I Can’t Hold it Any Longer!

Menopausal woman is experiencing all the pains of menopause: moodiness, crankiness, and hot flashes. However, she’s also having issues with an even worse problem: an overactive bladder. What’s causing this problem, and what can she do to stop it?

Case #: 732

Concern：

When I turned 52, I never believed that menopause would affect me this badly. I knew it would be tough. I knew it would interfere with my lifestyle. And now that I’m four years in, it has been worse than I could have ever imagined. My husband hates me; my kids refuse to speak to me; even my coworkers run in fear of my moodiness. And while my crankiness and hot flashes may stem from my menopause, it’s my active bladder that really causes intense irritation and frustration for me. What can I do?

Discussion：

Well, as is usually the case regarding menopausal issues, if you aim to fix one issue, you will likely solve more than you anticipated. The reason your bladder is so active lately has to do with your diminished estrogen levels.

Low Estrogen Means Highly Active Bladder

Estrogen controls the health of the tissues of the female reproductive region and surrounding areas. That means low estrogen levels will also affect things such as your urethra and bladder. Without the proper amount of estrogen, tissues begin to thin and atrophy, making your bladder much more sensitive to irritants such as excess caffeine, citrus, and spices.

To stop your irritating bladder issues, what you need to do is restore your proper estrogen levels, which will rejuvenate your bladder and urethral tissues, resulting in a less active bladder. However, increasing estrogen levels will assist you in a variety of other menopausal issues as well. Increasing estrogen will keep your vaginal walls moist and supple, and it will help you feel happier and less moody.

Increasing Estrogen

To increase your estrogen, I would recommend beginning a course high in phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are chemicals found in plants that replicate the actions of estrogen and progesterone inside the body. Conversely, you can talk to your doctor about beginning hormone therapy, but in my opinion this carries more risk than benefit in most cases where the estrogen loss isn’t critical. Because estrogen stimulates breast growth, ingesting pure estrogen has been linked to breast cancer in women predisposed to it.

Phytoestrogens carry only twenty percent of the amount of estrogen that normal estrogen molecules contain. This lower level of free estrogen means that ingesting phytoestrogens increases estrogen levels, but without the associated danger of cancer. They are also able to adapt inside the body to become progesterone or even testosterone, as the body needs.

Where Are Phytoestrogens Found?

So where do you find these miracle chemicals? They can be found in many types of plants, from soy to clovers to flax seed. Flax seed happens to contain the highest levels of phytoestrogens per unit, and it’s easy to integrate flax seed oil into hot cereals, salads, and baked goods. You also have a wide array of soy products to choose from that could also help.

If all of that sounds like a lot of work, a great solution for you might be to begin a supplement that contains phytoestrogen-rich plants. The one I’d recommend for you is a remedy specifically for menopausal women experiencing overactive bladders; it includes Mexican Wild Yam, Soy Isoflavones, and Pumpkin Seeds. (SEE: Stop Urinary Miseries) It is a formula chock-full of feminine-friendly herbs, and will certainly make it easier for you to take your daily phytoestrogens. I’m sure that by increasing your estrogen in some way, your bladder woes will flow away. Good luck!