Estrogen in Menopause
Why the Drop Feels So Big (and What Helps Most)
Estrogen is often called the queen hormone for a reason. It’s been steering the ship for decades — running your cycles, supporting your bones, keeping your heart healthy, and even shaping how sharp and steady your mind feels.
Estrogen dominance, where estrogen outweighs progesterone, can happen at any stage of life and is often tied to conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, and adenomyosis.
For those with estrogen dominance, heavy or irregular bleeding, PMS, and mood swings in perimenopause can be more intense than for someone without it. Eventually, the balance shifts again, and estrogen begins its steady decline, bringing a whole new set of challenges.
When menopause comes knocking, usually somewhere between your mid-40s and mid-50s, your estrogen levels take a steep dive. This isn’t just about saying goodbye to your period. It’s a whole-body shift that touches nearly every system, from your metabolism to your mood.
Symptoms of Estrogen Decline
When estrogen drops, you notice it. Hot flashes and night sweats become the classic calling cards, but they aren’t the only ones. You might also deal with:
- Vaginal dryness or discomfort during intimacy
- Mood swings or a shorter fuse than you used to have
- Trouble sleeping
- A dip in sexual desire
These changes aren’t just “in your head.” Estrogen truly helps protect your bones, heart, and brain — so when it falls, the ripple effects are real.
Lifestyle Strategies
Here’s where you can take the wheel. You can’t stop estrogen from declining, but you can work with your body to soften the blow:
Move Your Body
Weight-bearing exercise (like walking, hiking, or lifting light weights) keeps bones strong and helps fight that midlife weight creep.
Eat Smart
Foods rich in calcium (think leafy greens, fortified plant milks, or low-fat dairy) and vitamin D give your bones the backup they need.
Sleep hygiene
Create a bedtime routine that calms your system — dim lights, no screens, and a regular schedule.
Stress check
Practices like yoga, meditation, or even deep breathing are more than “extras” — they keep cortisol (your stress hormone) in check and balance out estrogen’s loss.
Medical Options
Sometimes lifestyle changes aren’t enough, and that’s okay. Hormone therapy (HT) can replace some of the estrogen you’ve lost.
It comes in different forms — pills, patches, and creams. HT can be very effective for easing hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal symptoms.
It’s not for everyone, though, and it’s something to weigh carefully with your healthcare provider. Non-hormonal options also exist — certain antidepressants, for example, have been shown to ease hot flashes and improve sleep.
Closing Thoughts
The drop in estrogen is one of the biggest drivers behind the changes you feel in menopause. But knowledge is power — and pairing smart lifestyle choices with the right medical guidance gives you control back. Menopause isn’t the end of your vitality; it’s the start of a new chapter where you learn to support your body differently.
If you found something useful here, click like, subscribe to Fabulous at Forty & Beyond, and check out more at INC’s Fabulous at Forty & Beyond – The Transition and Your Hormones page!
*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.
