When people talk about menopause, they often mention the hot flashes, the mood swings, or the changes in sleep. But have you ever wondered what is actually happening inside your body to cause these things?
Think of your body like a complex orchestra. For years, different hormones have played together in harmony to keep your cycle regular and your body functioning a certain way. During menopause, the music changes. Some instruments start playing softer, while others get much louder.
This shift is natural, but it can feel confusing. While estrogen gets the most attention, it isn’t the only hormone involved. Understanding the key players can help you make sense of the changes you are feeling.
Here are five major hormones that shift during menopause and what they mean for your health.
1. Estrogen: The Master Regulator
Estrogen is the most well-known female hormone. It is produced mainly by your ovaries and plays a huge role in your reproductive system. But it does a lot more than just control your period. Estrogen affects your bones, your heart, your skin, and even your brain.
How it changes:
During perimenopause (the time leading up to menopause), estrogen levels can be erratic. They might spike up and down like a rollercoaster. Eventually, as you reach menopause, estrogen production drops significantly and stays low.
What you might feel:
When estrogen levels fall, it triggers many of the classic menopause symptoms. This drop is the main reason for hot flashes and night sweats. You might also notice vaginal dryness, thinning hair, or dry skin. Because estrogen protects your bones, lower levels can also increase the risk of osteoporosis (weak bones).
2. Progesterone: The Calming Hormone
Progesterone works as a partner to estrogen. Its main job during your fertile years is to prepare the lining of your uterus for a potential pregnancy. It also has a natural calming effect on the brain.
How it changes:
Progesterone is often the first hormone to drop. During perimenopause, you might skip ovulation (releasing an egg) during some months. When you don’t ovulate, your body doesn’t make progesterone. This means your levels can fall quite early in the transition.
What you might feel:
Because progesterone is a “calming” hormone, losing it can make you feel more anxious or irritable. A drop in progesterone is also a common culprit behind sleep problems. If you find yourself waking up at 3 a.m. and unable to fall back asleep, lower progesterone levels might be the reason. It can also lead to heavier or irregular periods before they stop completely.
3. Testosterone: Not Just for Men
We often think of testosterone as a male hormone, but women produce it too, just in smaller amounts. It is produced by the ovaries and the adrenal glands. In women, testosterone helps with muscle strength, energy levels, and sex drive (libido).
How it changes:
Unlike estrogen and progesterone, which can drop sharply, testosterone tends to decrease slowly and steadily as you age. However, by the time you reach menopause, your levels are about half of what they were in your 20s.
What you might feel:
The decline in testosterone can contribute to a lower sex drive. You might feel less interested in intimacy than you used to. It can also affect your energy, making you feel sluggish or tired. Some women also notice that it’s harder to build muscle or maintain muscle tone during this time.
4. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
FSH is a hormone made by your brain, specifically the pituitary gland. Its job is to tell your ovaries to make estrogen and release an egg.
How it changes:
This is where things get interesting. While estrogen and progesterone go down, FSH levels go up. Think of FSH as a manager shouting instructions. When your ovaries stop responding and stop making enough estrogen, your brain shouts louder to try to get them to work. This “shouting” results in much higher levels of FSH in your blood.
What you might feel:
You typically don’t “feel” high FSH levels the way you feel a hot flash. However, doctors often test FSH levels to confirm if a woman is in menopause. Consistently high FSH levels, combined with a lack of periods, are a key sign that you have reached this stage.
5. Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Like FSH, Luteinizing Hormone (LH) is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. It works alongside FSH to trigger ovulation and stimulate the ovaries to produce hormones.
How it changes:
Just like FSH, levels of LH rise significantly during menopause. Because the ovaries aren’t responding the way they used to, the brain keeps pumping out more LH in an attempt to stimulate the system.
What you might feel:
Similar to FSH, you won’t necessarily feel the rise in LH directly. However, these consistently high levels are another marker that your body has permanently shifted out of its reproductive years.
Finding Your Balance Without the Rollercoaster
Understanding these five hormones helps explain why you might be feeling “off.” Your body is trying to find a new normal.
Many women want relief from symptoms but are hesitant about treatments that add artificial hormones back into their system. They want to feel better without disrupting their body’s natural chemistry.
This is where Purality Health’s MenoPLUS shines.
MenoPLUS features a star ingredient called EstroG-100®. This is a powerful herbal blend that has been clinically shown to relieve common symptoms like hot flashes, fatigue, and mood swings.
The best part? It is completely non-hormonal.
Unlike some treatments that mimic estrogen or trick your body, EstroG-100® does not alter your hormone levels. It doesn’t add synthetic hormones to your system. Instead, it works with your body to support natural comfort and balance.
It allows you to manage the symptoms of these hormonal shifts without interfering with the process itself. If you are looking for a way to feel like yourself again—safely and naturally—MenoPLUS might be the support you need.
Click here to learn more about how MenoPLUS supports a balanced menopause journey.
