Hot flashes. Night sweats. Irritability. Sleeplessness. Incontinence. Foggy brain. Migraines. Forgetfulness. Heart palpitations. Increasing body fat. Increasing cholesterol and blood pressure.
Grab a coffee. This is an in-depth (LONG) look at my journey through menopause.
I was referred to a cardiologist by my family doctor to check out the heart palpitations and high blood pressure.
I have a healthy heart!
No cardiovascular disease!
Visited my gynecologist, who I thought would have an understanding of what was happening to my 55 year old body.
Knowing I was entering menopause, I was quite surprised my doctors could not give me an explanation as to what I was experiencing.
Oh, I received the sympathetic nod and pat on the back then was sent home with a couple of prescriptions.
My family doctor prescribed a statin for my “high cholesterol”.
My cardiologist prescribed a medication for “high blood pressure” and heart palpitations.
And my gynecologist declared that I have sleep apnea and encouraged me to undergo a sleep test. I do not have sleep apnea, by the way. My gynecologist simply assumed that because I have heart palpitations I must have sleep apnea. 🙄
Is the new me?
Prescriptions?
That was five years ago!
I have worked on improving my eating habits and exercise regimen.
Tried to reduce stress.
Cut out sugar, coffee and alcohol (as if that in and of itself wasn’t stressful enough! Ha ha ha).
And I diligently took the prescribed medication for “high cholesterol” and “high blood pressure” until I could not take them because of . . . side effects:
- Statins: leg muscle cramps and increase in restless leg syndrome
- High Blood Pressure Medications(tried three different ones): tickle in my lungs, dry cough, increase headaches, increased incontinence, severe constipation, drowsiness, increased flushing, puffy hands and feet, and light headedness so much so it lead to a fall
And yet, my symptoms did not improve and my blood work continued to send my doctors into cardiac arrest!
So over the past five years, I have done a lot of reading and research as to what exactly IS going on inside my body due to menopause, WHY it causes so many symptoms and what helps women naturally.
First of all, I am no longer in the child bearing years.
Secondly, I’m aging and trying to do so naturally and gracefully.
And these two things, tend to flummox some doctors!
Estrogen, it turns out, is the powerhouse hormone that controls just about everything in a woman’s body. When estrogen drops and is no longer being produced, our bodies have to adjust. One hormone that takes over is cortisol. It is the stress hormone produced in your adrenal glands which sit on top of the kidneys. It is a natural response to a stressor: lack of estrogen.
Cortisol promotes fat storage, slows the metabolism and increases insulin resistance. All three are a natural response to stress caused by declining estrogen.
Increased belly fat is hormonal storage, not calorie storage. The answer is not to reduce your calories, but rather improve your calorie intake by eating nutrient dense whole foods and cut out sugar. Instead of sugar, I use raw honey, real maple syrup or Stevia In The Raw.
Interestingly enough, I developed a sensitivity to alcohol and this happens to be common (as well as cruel!).
For many women, perimenopause and menopause arrive with a surprising shift: the glass of wine or cocktail that once felt relaxing suddenly leads to disrupted sleep, intense hot flashes, or the kind of next-day fog that feels disproportionate to the amount consumed. These changes aren’t imagined—they’re rooted in fundamental physiological transitions. Hormonal Fluctuations Change How Alcohol Affects the Body
Estrogen is a heart protective hormone. It keeps blood vessels pliable, reduces arterial inflammation, boosts good cholesterol (HDL), lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and aids in repairing damaged blood vessels. [Source: Protective Effects of Estrogen On Cardio Vascular Disease Mediated by Oxidative Stress]
So, naturally, as we enter menopause, estrogen levels drop, blood vessels become stiff requiring the heart to pump harder, which elevates blood pressure. Bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides begin to rise. Coincidentally, as we age, our liver function starts to decline (due to a lack of estrogen) which can cause an increase in cholesterol levels. This combination often sets off cardiovascular risk alarms for doctors who, more often than not, turn to their prescription pad to alleviate the perceived increasing risk of heart disease.
In addition to hot flashes and night sweats, I had heart palpations – racing, fluttering, or pounding sensation in my chest – which I found rather disconcerting. None of my doctors, though concerned, could tell me WHY, all of a sudden, I developed heart palpations and sent me home with prescriptions that had adverse side effects.
It wasn’t until I started my own quest to find answers that I learned heart palpitations are normal and generally benign during the menopausal transition. In fact, heart palpitations often accompany hot flashes. In my case, the heart palpitations are hot flashes but without feeling hot!
Menopause doesn’t just close a hormonal chapter—it begins a new conversation with the body. One that requires awareness, curiosity, and care. “We can’t afford to treat menopause as an afterthought. It’s the beginning of a new cardiovascular reality.”—Dr. Jayne Morgan
I want to age naturally, gracefully and without pharmaceutical and hormonal intervention because, after all, aging is a natural process causing our bodies to change in many ways the medical community views as a disease needing to be treated. My goal is to embrace the new me.
Back Porch Studio 
Leave a reply.