Stop the cycle of chronic fatigue and low energy with the right menopausal support.
Fatigue in Women Over 40 in Ohio
Tired of feeling tired and low energy all the time? Learn more about how fluctuating hormones caused by perimenopause and menopause can significantly (and sometimes, suddenly) change your energy levels—and how you can feel rejuvenated once again.
If you live an active life, have a thriving career, and feel aligned with yourself, drastic hormonal changes in your system that lead to sudden drops in energy levels and an increase in fatigue can make you question everything.
Have I become lazy? Have I lost my mojo—or my mind?
We promise you, the reason is nothing you’re worried about or what you’re questioning. It’s 100% normal for women to experience low energy, fatigue, and a plethora of other symptoms during the menopause journey. Let’s dive in together on this topic, and let us help you gain insights on your health and well-being in this transitional period you’re experiencing.
What Causes Fatigue in Women Over 40?
Understanding Chronic Fatigue in Menopause and Perimenopause
Perimenopause and menopause both affect your hormones at varying degrees; it’s also important to note that every woman has a unique experience with her journey. Generally speaking, these hormonal conditions bring about a box of common symptoms, including brain fog, weight gain, mood swings, low energy, and fatigue (or chronic fatigue; also known as adrenal fatigue). Your productivity in your day-to-day life may not feel the same. You may notice you’re not remembering your tasks at work or recalling discussions from a meeting just an hour ago.
Like the name suggests, perimenopause and menopause are really opportunities to reconnect with yourself and your body and renew your life and well-being to adapt to these changes while still helping you thrive and feel better than ever.
These phases we enter as women are a natural part of our biological makeup; it’s not something to be shamed or stigmatized. There is power in understanding what you’re going through, which will lead you to creating lifestyle changes that support you in this time, not work against you or make your symptoms worse.
Let’s talk about the hormonal and lifestyle contributors that come with low energy and fatigue:
Hormonal and Lifestyle Contributors for Fatigue
The difference between a day or two of feeling exhausted, sleep deprived or overworked and chronic fatigue caused by perimenopause or menopause is that this level of fatigue can be persistent and happen suddenly throughout the day, for weeks (or even months) on end. Menopausal fatigue can also cause your memory to falter, concentration challenges, and affect your overall quality of life. Even if you get a good night’s rest, you can still feel fatigued throughout the next day.
Experiencing fatigue during perimenopause and menopause is due to several key hormonal changes: estrogen decline, progesterone decline, and adrenal fatigue.
Here’s a breakdown of each and how they all intertwine with your hormonal health and menopausal symptoms:
Estrogen Decline and Its Role in Mitochondrial Function
Estrogen is vital to energy and mood regulation, and estrogen helps boost other hormones like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine that are tied to alertness, concentration, and mood. When estrogen declines, these hormones also get affected, which can lead to other perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms like depression and mental fatigue.
Estrogen decline is also connected to your body’s mitochondrial function. Mitochondria are our cells’ powerhouses, and they control how we age, our energy levels, and our body’s overall functioning throughout our lives. More than 90% of our cellular energy comes from the mitochondria. Suffice to say that they are very important to our health and well-being! Estrogen is the hormone that supports and enhances the mitochondria, and estrogen protects mitochondria from oxidative damage. The decline of this hormone affects the mitochondria, leading to an increased risk of dysfunction, which is why women can experience major dips in their energy levels during perimenopause or menopause.
Progesterone Decline Leads to Sleep Disturbances and Increased Stress
Progesterone is known as the “calming” hormone, and some of its key roles are to help with relaxation, regulate sleep, and calm the nervous system.
When progesterone production slows down during perimenopause and menopause, women can experience sleep disturbances, which can increase stress and cause fatigue. Other symptoms related to this include restlessness, anxiousness, and irregular/light sleep.
How Adrenal Fatigue Affects Your Cortisol (Stress) Hormones
Adrenal glands produce stress hormones, including cortisol, and these hormones help regulate heart functioning, stabilize blood pressure and blood sugar levels, increase focus, your body’s overall response to stress-inducing situations, and homeostasis. If stress levels remain high, the adrenal glands have to work overtime to produce and release stress hormones, which can lead to adrenal fatigue, increased stress and irritability, chronic fatigue, and libido changes. Adrenal fatigue has three main stages:
Stage 1 - Alarm: High levels of stress in the body, causing symptoms of tiredness, irritability, mood swings, etc.
Stage 2 - Resistance: Persistent high levels of stress, causing adrenal dysfunction; signs include more naps, afternoon slumps, mid-day/evening crashes, etc.
Stage 3 - Exhaustion: Adrenal glands are no longer able to produce stress hormones to meet the body’s needs, leading to deep exhaustion, low energy levels, and a need to rest and recover.
Even though these hormonal changes are natural, the low energy levels and menopausal fatigue can affect your physical, mental, and emotional states. With intentional lifestyle changes and the right approach with medical guidance, fatigue in women over 40 can be managed with confidence and ease. You can reclaim your health and vitality!
How We Support Your Energy Naturally
At Bonza Health, we help women return to a place of clarity and achieve their health and wellness goals while also managing their perimenopause and menopause symptoms.
One of the most common symptoms we hear from our clients is fatigue. These wonderful women want to feel like themselves again, but the lack of resources, solutions, and understanding can hinder women from optimal health and well-being, even during their midlife journey.
Our mission at Bonza Health is to provide the resources, support, and empathy to women who are silently dealing with their symptoms and unsure about how to move forward with their health.
Nutrition and Exercise
One of the most effective and natural ways we can care for ourselves and reduce the intensity of our symptoms during perimenopause and menopause is to evaluate our lifestyle habits, including nutrition and activity.
When you’re experiencing these symptoms, take time to see how your current lifestyle may be affecting you. Are you eating out more often? Are you indulging in sugar and caffeine regularly? Are you occasionally drinking alcohol? Do you exercise frequently, and, if so, what types of workouts are you doing?
Make small lifestyle changes and reap the big rewards that come with it! Habits that may have worked for you or did not cause you trouble before may not be benefiting you any longer.
Supplements
Natural supplements can do wonders for your health and well-being during perimenopause and menopause.
Our curated list of premium supplements, approved and personally used by Dr. Bonza, can help you manage your symptoms and health as you transition into your midlife journey.
Sleep and Stress Management
Lack of good quality sleep and an overly stressed mind and body can increase the frequency and intensity of the fatigue you experience.
Monitor your bedtime routine and see where you can remove certain habits or add new ones that can help you get better sleep. For example, trying a natural, sugar-free, caffeine-free sleeptime tea can help your body relax.
How are you managing your stress throughout the day? Is it piling up gradually or rapidly without you taking a moment to diffuse it, or are you actively releasing that stress through healthy means like exercise or meditation?
Sleep quality and stress both affect your hormonal health, for better or for worse depending on your lifestyle habits.
Hormone Therapy for Fatigue
Hormone therapy for women over 40 who are dealing with perimenopause or menopause symptoms like fatigue is an effective option to help reduce those symptoms and restore energy.
Dr. Sarah Bonza offers FDA-approved hormone therapy for women. She creates a personalized, whole-body plan to ensure that you have everything you need to begin your journey, including comprehensive preventative medicine evaluations, such as supplement recommendations and Functional Medicine Testing. Advanced screenings such as breast MRI and bone density testing can be arranged with Dr. Bonza as well.
Vitality Code
Discover the 3-step system to help women navigate these changes. This is a free-to-watch webinar that dives deep into perimenopause (menopause women are welcome, too!) and Bonza Health’s exclusive program, the Vitality Code, which covers the key aspects of menopause management.
We also go on a deep dive on how to manage and overcome fatigue in the course curriculum.
We hope you found the information on this page helpful and gained insights for your own health and well-being!
Take the next step and work with Dr. Bonza and the Bonza Health Team to help you overcome chronic fatigue in menopause (for women over 40 in Ohio).
FAQs
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Although we work with women everywhere in the U.S., our medical services are only for the states of Ohio and Michigan. If you are a resident in Ohio, please contact us if you have any questions.
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Yes, we do! We cover both perimenopause and menopause in our consultations, health and wellness programs, etc.
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Please note that perimenopause and menopause symptoms are very similar, but the experiences can be vastly different for each woman. You may have lighter symptoms during perimenopause, but the symptoms may be more intense during menopause.
Common symptoms for perimenopause include:
Irregular or missed periods
Weight gain/appetite changes
Brain fog/concentration challenges
Hot flashes/night sweats
Sleep difficulties
Breast tenderness
Intense PMS symptoms
Increased stress or anxiety
Risk of depression
Mood swings
Common symptoms for menopause include:No period for 12 months
Vaginal dryness, decreased libido, weakening pelvic floor
Muscle loss, weight gain, appetite and metabolic changes
Risk of bone loss, which can lead to osteoporosis
Brain fog, difficulty remembering or focusing
Thinning skin and dryness, hair thinning or hair loss, nail brittleness
Hot flashes/night sweats
Sleep disturbances
Losing fullness in breasts
Increased stress, anxiety, depression
Mood swings
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Yes, we do! We’re happy to provide more information on perimenopause and menopause. Here are some helpful links:
Bonza Health Shop
Dr. Bonza’s Health Essentials
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!