Is it ‘Normal’ Menopause or Hypothyroidism?

 This is a partnered guest post.

The thyroid is perhaps the most oft discussed gland in the human body, mainly for its association with weight issues, as well as for its relevance in connection to female-specific health problems. Many women will explain their excess pounds by chalking them up to a ‘lazy’ or ‘underactive’ thyroid gland, yet the number of females who actually get a thyroid test at a medical facility remains relatively low. The truth is that underactive thyroids, or hypothyroidism, affect millions of women the world over, while the condition itself is considered under-diagnosed by health care experts. Being informed of one’s thyroid activity levels is important, and not just for the impact that they have on body mass, but for a host of other issues, the most important of which is menopause.

The connection between a correctly functioning thyroid gland and menopause is subtle and multi-faceted, especially because low thyroid levels manifest themselves in much the same way as menopause. Menopausal women often put on weight, experience loss of hair, are generally fatigued and have trouble concentrating. Not that many women, however, stop to think that maybe this is their thyroid acting up, instead of the ‘normal’ effects of menopause. The thyroid gland is in charge of regulating numerous life-sustaining body processes, including weight loss and gain, speech, thought formation processes and, last, but certainly not least, the ability to reproduce.

A normally functioning thyroid will communicate with the brain, which will release TRH – the thyrotopin-releasing hormone – as well as TSH – the thyroid-stimulating hormone. These two hormones will effectively inform your thyroid gland that it has to start producing several active hormones, called thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). The levels of these hormones can be easily tested via a basic thyroid test, available at testing centers. After the thyroid produces T4, the body works hard toward turning it into T3, the form under which human cells best recognize the hormone and are able to make use of it most effectively.

However, during menopause, several things occur within the female body, which impede the thyroid’s ability to produce T4 at its full capacity. Essentially, the organism of menopausal and perimenopausal women produces smaller quantities of the female reproductive hormone estrogen, as the body has reached the age where it ‘knows’ it’s going to need fewer such hormones. Since TRH production and relay is favored by estrogen, which helps it do its job, the result is a slowing down of the thyroid function. Lower estrogen levels translate into less T4 available for the body’s cells to be turned into T3. A thyroid profile with lower levels of T3 usually entail less support for the metabolism to break down macronutrients and other nutritious substances into energy, as well as a host of other symptoms. These other symptoms, as you may have already guessed, include a lower sex drive, the inability to sleep properly, mood swings, hair loss, weight gain and chronic fatigue – or, more simply put, just the same symptoms as menopause!

While it can be difficult to discern between menopause and hypothyroidism, regular screenings of the thyroid function are important, since certain lifestyle factors, such as smoking or improper nutrition will take a hard and heavy toll on the thyroid. And this will certainly not make for a smoother transition through menopause, pointlessly complicating an already difficult situation.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

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