Taking estrogen after 60, as part of Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT), primarily helps relieve severe hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and sleep/mood issues, and also significantly reduces osteoporosis/fracture risk, potentially lowering risks for heart disease, some cancers (like colorectal), and improving muscle mass and bone density, though benefits and risks vary by individual, timing, and type, with doctors recommending it for symptom management or specific health needs, especially if menopause started early.
As you get older, and particularly after the age of 60, the risks of HRT may start to outweigh the benefits. This is because you'll usually find that menopause symptoms improve as you get older, so you're less likely to need HRT to help with symptoms.
But the hormone isn't all bad. In fact, it has some positive side effects, like protecting your heart and brain, improving muscle mass, boosting your mood and improving your sex life. Ob/Gyn Swapna Kollikonda, MD, explains how estrogen works and why it's important.
Estrogen itself doesn't directly cause diarrhea, but it can influence how our digestion works. Estrogen interacts with the gut-brain connection and plays a role in how our gut moves.
The drop in estrogen just before your period may cause headaches. Many people with migraines report that they have migraines before or during their periods, also known as menstruation. You can turn to proven treatments for migraines related to hormone changes.
Menopause headaches typically present as throbbing, one-sided pain that can last from 30 minutes to 72 hours. We often see these headaches accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and dizziness – occurring most frequently during perimenopause when hormone levels fluctuate dramatically.
Overall, you may gain or lose weight once you begin hormone therapy, depending on your diet, lifestyle, genetics and muscle mass. Your eyes and face will begin to develop a more feminine appearance as the fat under the skin increases and shifts.
Menstrual Cycle & Digestive Changes
Women may also notice digestive changes, including gas, bloating, and and diarrhea, due to their menstrual cycle. Most commonly, during the second half of their cycle, an increase in progesterone and estrogen levels causes this.
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.
Signs of low estrogen include:
The fall in the amount of oestrogen your body produces can cause symptoms including hot flushes, low mood and vaginal dryness or irritation. Taking oestrogen as a form of HRT restores your levels of oestrogen and helps to relieve these symptoms.
The new organ clock data add to prior reports of estrogen's effect on preserving bone health, reducing heart disease, preserving cognitive function, reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms of low estrogen
It's most often prescribed for menopausal symptoms, such as vaginal dryness or hot flashes. But it's also FDA-approved for low estrogen levels and certain types of breast and prostate cancer. The typical oral estradiol dosage for menopause symptoms is 1 mg to 2 mg daily on a 21-day on, 7-day off cycle.
The Multiple Benefits of HRT After 65
Introducing exogenous estrogen via HRT therefore not only addresses more overt postmenopause symptoms, it can offer protection against bone loss and help you prevent osteoporosis. These benefits are no less important once you reach the age of 65.
Impact statement
Endocrinologists urge not to ignore symptoms like unexplained weight changes, persistent fatigue, excessive thirst/urination, heart palpitations, mood swings, skin/hair changes, menstrual irregularities, and nerve issues (tingling/numbness), as these often signal hormonal imbalances from conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders, or pituitary problems, requiring early diagnosis and treatment to prevent serious complications. Pay attention to your body's patterns and seek help for symptoms that are sudden, persistent, or significantly impact daily life.
You can measure your hormone levels with cerascreen®'s range of hormone testing kits – including the Testosterone Test, Thyroid Test, Cortisol Test, for example. Most of these tests are saliva tests, which means that a swab of saliva from the oral mucosa is collected.
Chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, which are in charge of sending impulses between nerve cells, are the main hormones linked to depression and sadness. In specifically, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are three neurotransmitters that are vital.
UCSF researchers discover that estrogen can turn on pain signals associated with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. Women are dramatically more likely than men to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic condition causing abdominal pain, bloating, and digestive discomfort.
If experiencing hormone belly, changes to your diet, exercise routine, and how you deal with stress are often the most effective treatment.
Side effects of oestrogen
breast pain or tenderness. unexpected vaginal bleeding or spotting. feeling sick (nausea) mood changes, including low mood or depression.
The associations of oestrogen with attractiveness and health ratings also provide evidence that markers of oestrogen are consistently seen as attractive and healthy. Luteal progesterone levels were found to relate marginally to health and attractiveness ratings of faces.
One study published in Fertility and Sterility found that postmenopausal women who had continuously used HRT since menopause had greater skin elasticity and significantly fewer wrinkles compared to women who had never received hormone therapy.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been shown to increase epidermal hydration, skin elasticity, skin thickness (Sator et al 2001), and also reduces skin wrinkles (Phillips et al 2001). Furthermore, the content and quality of collagen and the level of vascularization is enhanced (Brincat et al 1987).