Menopause Fatigue: How to Cope with It and Make Your Life Better
The main parts of the body’s stress response system include:
* the hypothalamus (part of the brain)
* the pituitary gland (the master gland)
* the adrenal gland (sits on top of the kidneys)
These three parts make up what is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). Each part plays a role in coordinating the body’s responses to stressful situations.
Within the HPA axis, each piece releases a chemical that carries a specific message to the next part down-line. At the end of the axis is the adrenal gland whose chemical messenger coordinates many different parts of the body. DHEA and its sulfate form DHEAS are the primary chemical messengers of this gland, but with aging, production slows, leading to a condition called “adrenopause.”
A wide range of health problems appear with aging and are related to decreased hormonal output from the three parts of the HPA axis. The chemical compounds are responsible for maintaining a wide range of healthy functions:
* musculoskeletal stability
* cardiovascular function
* immune system maintenance
The primary hormones, DHEA and DHEAS, are converted to the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. With the ever-decreasing output with aging, we lose some of our functional capacity. Nutritional supplements of DHEA have been available for many years and are used for fighting fatigue and as anti-aging supplements. Here are some of the conditions suggested to be helped by using DHEA supplements:
* type II diabetes
* loss of body fat and muscle
* osteoporosis
* adrenal depletion
* HIV
* diabetes
* kidney disease
* anorexia nervosa and bulimia
Medications and drugs can act as stressors to the body. With increased use of medications during the aging process, one’s ability to deal with stressful exposures lessens. Medications decrease DHEA output and functional capacity is reduced. One outcome is that the stress of menopause demands too much of the body and increased fatigue is the result.
The Dietary Supplement Act of 1994 allowed DHEA to come on the market as a nutritional supplement. Previously, it had been a prescription product. It’s not clear from studies of the use of the product that it provides any healthful benefits.
The body, as we’ve learned, makes DHEA. Supplement manufacture of it must happen in a lab. Both soybeans and the herb, wild yam, can supply the diosgenin needed to make DHEA. The use of wild yam directly will not lead to DHEA production because the body cannot convert the diosgenin in wild yam to DHEA.
An aging body loses its functionality in many different areas. A decline in DHEA production is a small part of the overall decline in whole-body physiological function. Rather than supplementation with one or two products, a more comprehensive program of health improvement should be followed. Some people take a ton of supplements but this approach is misguided.
Importantly, a program that stimulates a return to normal function of the glands and other body parts would be an option. The HPA axis and all other parts of the body are subjected to diminished function because of environmental pollutants.
Rather than supplements to supply under-manufactured products by the body, a more effective approach would be to help the body get rid of compounds that actually poison its functions. A detoxification program is a good idea as environmental pollutants represent a serious health hazard. They poison systems that make substances such as DHEA. There are effective detox methods and many, such as foot baths and colonics, that are ineffective.
Today, there are several companies, largely in Europe who manufacture homeopathic remedies with the goal of detox in mind. Obviously, this approach isn’t supported by modern medicine. It’s difficult to find trained practitioners in these methods since there are so few.
By using a variety of cleansing and rebuilding products, there’s a good chance that you can help overcome menopause fatigue.