Luteinizing Hormone and Menopause

Why Everything Feels So Unpredictable

Luteinizing hormone (LH) plays a bigger role in your menopause journey than most people realize. It rises sharply during the transition, and those changes can align with some of the most frustrating symptoms you’re experiencing.

If your cycle has become unpredictable, if sleep feels off, or if your moods shift faster than you can explain, LH is part of the picture. And knowing what it does can make this phase feel a little less confusing — and a lot less personal.

What Luteinizing Hormone Does

LH is released by the pituitary gland and works with follicle-stimulating hormone to keep your reproductive system running smoothly. Earlier in life, LH triggers ovulation and helps your body produce estrogen and progesterone.

As you enter perimenopause, ovulation becomes less consistent. When your ovaries don’t respond the way they used to, your body increases LH levels to keep things going. That’s why LH levels often rise long before your final period — it’s your system working overtime, even though the hormonal landscape is shifting.

How LH Changes Can Feel

LH isn’t the one causing symptoms, but everything happening around it can make life feel unpredictable. You might notice things like:

These changes aren’t signs that you’re doing anything wrong. They’re your body recalibrating — and LH is one of the markers showing where you are in the transition.

Lifestyle Support for LH Changes

You can’t stop LH from rising, and you don’t need to. It’s just a signal of the stage you’re in. What does help is supporting the hormones that decline as LH goes up — especially estrogen and progesterone.

Here’s what makes a real difference:

Stress reduction. When everything feels a little louder during menopause, calming your stress can make a surprising difference. Slow breathing, jotting things down before bed, or grabbing five quiet minutes to yourself can steady your system. Once your stress eases up, the rest of your symptoms usually feel a lot less intense.

Prioritizing sleep. A cool, dark bedroom and a predictable bedtime help your body settle at night. It won’t erase every 2 a.m. wakeup, but it can make those temperature swings and fragmented nights much easier to navigate.

Little habits like these may seem small, but when you repeat them consistently, they make a noticeable difference.

Medical Options

Because LH is a marker — not the problem — medical treatments focus on easing symptoms that come from declining estrogen and progesterone, your provider may discuss:

Hormone therapy (HT). Options may include low-dose estrogen, sometimes paired with progesterone, depending on your body and needs.

Non-hormonal medications. These can help manage hot flashes, night sweats, or sleep troubles if hormone therapy isn’t a good fit.

Cycle-related symptom support. If your periods are heavy, unpredictable, or uncomfortable, your provider may offer treatments that help smooth things out.

You don’t treat LH directly — you treat the symptoms caused by the larger hormonal shift.

Closing Thoughts

Luteinizing hormone is really just your body’s way of saying, “Hey, things are changing.” It isn’t a problem you need to fix — it’s a marker that your hormones are shifting and your system is trying to find its new rhythm. And even though the symptoms around it can feel loud or unpredictable, you still have plenty of ways to steady yourself.

With the right support and a little patience, this stage becomes far less overwhelming. Your body isn’t breaking down — it’s recalibrating. And you will find your rhythm again.

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.

Growth Hormone

The Hidden Hormone Behind Fatigue and Muscle Loss

Growth hormone doesn’t get talked about as much as estrogen or progesterone. Still, it plays a quiet, powerful role in how your body looks and feels — especially during menopause. It’s the hormone behind muscle tone, tissue repair, fat metabolism, and that healthy “bounce back” feeling after activity or stress.

When growth hormone begins to decline with age and through menopause, you may notice changes that feel subtle at first but build over time — slower recovery, softer muscle tone, more fatigue, and even a little extra weight in places you didn’t expect. Understanding how this hormone works helps you focus on the areas that truly move the needle.

What Growth Hormone Does

Growth hormone (GH) comes from your pituitary gland and shows up in short bursts, especially at night when you’re in deep sleep. It’s the hormone that helps your body repair itself, keep your muscles and bones strong, and use fat for energy instead of holding onto it.

During menopause, growth hormone naturally drops as estrogen declines. Because these hormones work together, the result can be reduced muscle definition, slower healing, and metabolic changes that make it easier to gain weight — especially around the midsection. You might also feel like your energy or stamina isn’t what it used to be, even if your routine hasn’t changed.

How Growth Hormone Changes Can Feel

When growth hormone dips, it can show up in everyday ways like:

It’s easy to think you’re doing something wrong, but this is your body adjusting to a new hormonal balance. The good news: there are ways to support your body so it works with you again.

Lifestyle Support for Growth Hormone

You don’t need to chase perfection to support healthy growth hormone levels. It’s about giving your body the right conditions to thrive.

Prioritize deep sleep:

Most of your growth hormone is released during deep, restful sleep. That means a regular bedtime, a cool dark room, and skipping late-night scrolling can make a bigger difference than you think.

Strength train regularly:

Lifting weights or using resistance bands gives growth hormone a natural nudge — and helps you keep the muscle tone that gets harder to maintain during menopause.

Eat enough protein:

Your body needs protein to repair muscle. Eggs, fish, tofu, beans, and Greek yogurt all provide the amino acids that help your muscles recover and stay strong.

Avoid long-term calorie restriction:

Eating too little can backfire. When your body doesn’t get enough fuel, growth hormone dips, making fatigue and muscle loss even more noticeable.

Manage stress:

When stress stays high, cortisol rises — and that can work against growth hormone. Simple tools like deep breathing, journaling, or gentle movement help calm your system and support better balance.

Fast smartly — if at all:

Some people like short fasting windows, but it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Medical Options

If you’re struggling with low energy, muscle loss, or slow recovery, even with good habits, your provider may explore options like:

Hormone therapy (HT): Balancing estrogen can indirectly support growth hormone activity.

Peptide or growth hormone–stimulating treatments: These specialized options should be considered only under medical supervision.

Nutrient testing: Checking for deficiencies (like vitamin D, zinc, or amino acids) that affect muscle and recovery.

Closing Thoughts

Growth hormone is your body’s natural repair crew. When it slows down, everything from your energy to your muscle tone can shift — but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck feeling sluggish. By focusing on deep rest, strength training, stress balance, and nutrition that supports repair, you give your body the message it needs: keep building, keep restoring.

Menopause isn’t the end of strength or vitality — it’s a time to learn new ways to work with your body instead of against it. You’re still strong, still capable, and absolutely able to rebuild what’s been slowing down.

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.

Melatonin and Menopause

Why Nights Feel Longer and Sleep Feels Shorter

Melatonin and menopause are closely connected. If falling asleep takes longer than it used to, if you’re waking up between 2 and 4 a.m. for no apparent reason, or if you start your day already tired, you’re in familiar territory. Many people notice sleep shifts during the menopause transition, and melatonin is often a contributing factor.

Instead of blaming yourself or thinking you’re doing something wrong, it helps to understand what’s changing inside your body. Melatonin naturally decreases with age, and as other hormones also shift, it can make restful sleep feel harder to reach. When you understand melatonin’s role, you can begin supporting your sleep in ways that actually help instead of fighting against your body.

What Melatonin Is and Why It Matters

Melatonin is a hormone your body makes in the brain, and it acts like your internal “sleep signal.” As daylight fades, melatonin rises, helping your body wind down. When morning light returns, melatonin levels drop, helping you wake up and move into your day.

It doesn’t just affect sleep. Melatonin also supports your internal body clock, immune function, and overall balance.

During menopause, melatonin naturally declines, which can make it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, and feel restored when you wake up. Pair this with hormonal changes in estrogen and progesterone, and sleep can feel like a puzzle you’re trying to solve in the dark.

How Melatonin Shifts Can Feel

A drop in melatonin may show up as:

• Trouble falling asleep
• Waking up during the night
• Waking too early in the morning
• Feeling tired even after “enough” sleep
• Brain fog or low focus during the day
• Feeling more emotional or overwhelmed

And because sleep and mood are deeply linked, rough nights tend to lead to rough days. This is not a personal failure. It is biology.

How to Support Melatonin Naturally

You can help your body produce more melatonin — gently and consistently by:

Small habits, repeated consistently, help your body remember how to rest.

Foods That Support Sleep Naturally

• Tart cherry juice: A natural source of melatonin
• Kiwi: Contains serotonin to support the sleep-wake cycle
• Almonds and walnuts: Rich in magnesium and tryptophan for relaxation
• Bananas: Provide magnesium and potassium to ease muscle tension
• Warm milk or fortified plant milk: Uses calcium to help convert tryptophan into melatonin
• Oats: Naturally contain melatonin and support steady nighttime blood sugar
• Turkey or tofu: High in tryptophan, the building block of calming brain chemistry
• Chamomile tea: Contains apigenin to help quiet the mind
• Dark leafy greens: Magnesium-rich to support the nervous system

Think of these as sleep-support allies, not quick fixes. Consistency matters more than perfection.

Medical Support

If lifestyle changes aren’t giving you relief, there are supportive medical options to discuss with your medical provider:

• Melatonin supplements
• Hormone therapy
• Sleep aids or mood support medications

If you’re unsure where to start, talk with your healthcare provider and describe your sleep patterns—the details matter.

Closing Thoughts

Sleep challenges during menopause can feel incredibly frustrating, but they are also incredibly common. Melatonin is one part of the larger hormonal story your body is navigating — and there are ways to help your system find its rhythm again.

You deserve sleep that restores you. And your body is not working against you—it’s simply asking for a different kind of care.

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.

Oxytocin in Menopause

Supporting Intimacy and Desire

Oxytocin is often called the bonding hormone, but during menopause, it becomes something much more personal. It influences how connected you feel to others, how your body responds to touch, how stable your mood feels, and how satisfying intimacy can be.

When oxytocin shifts during menopause, it’s not just a hormone change—it can affect emotional closeness, physical comfort, and your sense of connection to yourself and others. Understanding oxytocin can help you make sense of what you’re feeling and provide a clearer path forward.

What Oxytocin Does

Oxytocin is made in the brain, but it works throughout the body. It helps you feel connected in your relationships. It calms your nervous system, supports your body’s recovery from stress, promotes deeper sleep, and plays a meaningful role in physical intimacy and pleasure.

Because oxytocin works closely with estrogen and progesterone, the hormonal shifts of menopause can change how it feels to be touched, how connected you feel during intimacy, and sex and intimacy as a whole. If closeness feels different now, it’s not a lack of effort, care, or desire—it’s your body adjusting to a new hormonal rhythm.

How Oxytocin Shifts Can Feel

When oxytocin changes, it can show up in small shifts that can feel huge, like:

• Feeling lonely or disconnected, even when you’re not physically alone
• Feeling less connected during touch
• Feeling easily overwhelmed
• Little or no desire for sex
• Pulling back from others, even when part of you wants closeness
• Sleep is easily disturbed

These effects can feel deeply personal, but they aren’t about effort, love, or the quality of your relationships. This is your body adjusting to changing hormone levels—and it can be supported.

Sex and Oxytocin

As estrogen shifts, vaginal dryness or vaginal atrophy can develop, which can make sex uncomfortable or even painful. Combined with lower oxytocin levels, pulling away is naturally going to happen, even in the best of relationships.

This is where you may start to think something is wrong with you or your relationship. It’s not. Your body is responding to hormonal change, not a lack of attraction, effort, or care. The key is support, not pressure — so sex can start to feel good again instead of something to avoid. It’s also time to talk to your partner about what is going on, so they don’t think there’s something wrong with them.

Supporting Oxytocin Naturally

Oxytocin responds to warmth and small moments of real connection. Think gentle and consistent:

The goal isn’t to “fix” anything.  It’s to slow down, soften, and let your body feel safe again. Connection grows in safety—not pressure.

Medical Support

There isn’t a medication that directly “fixes” oxytocin levels, but there are adequate supports:

• Estrogen therapy can make the body more responsive to oxytocin again
• Vaginal estrogen can restore lubrication and comfort
• Counseling or supportive communication work can help re-strengthen emotional closeness

It’s not about replacing something you’ve lost. It’s about supporting what your body still naturally wants to do.

Closing Thoughts

Oxytocin is the reminder that we are built for connection, comfort, and closeness. Menopause may change how connected you feel, but it does not take it away. This stage of life is an invitation to understand your body more deeply and to support your relationships—both with others and with yourself—in a new way.

With awareness, compassion, and small daily practices, you can feel connected, grounded, and confident through this transition. You are not losing yourself. You are learning your body again—and you have more support available than you may realize.

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.

Pregnenolone and Menopause

What Happens When the Parent Hormone Shifts

Pregnenolone sits at the top of your hormone hierarchy — the parent hormone that helps create many others, including estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, cortisol, and testosterone.

During menopause, when everything in your hormonal network starts to recalibrate, pregnenolone quietly shapes how you feel day to day.

When its levels shift, you may notice the effects in your mood, sleep, and energy. Because it’s connected to nearly every other hormone, even small changes in pregnenolone can ripple through your body in big ways. Understanding its role can help you feel more in control as you move through the menopause transition.

What Is Pregnenolone and Why Does It Matter?

Pregnenolone is made from cholesterol in your adrenal glands and brain. It’s the master ingredient in your body’s hormone recipe — helping create the ones that keep your stress in check, your mood steady, and your memory clear.

When pregnenolone levels start to dip, you might experience:

• More frequent mood swings or irritability
• Forgetfulness or brain fog
• Fatigue or slower recovery from stress
• Trouble sleeping or staying asleep
• Feeling emotionally flat or unmotivated

Because pregnenolone supports brain health and emotional resilience, it’s no surprise that lower levels can make it harder to focus, stay positive, and maintain steady energy.

When There’s Too Much Pregnenolone

While low pregnenolone can cause sluggishness and fatigue, too much can be just as disruptive. High levels can trigger a hormonal chain reaction, altering estrogen, testosterone, or cortisol levels and creating new imbalances.

You might notice:

• Restlessness or anxiety
• Disrupted sleep or vivid dreams
• Heightened PMS-like symptoms or irritability
• Worsening of hormone-sensitive conditions like fibroids or endometriosis

Naturally high pregnenolone levels are rare. More often, issues arise when supplements are used without medical supervision. Because pregnenolone influences so many hormone pathways, adding more without guidance can easily backfire.

Lifestyle Support for Balance

The best way to support pregnenolone is by caring for the systems that make it— especially your adrenals and brain. A few consistent habits can help keep production balanced and steady.

These small, steady choices create the foundation your hormones need to stay in sync— and over time, they make a big difference.

Medical Considerations

Suppose you’ve tried lifestyle changes and still notice symptoms like extreme fatigue, brain fog, or mood changes. In that case, it may be worth talking with your healthcare provider. A simple blood test can measure your pregnenolone and related hormone levels.

Research on pregnenolone supplementation is still early, but some studies suggest it may help with mood and cognitive changes during menopause. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, though. If you explore this route, work closely with a provider—dosing and monitoring are essential since this hormone affects multiple systems at once.

Closing Thoughts

Pregnenolone might not make headlines like estrogen or progesterone, but it’s the parent hormone behind nearly every one of them. When it’s in balance, your whole system feels supported — your energy, your mood, your sleep, and your sense of stability.

By nourishing your adrenals, managing stress, and fueling your body with wholesome foods, you help pregnenolone do its job more effectively. Menopause doesn’t have to mean feeling unsteady. Supporting this parent hormone gives you a solid foundation for rebuilding balance and thriving in your next chapter.

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.

Cortisol and Menopause

When Stress Feels Bigger Than It Used To

Cortisol is often labeled the stress hormone, but that barely scratches the surface. You rely on it every day — from helping you wake up in the morning to giving you a boost when something stressful pops up.

During menopause, though, the way cortisol behaves can change. As estrogen and progesterone shift, your stress response doesn’t always respond like it used to. What once felt like a small concern might now feel overwhelming — and the physical effects can be impossible to ignore.

Understanding cortisol — and its role in this transition — is a powerful step toward feeling more like yourself again.

What Cortisol Actually Does

Cortisol comes from your adrenal glands and plays a hand in nearly everything your body does to keep you going:

• How you use fats, proteins, and carbs for fuel
• How steady your blood pressure stays
• How well you sleep
• How strongly your immune system responds
• How you bounce back after stress

It’s your built-in “get up and go” — and your “calm down after” — all in one.
But when cortisol stays high for too long? That’s when things start to feel off.

When Cortisol Runs the Show

Chronic stress + menopause = a tough combination.

Instead of rising to help you through a stressful moment and then settling back down, cortisol may hang around longer than you need it. That can turn into symptoms like:

• Weight gain (especially around the belly)
• Irritability, anxiety, or feeling down
• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
• Low energy or “wired but tired” nights
• Brain fog and memory slips
• Cravings that attack your willpower
• More frequent colds or slower healing
• Higher blood pressure or metabolic changes

Sound familiar? You’re not imagining it — these are some of the most common “is it menopause or stress?” symptoms doctors hear about.

How To Support Cortisol

The best news in all of this? You have real influence over cortisol.

Simple daily choices can help your nervous system settle down and get cortisol back into a healthy rhythm:

These aren’t quick fixes — they’re steady anchors during a time of change.

When To Involve Your Doctor

If cortisol remains very high or symptoms are extreme — especially with rapid weight gain, severe fatigue, or other red flags — a deeper evaluation may be needed.
A healthcare professional might:

• Review medications that influence cortisol
• Order hormone and adrenal testing
• Treat underlying causes like adrenal tumors (rare, but possible)
• Discuss whether hormone therapy could help smooth the transition

As always, any medical treatment should be guided by someone who understands hormonal health in midlife.

Closing Thoughts

Menopause can feel overwhelming when your stress response doesn’t match the situation — but cortisol is not the enemy. It’s simply a hormone doing its best to keep up with all the changes your body is facing.

By paying attention to how you nourish, rest, and care for yourself, you can help cortisol find its balance again — and in turn, help you feel clearer, calmer, and stronger in this chapter of life.

You deserve to feel steady and supported. And each step you take gives your body one more reason to breathe easier through the transition.

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.

DHEA and Menopause

Supporting Your Stamina, Mood & Skin

DHEA and androstenedione are adrenal hormones that quietly influence your stamina, mood, and skin. During menopause, as your ovaries slow down their hormone production, your adrenal glands step up to help fill the gap. When they’re working well, they help you feel strong, emotionally balanced, and confident in your own skin.

When stress piles up, your adrenal glands can’t keep up. You might notice you’re more tired than usual, your mood feels off, or your skin looks dull. The good news? A few intentional lifestyle changes — like better rest, nourishing meals, and managing stress — can help your adrenals recover and restore that steady sense of vitality.

How You Might Feel

When adrenal androgens like DHEA decline, you may notice it in both your body and mood:

Everyone’s experience is different. You might notice several of these shifts or only one or two — or even none at all.

Lifestyle Strategies

Your adrenal glands respond to how you live, rest, and manage stress. Supporting them helps steady your hormones naturally.

Prioritize rest: Good sleep helps regulate all your hormones, including adrenal output.

Eat regularly: Skipping meals can raise cortisol and drain your energy. Aim for balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, and colorful vegetables.

Move mindfully: Moderate activity like walking, stretching, or yoga supports balance without overtaxing your body.

Manage stress: Calm routines — like journaling, deep breathing, or time outdoors — go a long way in supporting your adrenals.

Stay hydrated: Ensuring you drink enough water helps support organ function, aids digestion, regulates body temperature, and keeps your skin hydrated from within.

Medical Options

If testing shows low DHEA or adrenal fatigue, your provider may recommend:

DHEA supplements are taken only under medical supervision.

Lifestyle adjustments first, since restoring sleep, nutrition, and stress management often leads to the most significant improvements.

Closing Thoughts

Your adrenal hormones play a much bigger role in menopause than most people realize. DHEA and androstenedione help you maintain stamina, steadier moods, and the glow that comes from balanced health. When levels drop, it’s not just about fatigue — it’s about how your whole body adapts to change.

By protecting your adrenal health through rest, nutrition, and stress management, you’re not just supporting a single hormone — you’re strengthening your foundation. As you move through this transition, caring for your adrenals helps you feel more resilient, emotionally centered, and comfortable in your skin again.

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.

Testosterone and Menopause

The Hormone Behind Energy, Strength, and Desire

Testosterone isn’t just for men. Women’s bodies make it, too, mainly in the ovaries and adrenal glands. It gives you some of your drive — in energy, in mood, and in intimacy. It also helps keep muscles firm and recover quickly after activity.

As menopause sets in, testosterone levels taper off. Many people don’t even notice, while others know something has changed and become frustrated.

Symptoms of Testosterone Decline

Testosterone decline can show up as:

Not everyone feels all of these, but even subtle shifts can add up over time.

Lifestyle Strategies

The good news is that lifestyle habits go a long way toward supporting testosterone levels and minimizing the effects of decline:

Strength and resistance training: Lifting weights is pivotal to maintaining muscle mass and bone strength. Resistance bands are perfect for small spaces or when you travel.

Balanced nutrition: Protein-rich foods (beans, fish, eggs, lean meats, or tofu) give your body the building blocks for hormones and muscle repair.

Prioritize rest: Sleep is essential for hormone balance, including testosterone.

Keep stress in check: Stress raises cortisol, which can counteract testosterone and leave you exhausted.

Medical Options

Testosterone therapy for women exists, but it’s not commonly prescribed. When it is, it’s usually reserved for those with severe symptoms — especially loss of sexual desire that isn’t helped by lifestyle changes.

Options may include low-dose gels, patches, or injections, but they require close medical supervision because of potential side effects.

Closing Thoughts

Testosterone may not be the first hormone you think of in menopause, but its influence is real. From energy to libido to muscle tone, it plays a role in how strong and vibrant you feel.

With wise lifestyle choices — and medical guidance if needed — you can stay in tune with your body and maintain vitality through this stage of life.

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.

Inhibin and Menopause

Why Doctors Measure It with FSH

Inhibin isn’t a hormone that gets talked about much, but it plays a vital role in your reproductive years and menopause. It’s made in the ovaries and acts like a brake pedal for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). In other words, it helps keep the whole system in balance.

During menopause, inhibin levels drop sharply. Without that brake, FSH rises even higher, which is part of why doctors sometimes measure both hormones when looking at your menopausal status.

Symptoms of Inhibin Decline

Here’s the tricky part: inhibin itself doesn’t cause symptoms you can feel. Instead, its decline adds fuel to the hormonal changes already happening with estrogen and progesterone. That’s why the picture of menopause can feel so intense. Some of the effects tied to this shift include:

So, while inhibin may not be the headline hormone, its loss makes the ups and downs of menopause more noticeable.

Lifestyle Strategies

You can’t stop inhibin from declining, but you can take steps that help smooth out the bigger hormonal rollercoaster:

Stay active: Exercise supports your heart, bones, and mood during this transition.

Eat to support balance: A diet rich in whole foods — especially fruits, veggies, and omega-3 fats — gives your body the tools to adapt.

Manage stress: Stress tends to magnify hormone symptoms, so daily practices like deep breathing, journaling, or yoga can make a real difference.

Prioritize rest: Sleep may feel harder to come by, but routines like a regular bedtime, a darker room, and avoiding late-night caffeine can help.

Medical Options

There isn’t a treatment to replace inhibin itself. Doctors don’t prescribe it the way they might with estrogen or progesterone. Instead, the focus is on easing the symptoms caused by those bigger hormone shifts. Depending on what you’re dealing with, your provider may suggest:

Estrogen therapy (sometimes combined with progesterone if you still have your uterus).

Non-hormonal medicines to calm hot flashes or balance mood.

Vaginal estrogen creams for dryness or discomfort during intimacy.

Inhibin is really more of a marker — it tells the story of what your body is going through, but it’s not something that gets added back in.

Closing Thoughts

FSH and inhibin are markers, not the cause of symptoms.

Because all of your hormones are shifting together, the same symptoms show up — hot flashes, sleep changes, mood swings, and more. That’s also why the lifestyle strategies and medical treatments that help are so similar across the board.

What makes FSH and inhibin important is that, when measured together, they provide doctors with a more precise indication that menopause is present.

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.

FSH and Menopause

What Rising Levels Really Mean

Follicle-stimulating hormone, often shortened to FSH, is one of the key signals between your brain and your ovaries. When you’re younger, the pituitary gland releases FSH to get your ovaries moving — and they listen.

As menopause approaches, however, the ovaries begin to ignore the message. To compensate, the pituitary releases more and more FSH, increasing the pressure even though nothing has changed.

That’s why doctors check follicle-stimulating hormone levels during menopause — the higher the number, the clearer the picture of where you are in the transition. In fact, FSH often gets measured along with another hormone called inhibin. While FSH rises in menopause, inhibin goes down.

Symptoms of FSH Changes

FSH isn’t the problem, it likely means menopause is on the way or already here. It’s just the signal that your reproductive years are wrapping up. The symptoms come from the fall in estrogen and progesterone, and those can show up as:

Lifestyle Strategies

Since FSH is really just a signpost, the focus is on taking care of your body as estrogen and progesterone shift. That means back to basics:

Stay active: Regular movement — such as walking, strength training, and yoga — helps maintain balance in weight, mood, and bone health.

Eat with intention: Antioxidant-rich foods (berries, colorful veggies, nuts, seeds) help your body handle the stress of change.

Stress management: Since hormone shifts can leave you feeling on edge, calming practices like journaling or deep breathing go a long way.

Medical Options and Alternatives

Doctors don’t treat high FSH directly. Instead, they look at your symptoms and hormone levels as a whole. If hot flashes, sleep problems, or vaginal dryness are disruptive, options may include:

Think of FSH as the lab test that helps guide treatment — not the target of treatment.

Closing Thoughts

FSH is a marker, not the cause of symptoms. Because all of your hormones are shifting together, the same symptoms show up — hot flashes, sleep changes, mood swings, and more. That’s also why the lifestyle strategies and medical treatments that help are so similar across the board.

When FSH is measured alongside inhibin, it gives doctors an even clearer indication that menopause is here.

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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.