Feeling irritable?
You’re not alone. Data from a National Consumers League survey suggest that as many as 40% to 60% of menopausal women feel irritable or moody (depending on the severity of their symptoms). Consequently, it’s not surprising that results of a recent study that appeared in the March issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics suggest a medical reason for irritability during menopause as well: fluctuating hormones.
Researchers evaluated irritability and depression, vasomotor symptoms and insomnia in 163 peri- and post-menopausal women attending a clinic. Participants had either never used hormones or were taking Livial. Irritability was defined as either outwardly directed (towards another person) or inwardly directed (towards oneself). They also examined the presence of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or thyroid disease.
The results? According to study findings, outward but not inward irritability was significantly associated with follicle stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels (which are markers of aging ovaries).
Women with chronic disease (about a third of those participating) tended to have significantly higher irritability scores, which the researchers attributed at least partially, to aging (and its association with illness) and not to menopause specifically. Like their healthier peers, outward irritability was found to be related to FSH and LH levels.
No association was found between irritability and vasomotor symptoms or insomnia.
So, there appears to be a medical reason for being outwardly irritable during menopause, one that has more to do with hormone levels and less, with hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia. If you aren’t willing to get on the HRT train, you might want to look into some alternatives, such as progesterone cream or soy. Self-deprecation, on the other hand, requires a bit more finesse and self-awareness to get the bottom of what ails.
Regardless of how you choose to address your irritability, a general rule of thumb applies: put down the knife and breathe!
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: new year, new you!
I’m not going to burst any bubbles or shatter any misconceptions this week. Rather, I’ve decided to serve a few slices of inspiration that resonate with me and perhaps will do so with you as well.
Tomorrow, I turn 48; my mother turns 78. Yes, I was born on my mother’s birthday. So I would like to dedicate this post to my mom. Because I find myself looking in the mirror a bit too much lately.
The past year has resonated with me deeply. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve enjoyed my 40s immensely and I will still have an opportunity to enjoy them for another two years. But a lot has happened over the past 364 days and it’s made me realize that my baggage is getting a bit too heavy for comfort. So I’d like to take this year to dump a few mistakes, undo a few regrets, renverser les faux pas and start anew.
As my friend Sissy once said: ” new year; new you!”
Following are the top 20 tidbits that midlife has taught me so far:
1. Try to make a point to laugh each day. And then laugh some more.
2. Take some time every day to simply “be.”
3. Listen. And then react. Not the other way around.
4. Do one kind thing for someone you know, and someone you don’t at least a few times a week, if not everyday.
5. Nobody’s perfect. Including you.
6. Let those who love you, love you. Just because.
7. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. And take it.
8. Underneath the grease paint there’s someone special. Take the time to get to know them.
9. Don’t just say “I love you;” show why.
10. Be vulnerable; it’s okay.
11. Try not to internalize things so much; it’s not always about you.
12. Don’t be afraid to fail or better yet, succeed.
13. Believe in yourself as much as you believe in the people you love and nourish.
14. Just because someone says something hurtful, it doesn’t mean that you have to believe them.
15. Sometimes things are gray, not black and white.
16. Relationships will ebb and flow. Being in sync is great. Being out of sync is a perfect time for self-discovery and reality checks.
17. Strength comes in many forms.
18. You’re only as old as you feel. And sometimes you will feel older or younger depending on your mood, hormone levels, day of the week or weather.
19. Good lighting and a well-placed mirror can do wonders for your soul.
20. Chocolate, red wine and candy are your friends. In moderation. And sometimes, in excess.
And one to grow on, of course…
48? The new 30, easily.
Happy Birthday Mom! Happyto be 48 and “middle-aged” me!
Read MoreBlogaversary – Cheers!
I can’t believe that I missed it!
Thanks to my BBFF Amy, whose blogaversary post this week jarred me into reality, I realized that over a year has passed since my first post. I have many favorites, but I thought I’d share one that perhaps conveys the true intent of this blog.
Thank you all for taking this journey with me. And as they say, the best is yet to come.
Midlife ain’t see nothing yet!
Cheers!
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: I am woman
Hear me roar!
Sometimes it seems that estrogen has dealt women sort of a bad hand. Except when it comes to our immune systems. In fact, researchers from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center and McGill University in Montreal report in a new study that women have more powerful immune systems than men, especially when it comes to fighting off bacterial infections.
The study, which was conducted on mice, shows that naturally-produced estrogen actually blocks the production of an enzyme known as Caspase-12 which helps to block inflammation. The mice, which lacked the Caspase gene and were therefore, very resistant to infection at the start, were implanted with a human form of the gene. Ironically, after implantation, only the male mice became prone to infection. The researchers were also able to locate the exact place where estrogen interacts with Caspase-12, meaning that the action is direct.
The researchers consider these results applicable to humans because the mice were implanted with the human form of Caspase-12.
Unquestionably, this doesn’t have anything to do with menopause or midlife directly. But I find it inspiring that in the survival of the fittest, it’s women who are likely to come out ahead.
Read MoreNews Flash! HR 584
I just learned that Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) is sponsoring a new legislation (HR-584) that would provide “for coverage of hormone replacement therapy for treatment of menopausal symptoms, and for coverage of an alternative therapy for hormone replacement therapy for such symptoms, under the Medicare and Medicaid Programs, group health plans and individual health insurance coverage, and other Federal health insurance programs.”
This is huge. I’m tracking it down to see if I can learn more. If you have any additional information, write to me at flashfree111@gmail.com.
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: Vitameatavegamin
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I Love Lucy. But, today’s bubble is no laughing matter.
New evidence suggests that multivitamins do not offer protection against common cancers (i.e. breast, colon/rectum, endometrial, kidney, bladder, stomach, ovary and lung), heart disease and overall mortality in postmenopausal women.
These findings, which were published this past Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, offer combined evidence from three overlapping trials in the Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Trial and Observational Study which included women assigned hormone therapy, dietary modification or calcium and vitamin D.
Over a time period of roughly 8 years, researchers collected and evaluated data on the use of multivitamins, multivitamins with minerals and stress supplements in 161,808 women, including number of pills weekly and length of use for each supplement.
Supplements were also grouped according to ingredients: 1) multivitamins alone = 10 or more vitamins with no added mineral meeting 100% of RDA; 2) multivitamins with minerals = 20 to 30 vitamins and minerals and nutrients less than or equal to 100% of RDA, and 3) supplements containing more than 200% of the RDA of B-vitamins and high doses of vitamin C or selected minerals).
Overall, 41.5% of study participants used multivitamins (most commonly, multivitamins with minerals). Analysis showed no association between multivitamin use and cancer, heart disease, or overall mortality risk, although a possible association between stress-type supplements and a slightly lowered risk of heart attack was seen.
Based on these results, the researchers concluded that “multivitamin use has little or no influence on the risk of common cancers, heart disease or total mortality in postmenopausal women.”
In the study’s discussion, the researchers questioned the value of using multivitamins for chronic disease prevention, and while they acknowledged the importance of nutrition for preventing chronic illnesses, they suggest that supplements are not likely to play a major role in these efforts.
What do you think? (BTW, Dr. Hubbard from My Family Doctor Mag has a great post on this issue.)
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