Menopause and PCOS: Balance your Hormones

The Hormonal Crossroads

Managing Menopause with PCOS

While entering menopause, may bring changes to your hormonal landscape, it’s important to remember that PCOS stays a persistent condition, often blending its symptoms with those that naturally arise during this stage of life. Menopause and PCOS share many of the same symptoms, such as irregular periods, mood swings.  https://menopausestudio.co.uk/free-resource-list/understanding-the-reality/

Around 1 in 10 women will have PCOS, and it’s a condition you could become aware of in your late teens or during your reproductive years, this will show up in the following ways: 

• Difficulty sleeping 
• Irregular periods 

• Unwanted hair growth (facial hair) 

• Hair loss 

• Weight gain 

• Fertility problems 

So, what exactly is PCOS and how can you find out if you have it?? 

There are a few things that will decide this, which will be irregular periods, excessive levels of male hormone (Testosterone), and finally a scan. 

A scan will show that your ovaries are enlarged and hold sacs filled with fluid (cysts) that will surround the eggs.  

Check out – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos/symptoms/ 

Navigating the overlap of menopause and PCOS can be confusing, as both bring about shifts in your body’s hormone balance and can present with overlapping symptoms. You may find it helpful to track any new or persistent changes and discuss them with your healthcare provider, since distinguishing between PCOS-related symptoms and those of menopause can sometimes be challenging. Understanding your unique pattern of symptoms empowers you to make proactive choices about your well-being as your body transitions through these hormonal stages. 

As oestrogen and progesterone levels shift, you might notice overlapping issues such as mood swings, headaches, and irregular periods. Because both conditions can affect your body in subtle and unique ways, understanding how they interact can help you better recognise and manage ongoing symptoms as you age.  

Menopause and PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome) are both related to hormones, but menopause does not cure PCOS. When you reach menopause, you may still have some symptoms of PCOS in addition to the symptoms of menopause. 

What Hormones are Affected by PCOS and Menopause 

Women with PCOS usually have higher levels of male hormone, including testosterone. PCOS also makes your body less responsive to insulin, that causes high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can further increase male hormones, making your symptoms of PCOS worse. 

Also, women with PCOS will have lower levels of the female hormone progesterone. Progesterone helps to regulate menstruation and support a pregnancy. 

Years before menopause begins, you naturally start to produce less oestrogen and progesterone. The drip in female hormones eventually causes you to stop ovulating. You will have reached menopause when you have not had a period for 12 consecutive months. 

PCOS and menopause both affect the levels of progesterone in your blood, but they affect the hormones in separate ways. This is why menopause doesn’t help or cure PCOS. 

You can continue to have symptoms of PCOS when you reach full menopause. Perimenopause is the period before menopause that’s often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes and irregular periods. During this period, your hormone levels begin to change in preparation for menopause.  

Perimenopause generally starts around 45, the average age of menopause is 51-55, however if you are a PCOS sufferer, then you tend to reach menopause about 2 years later than women without PCOS. 

PCOS doesn’t go away, and can therefore mimic the symptoms of PCOS, and it can make it difficult for women to be newly diagnosed with PCOS during perimenopause. 

Symptoms that can mimic each other are: 

PCOS vs. Perimenopause	PCOS	Perimenopause
Acne and skin changes	✔	✔
Changes in sex drive		✔
Irregular or missed periods	✔	✔
Headaches	✔	✔
Hot flashes and night sweats		✔
Infertility or trouble conceiving	✔	✔
Mood changes (anxiety, irritability, etc.)	✔	✔
Pain or discomfort during intercourse		✔
Pelvic pain	✔
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight	✔	✔

Potential complications 

PCOS can affect your health in many ways, it can increase the risk of: 

• Glucose tolerance and insulin resistance 

• Chronic inflammation 

• Infertility https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/planning-a-pregnancy/fertility-and-causes-of-infertility/pcos-and-fertility-everything-you-need-know

• High blood cholesterols and fats 

• Stroke 

• Heart attack

Your risk of developing these conditions may be higher if you have multiple risk factors, such as: 

• Aging 

• Being in perimenopause or menopause 

• Being overweight 

• Diabetes https://www.diabetes.org.uk/

Managing PCOS in Perimenopause 

Techniques for managing your PCOS symptoms can also help manage some of the symptoms in perimenopause. 

Manage your weight 

Being overweight increases your risk of heart attack and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes. Try these strategies for managing your weight and improving your diet to help lower these risks. A fantastic way to make this change to have a look at the Mediterranean diet – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16037-mediterranean-diet 

• Use smaller plates, reduce your portion sizes, and skip seconds. 
• Eliminate or limit unhealthy carbohydrates such as pastries, baked goods, packaged snacks, and sweet drinks. 

• Choose complex carbs found in foods made with whole grains, rice, and beans. 

• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

• Engage in some type of physical activity every day, even if it’s just a short walk. 

• Use stairs rather than escalators when possible and park further from your destination. 

• Join a gym or sign up for exercise classes. 

• Invest in home exercise equipment, such as a stationary bike or treadmill. 

Improve your sleep 

Symptoms of menopause and PCOS can make it hard to get enough quality sleep, so here are a few tips that might help you go to sleep faster and stay asleep longer:

• Try to go to sleep at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning. 

• Clear your bedroom of electronic gadgets. If your alarm clock emits a glow, turn it toward a wall or leave it face down. 

• Avoid electronic screens for the hour or two before bed, as this can change how melatonin, the hormone of sleep, functions. 

• Invest in room-darkening curtains or blinds. 

• Reduce bedroom clutter for a calming effect. 

• Replace old pillows and replace your mattress if it’s more than 10 years old. 

• Avoid eating heavy meals too close to bedtime. 

• Avoid caffeine after noon. 

• Exercise every day, but not within a few hours of bedtime. 

• Do something relaxing before bed such as reading, soaking in a warm bathtub, or meditating. 

Ease Hot Flashes 

To ease hot flashes and night sweats: 

• Dress in layers so you can peel off a layer when you feel a hot flash coming on. 

• Wear lightweight, breathable fabrics during the day, as well as for sleep. 

• Limit your consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods. 

• Keep a fan handy. 

• Keep your bedroom at a cool temperature. You can always kick the blankets off if you get too hot. 

• Consider buying a cool gel pad on which to sleep. 

For more information on Hot Flashes visit – https://menopausestudio.co.uk/free-resource-list/remedies-for-hot-flashes/

The Outlook

Although there is no current cure for PCOS, women with PCOS may start menopause later than women who do not have the condition. Careful attention to your lifestyle can help you improve some of the symptoms of PCOS.