Female Hormones and Their Fluctuation During Perimenopause

What are hormones and what do they do?

Hormones are chemical messengers made throughout the body’s endocrine system that regulate various body functions with the help of co-enzymes, vitamins & minerals.

• Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, DHEA (precursor of E & T), cortisol & insulin are the key hormones for women.

Where are hormones made in the body?

Most primary sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) for women are produced in ovaries but some are also made in the adrenals and in fat tissue.

• Testosterone is made in the adrenals for women, and, after menopause, the adrenals also take over producing estrogen and progesterone.

  
  

• Surprisingly, fat tissue can also act like an endocrine organ, releasing estrogen. 

• Insulin is produced in the pancreas; cortisol and DHEA in the adrenals; and thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland. Other hormones are made in the gut & liver.

What happens to our hormones during perimenopause (normally in our 40s)?

Our primary sex hormones shift dramatically in perimenopause, causing many symptoms, such as weight gain, irritability, brain fog, and sleep issues.

Cortisol & insulin spikes also wreak havoc as we age, as do thyroid changes, causing further metabolic, mood, cognitive and sleep problems.

• All hormone levels eventually drop as we age regardless of our health status. (i.e., it is not our fault and nothing we did or did not do caused the drops!!)

Which hormones drop first and what is their impact?

Estrogen gets all the attention but progesterone, our calming hormone, drops precipitously first and often starts our symptom rollercoaster. Progesterone keeps estrogen in check, so balance is key.

• When progesterone drops, we experience mood swings, memory loss, brain fog, and sleep issues. even anxiety and heart palpitations. When estrogen drops, insulin resistance, cortisol, fat storage, and inflammation increase. 

  
  

• The ratio of estrogen to progesterone is most important. Many women suffer from estrogen dominance in perimenopause because progesterone drops first, leaving estrogen in charge, resulting in severe PMS, irritability, and weight gain, etc.

Join me and some new friends as we manage our hormone journey together!

• If interested, reach out on my website or email me at inspirebyjill@gmail to take part in a FREE one-hour overview of my upcoming Hormones & Perimenopause workshop.