience during menopause. There are countless blogs and articles talking about what you should eat along your menopause journey. A common suggestion is eating foods high in B vitamins and omega 3s.
Can Supplements Help Manage Mood Swings?
There are countless supplements being peddled online, some are genuinely helpful and others are just placebo. We’ve separated HRT from other supplements because you need a prescription for it, but there are tons of OTC supplements and options to get the various vitamins and other important nutrients your body needs aside from eating. From our reading, there isn’t a standout supplement that will help with hot flashes. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any worth taking, just be wary of anyone trying to claim that a single vitamin or pill will completely resolve your menopause related mood swings.
How Does Sleep Impact Your Mood Swings?
One of the greatest contributors to mood swings is quality of sleep. A bad night’s sleep can amplify all of the feelings that are already present. There are lots of things that keep us up at night. Hot flashes so strong they wake you up, stress and aches that make it impossible to get to bed in the first place, sleep apnea, the reasons are endless. There are medications that can help you sleep better. A good night’s sleep won’t cure all your symptoms, but it will make some of them more manageable.
How Does CBD Interact with Menopause and Mood Swings?
CBD is a cannabinoid found in hemp and cannabis plants. Full disclosure, there isn’t strong evidence supporting that CBD cures menopause or stops all of the symptoms. CBD might help manage some of them. CBD’s impact on neurotransmitters and serotonin receptors may contribute to emotional balance. CBD may alleviate symptoms of irritability and mood swings, providing a more stable emotional state. Many women turn to cannabis and hemp products like CBD not necessarily to manage their symptoms, but to make everything surrounding them more tolerable. We’ve read many accounts from women who say they started taking CBD for help sleeping or managing nerves. We’ve read quite a few accounts from women that take CBD instead of drinking their glass of wine for the night.
Potential Side Effects and Considerations:
While generally well-tolerated, it’s essential to discuss potential side effects or considerations associated with CBD use for mood support with healthcare professionals. It’s also important to understand that there isn’t a strong body of research about CBD and menopause because CBD is relatively new and still regulated. We did find a survey posted in the Harvard Women’s Health Watch that investigated the use of cannabis and CBD products in women for menopausal symptoms. We hope we can update this blog one day with stronger medically supported claims about CBDs impacts on menopause, for now all we have are first hand accounts.
In conclusion, Golden Goat CBD recognizes the intricate nature of mood swings during menopause. CBD offers a potential avenue for women seeking a natural and holistic approach to emotional well-being. As we continue to invest in research and development, we aim to provide accessible and reliable CBD products that exceed your expectations and prioritize your satisfaction.
This blog is for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice.
Please consult your primary care physician before using CBD
