Yes, low estrogen can absolutely cause or worsen anxiety, as estrogen influences mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin, and fluctuations (especially declines) during perimenopause, postpartum, or other times can disrupt brain chemistry, leading to increased irritability, worry, mood swings, and panic attacks, even in those without a history of anxiety disorders.
Indeed, studies in women have found increased symptoms of anxiety (e.g. irritability, sleeplessness, excessive worry) in periods when estradiol levels are expected to be low (e.g. premenstrual or postmenopausal) (Golub, 1976, Reynolds et al., 2018).
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.
By replenishing oestrogen, HRT can improve mood and reduce feelings of anxiety. Increasing oestrogen levels is important as it directly impacts neurotransmitter functions that are essential for mood regulation. This adjustment may help in alleviating psychological discomfort and enhancing overall mental well-being.
If you've ever experienced anxiety with no clear trigger, then a hormone imbalance may be the cause. In fact, studies show that fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol can significantly impact mood and anxiety levels in both women and men.
Problems with hormone levels can impact serotonin production, causing or worsening anxiety and depression. Cortisol. The body releases cortisol in response to stress. The ongoing presence of cortisol in people with chronic stress increases the risk of anxiety and depression.
Feeling irritable, anxious, or unusually weepy? Estrogen helps regulate mood by influencing the production of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain. When estrogen is low, these feel-good chemicals are also affected. It can lead to mood swings, low energy, or heightened anxiety.
In four of eight controlled trials, kava significantly reduced anxiety. Black cohosh significantly reduced depression and anxiety in all studies reviewed. Conclusions: St. John's wort and black cohosh appear to be the most useful in alleviating mood and anxiety changes during menopause.
Signs you might need Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) often relate to menopause disrupting your life, including severe hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, mood swings (irritability, depression, anxiety), brain fog, low libido, fatigue, joint aches, and bladder issues, with HRT helping manage these symptoms and potentially protecting against osteoporosis and heart disease, though a doctor must determine if risks outweigh benefits.
Causes of Anxiety as You Age
As you age, the number of negative life experiences can increase. Losing loved ones, developing life-changing physical ailments, medication side effects, limited mobility, loss of independence, and financial troubles are great examples of negative life experiences.
Research has shown that low estrogen levels may cause: Belly fat. Reduced sex drive. Bone loss and osteoporosis.
Luckily, once the menopausal transition is complete and hormones begin to level out, most women will notice that their anxiety levels have begun to decrease and they'll experience some menopause anxiety relief. However, some women may still experience more anxiety than they did before due to other factors.
While the researchers determined that estrogen-based hormone therapy does not consistently reduce anxiety symptoms among midlife women, modest benefits were noted in perimenopausal or early postmenopausal women, particularly among those who were symptomatic and within a few years of their final menstrual period.
Serotonin: Dubbed the "feel-good hormone," serotonin plays a key role in staving off anxiety and depression. In fact, the main class of drugs used to treat these conditions — SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) — increase serotonin levels in the brain.
Combined HRT with oestrogen and progesterone can help with anxiety during menopause as oestrogen can reduce the body's fear response and progesterone can help with sleep and anxiety because its breakdown products bind to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors.
When estrogen and progesterone hormone levels drop during perimenopause, serotonin levels also fall, contributing to increased irritability, nervousness and anxiety. Higher levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone” that increases with age, can also create feelings of anxiety.
Wrinkles: Fine lines appear more pronounced, especially around the eyes and mouth.. Sagging: Loss of firmness in the jawline and cheeks. Dullness: Your skin loses its natural radiance, appearing more lackluster.
Hormonal imbalances show up as symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, weight changes, irregular periods, skin issues (acne), hair changes, sleep problems, brain fog, low libido, digestive issues, and temperature sensitivity, affecting energy, body functions, and mental well-being, often linked to stress, thyroid, or reproductive hormones.
If you have low estrogen, you may experience symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats, mood swings, brain fog and memory problems, vaginal dryness, and more.
Oestrogen and progesterone usually work together to regulate mood. As these hormones drop off in midlife, women are more at risk of developing anxiety. If this is overwhelming or left untreated it can ramp up into panic attacks.
Jennifer Aniston is known for her vigorous wellness routine, which involves compression boots, collagen supplements and infrared saunas. Now, she's hit the headlines with her favourite fitness regime, Pvolve, which has been shown to be particularly beneficial for menopausal women.
Many women, like Oprah, are given systemic estrogen. This can be taken in a pill form, gel, skin patch, spray, or cream to relieve menopausal symptoms. Estrogen HRT has even been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease when taking post menopause – which is one year after your period has stopped entirely.
Hormonal Fluctuations
The same hormones that control your menstrual cycle also influence serotonin, a brain chemical that promotes feelings of well-being and happiness. For instance, when estrogen levels drop, serotonin function can be affected, which contributes to increased irritability and sadness.
Here are the top five vitamins essential for female wellness during menopause.
Herbal remedies such as red clover contain plant hormones that can act in a similar way to oestrogen, while black cohosh is believed to balance oestrogen and progestogen levels. These may help with some menopause symptoms but this is not supported by scientific evidence.