Although not all women experience mood changes, for some women, substantial changes in estrogen during physiological transitions such as pregnancy and menopause are particularly associated with worsening of depressive symptoms.
Mood swings are another effect of low estrogen. You may feel sad, anxious, or frustrated. Shifting hormone levels and night sweats may disrupt your sleep. This can cause fatigue, which may make mood swings worse.
Estrogen plays a significant role in mediating moods. This means that the more estrogen you have in your body, the more “moody” you might be. The first signs of hormonal changes often include feeling more “sensitive” to yourself and others, or moods that seem “bigger” than usual.
Estrogen bolsters learning and memory through the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain on which estrogen and progesterone both act. The hormone also protects emotional well-being—when estrogen plummets in menopause, anxiety and depression often result.
When estrogen is disrupted or fluctuates too greatly, it leaves the brain at higher risk for depression — much like what happens during puberty, pregnancy, after giving birth, at certain points in the menstrual cycle, during menopause, and other developmental stages specific to women.
Estrogen: Estrogen also influences the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. Too much or too little estrogen can alter neurotransmitter levels and lead to feelings of depression.
Boosts your mood
Those mood swings you get right before your menstrual cycle might be caused by the shifting levels of estrogen. The hormone is known to help keep serotonin levels regular (those “feel-good hormones”) and help the effectiveness of endorphins.
Estrogen signaling affects aggressive interactions, as well as several behaviors that are closely linked with aggression, including sexual behavior, communication, and learning and memory.
High estrogen levels can cause symptoms such as irregular or heavy periods, weight gain, fatigue, and fibroids in females. In males, they can cause breast tissue growth, erectile dysfunction, and infertility.
The first changes you will probably notice are that your skin will become a bit drier and thinner. Your pores will become smaller and there will be less oil production. You may become more prone to bruising or cuts and in the first few weeks you'll notice that the odors of your sweat and urine will change.
When it comes to happiness, in particular, the primary signaling chemicals include: Serotonin. Dopamine. Endorphins.
Mood swings: Estrogen dominance can cause a range of mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. Decreased sex drive: As the levels of estrogen hormone rises, one may notice a dip in their sexual drive. Severe headaches or migraines: Headaches during the menstrual cycles are normal and everyone experiences it.
Estrogen helps protect the heart from disease, potentially by maintaining higher levels of good cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), in your blood. Lower estrogen levels, especially during menopause, can increase your risk of developing heart disease.
And how do you go about it? If you are healthy, most experts agree that HRT is safe to use at the lowest dose that helps for the shortest time needed. If you're 59 or older, or have been on hormones for 5 years, you should talk to your doctor about quitting.
As estrogen levels drastically change in perimenopause, high levels can cause bloating, breast tenderness, and heavy bleeding. Once these levels become more consistently low, that can cause hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, changes in fat distribution (new or growing “spare tire”), insomnia, and fatigue.
Estrogen promotes the storage of fat for healthy reproductive years. When estrogen is balanced, the right amount of fat helps carry out female reproductive functions. However, when there's too little or too much estrogen, weight gain often results.
Although not all women experience mood changes, for some women, substantial changes in estrogen during physiological transitions such as pregnancy and menopause are particularly associated with worsening of depressive symptoms.
Fewer hours of sunlight means that less serotonin is produced. If you have SAD, your serotonin levels may be lower than average during the winter. This may result in the messages between nerve cells not being transmitted effectively and resulting in the symptoms of SAD, such as feeling down.
Fluctuating levels of estrogen and testosterone, which are considered sex hormones, may play a role in how much anxiety you experience. Changing levels of these hormones can affect your mood. This is why anxiety sometimes peaks during times of hormonal change such as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
The Link Between Estrogen and Mood
It is well known that estrogen affects depression and anxiety. 2 Women who are in their peak estrogen-producing years or transitioning to menopause tend to be affected by these disorders more often than either men or postmenopausal women.
Estrogen therapy can help decrease your risk of certain health conditions, including osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, dementia and mood changes.
Elevated estrogen is associated with elevated energy levels. When estrogen dips too low and stays low, you can end up experiencing low energy all throughout your cycle.
Fatigue
Unfortunately, estrogen dominance can cause fatigue. This symptom can occur whether or not you have insomnia. If you experience persistent tiredness or feel more drained of energy than usual, talk to your doctor about being tested for hormonal issues.