Alcohol and Menopause
5 Reasons to Rethink Alcohol Now
Menopause brings enough changes without adding fuel to the fire. And that’s precisely what alcohol can do. While it might seem like a way to unwind or celebrate, it often makes menopause symptoms more intense—and more frequent.
If you’re navigating this transition, it’s time to take a closer look at how alcohol impacts your body and why cutting back might be one of the best choices you can make for your health.
Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
The Mayo Clinic reports that around 80% experience these hot flashes and night sweats, and about 30% have them severely. Drinking causes your blood vessels to dilate, which increases body heat and throws off your internal thermostat.
Even one glass of wine can trigger a wave of warmth that spirals into full-blown discomfort. The more frequently you drink, the more severe and unpredictable these episodes can become.
Sleep Disruption
Alcohol interferes with deep sleep and REM cycles, causing you to wake up more often, feel less rested, and struggle with energy the next day.
It’s tempting to reach for a drink to help you fall asleep—but that “nightcap” backfires fast. If you’re already dealing with menopause-related insomnia, drinking can add fuel to an already smoldering fire.
Mood Changes
Hormones are already shifting during menopause, which can disrupt your emotional balance. Alcohol messes with serotonin and dopamine—the chemicals that help stabilize your mood.
That post-drink crash? It can turn into anxiety, irritability, or even depression. If you find yourself snapping more easily or crying without warning, alcohol might be part of the problem.
Increased Anxiety
You might feel calmer at first after a drink, but once it wears off, anxiety often comes back stronger. Alcohol is a depressant, and during menopause, your nervous system is already more sensitive.
Over time, regular drinking can lead to a cycle of using alcohol to cope with anxiety, only to feel more anxious the next day. It becomes a loop that’s tough to break.
Weight Gain
Menopause already slows your metabolism. Add alcohol, and you’re stacking the odds against yourself. It’s not just the calories in the drink—it’s what happens after.
Alcohol lowers your ability to say no to junk food, increases your cravings, and interrupts your body’s fat-burning process. Your liver focuses on eliminating alcohol before it can perform other functions, such as managing blood sugar or burning fat.
The Bottom Line
Alcohol might feel like a temporary escape, but during menopause, it often makes things more complicated, not easier. Hot flashes, poor sleep, emotional ups and downs, anxiety, and stubborn weight gain all get worse when alcohol is in the mix.
Taking a break or drinking less—even for a few weeks—can help you feel clearer, more in control, and better able to manage your symptoms. This chapter of life is already a big transition. Don’t let alcohol steal the stability you’re working so hard to find.
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*Health and wellness coaches engage in evidence-based, client-centered processes that facilitate and empower clients to develop and achieve self-determined, health and wellness goals. We do not diagnose, interpret medical data, prescribe or de-prescribe, recommend supplements, provide nutrition consultation or create meal plans, provide exercise prescription or instruction, consult and advise, or provide psychological therapeutic interventions or treatment.
