THYROID AND MENOPAUSE: a delicate balance.
You have interacted a lot on the topic of thyroid (in the podcast and YouTube), and, also in relation to the new hormone mentoring program that will start in April: so today I am responding specifically to those who asked me to better understand the correlation between thyroid and menopause.
As always we start first with a quick reading from a physiological point of view, quick and simplified, just to get the key elements we need to move on to an emotional and energetic examination.
During menopause, the female body goes through a significant hormonal change, which can also affect the thyroid gland.
This transitional period is typically characterized by a progressive decline in female sex hormones (mainly estrogen and progesterone) and a complex change in the endocrine system.
Let’s look at some hormonal changes that can affect the thyroid gland:
1️⃣ Drop in estrogen and impact on thyroid gland
Estrogen plays an important role in regulating thyroid function. With menopause, estrogen levels typically decline, and this can affect how the thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones (T3 and T4).
For example, the reduction of estrogen can change metabolism.
Estrogen, not only regulates reproductive function, but also affects energy metabolism. Their decline leads to a change in hormone balance, affecting hormones that regulate feelings of hunger, and insulin. As estrogen declines, insulin sensitivity decreases, which can lead to increased blood sugar levels and a reduction in the body’s ability to burn calories.
Mind you, the drop in estrogen, here we associate it with menopause but it can also occur at other stages of life
Not only that, estrogen plays an important role in the distribution of body fat. When estrogen levels drop, there is a tendency to accumulate fat, particularly in the abdominal area. This not only changes body composition, but can also alter metabolism, further slowing energy expenditure.
The decrease in estrogen is also associated with muscle loss and alteration of the central nervous system (thermogenesis, body temperature, sleep, stress..).
Enter the hormone mentoring track to learn more.
2️⃣ Estrogen and progesterone imbalance
In addition to the decrease in estrogen, another significant change during menopause is the decrease in progesterone. If a balanced progesterone-estrogen balance is lost, it can affect the thyroid gland.
3️⃣ Cortisol and stress
During menopause, hormone balance can be further affected by the stress hormone cortisol. Because menopause can be an emotionally and physically stressful time, excess cortisol can:
- Damage to thyroid function,
- Induce increased symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, excessive irritability.
4️⃣ Impact on autoimmunity
Given the above imbalances, inflammation can become chronic and result in altered autoimmune responses.
This in extreme summary and simplification explains why common symptoms of thyroid imbalance during menopause include :
– Fatigue and chronic fatigue
– Weight gain** or difficulty losing weight
– Hot flashes, night sweats.
– Decreased libido** or vaginal dryness
– Unstable mood, anxiety or depression
– Difficulty concentrating or impaired memory
- Dry skin and brittle hair
- etc….
THYROID AND MENOPAUSE from the perspective of METAMEDICINE.
According to Claudia Rainville’s Metamedicine, the thyroid is linked to self-expression and the ability to assert one’s identity in the world. Thyroid problems can be related to deep frustration, to feeling blocked in the expression of one’s emotions or desires.
Thyroid and Menopause in Metamedicine
“Menopause represents a phase of transformation, in which a woman may feel poised between the past and the future. If this transition is not experienced serenely, imbalances may emerge, including at the thyroid level.”
In the vision of Metamedicine:
– Hypothyroidism in menopause may reflect a feeling of loss of worth, of no longer feeling useful or wanted. A slowdown in metabolism may symbolize a slowdown in enthusiasm for life.
– Hyperthyroidism may indicate an opposite reaction, an attempt to prove that one is still active and still counting, as if there is a need to race against time.
If it is true, as Claudia Rainville’s Metamedicine GD tells us, that the thyroid is associated with the ability to express oneself, to feel recognized, and to find one’s space in the world, we can begin to understand how the Menopause phase can be a detonator of this “life” issue if it has not been addressed or dissolved earlier.
The thyroid gland is a key gland in metabolism and vital energy. During menopause, some women develop thyroid disorders, which Metamedicine interprets as follows:
✔ Hypothyroidism (slow thyroid) → may represent:
– An inner slowdown, a loss of enthusiasm and zest for life
– Feeling “off,” no longer seen or recognized
– The fear of no longer having an active role in the family or society
✔ Hyperthyroidism** (overactive thyroid) → may reflect:
– An attempt to remain active at all costs, to prove that you are still dynamic and useful
– The fear of stopping and facing change
– An inner conflict between the desire to slow down and the need to prove that you are still capable
THYROID AND MENOPAUSE from the perspective of the Hormonal Mentorship I propose.
What I have been able to observe, even on my own skin, is that Menopause is a very powerful phase of women’s change and transformation, and as such it also brings to light “the unresolved,” especially those concerning identity, freedom of expression and manifestation.
The physical and emotional changes that menopause brings are just useful signs to, finally, discover who we are, what we look like, and what we need.
As I always say, in menopause, and especially already in the journey of perimenopause, compromises stand at zero!
So what manifest as hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain are just signals to direct us to our true life.
After more than 15 years of working on cyclicality fertility and motherhood I have in recent years, to accompany me on the journey to menopause, delved a great deal and found valuable keys to understanding and rebalancing the 360-degree system.
So, with today’s installment I leave you with the keys to pure Metamedicine with respect to menopausal symptoms on the:
- Fear of aging
- The loss of attractiveness
- Feeling less desired or useful (especially if one’s identity has been strongly tied to the role of mother or partner)
- Difficulty in accepting a new phase of life
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!
I invite you, if you feel that you are passionate about this topic, if you feel that you have not yet found answers…. to ask me direct questions here or by email for new episodes
Most importantly, I invite you to my new program of Conscious and Natural Hormone Rebalancing.
The first Conscious and Natural Hormone Rebalancing groups, groups for cyclical women, groups for menopausal and perimenopausal women are about to start.
Attention The first groups leaving in April are forming and arereserved for clients already on the route.
But if you want to learn more andpre-register for those leaving in September, write to me.
