Bouncing from High to Low – When Left Unchecked, Menopause Mood Swings can Damage Intimate Relationships

At age 45, she still enjoys plenty of sex and sound health. But her boyfriend is fed up with her PMS/menopause symptoms. Her best option is to naturally control her mood swings with an herbal supplement, which will reduce feelings of irritability and help put her back on even ground.

Case #: 1122

Concern：

I am a 45-year-old woman in great health, slightly overweight but very active physically and sexually. I am able to have multiple orgasms with or without a partner. My problem is my PMS – it makes me so irrational that my relationship is suffering, and my boyfriend is at the end of his rope. I may soon have no love life! Help!

Discussion：

There is a reason why PMS is hated by men and women alike: it wreaks undeniable havoc on your life. The roots of this problem can be traced to fluctuating hormones, namely estrogen and progesterone, that cause neurotransmitters like serotonin to bounce around. The end effect is swift mood changes that can have you laughing at one moment and crying at another.

At age 45, you are likely in the stage known as perimenopause. This marks the time directly before menopause and can last anywhere from a few months to 10 years. Perimenopause begins when a woman’s periods become irregular and ends when periods have been absent for 12 consecutive months. After this transitional period, you enter menopause and leave behind your childbearing years.

What Happens During Perimenopause

During a woman’s late 30s, hormone levels drop as the number of ovarian follicles she produces decreases. Follicles are responsible for producing estrogen and progesterone. They also release an egg during ovulation and thus play key roles in a woman’s reproductive health.

Perimenopause is the time when a woman’s ovarian follicles slowly stop growing. Some people describe this as “running out of” eggs. The point is that your body undergoes dramatic changes that impact more than your ability to bear children. You also experience psychological changes that can and do influence your interpersonal relationships.

Hormones and Mood Swings

One of the reasons men don’t relate well to the symptoms of PMS and menopause is because estrogen causes mood disruptions that only women experience. Men cannot bear children and therefore do not have monthly periods and major hormone fluctuations. This coupled with society’s ill-natured attitude toward aging women has you at odds with your boyfriend. He doesn’t understand what’s happening at a time when you most need his support, and you can’t control the changes in your body.

Those changes relate to hormones. Estrogen is directly responsible for increasing serotonin levels in the brain. When estrogen declines, so too does this feel-good neurotransmitter.

You don’t actually feel the highs and lows of these hormones during PMS and hormones. Instead, you experience mood swings that make you seem “crazy.” You notably feel irritated, angry and depressed – all of which have little to do with your external environment. This means your boyfriend might make the slightest comment or do the smallest thing, and it’ll push you right over the edge.

You must also consider that insomnia is a major symptom of perimenopause. Loss of sleep at night will negatively impact your mood as well. If you suffered mood swings in your younger years, the changes wrought by menopause are likely to be more intense.

Fix Your Mood, Improve Your Relationship

Luckily, some mood symptoms can be naturally managed to help you find peace and maintain your intimate relationship. Yoga and deep breathing practices balance your mood and reduce stress. Exercise improves sleep and increases serotonin in the brain, while nutritious and wholesome foods provide greater overall health.

When speaking of diet and how it relates to menopause, it’s important to incorporate herbs that benefit your mind and body. Herbal remedies have long been used by Asian women to support reproductive functions and minimize the discomforts of PMS and menopause. (SEE: Phyto Menopause Formula) Formulas designed just for women often include Dong Quai, Wild Yam and Dioscarea Villosa to mimic the body’s natural hormones and thus improve mood. Other crucial ingredients include Coornus Officinalis and Poria Cocoa, which reduce tension and anxiety so you can return to the woman with whom your partner fell in love.