Menopause Fatigue has Workable Solutions
menopauseWe are all hard-wired with a protective stress response system and the parts are:
* the part of the brain called the hypothalamus (part of the brain)
* the pituitary gland (the master gland)
* the adrenal gland which lies on top of the kidneys
These parts of the stress response system are collectively called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). They act in concert to protect the body when it’s exposed to stressful experiences.
Each part releases chemicals specific to its function that act throughout the body. In the aging body, the adrenal gland’s output of DHEA and its sulfate form, DHEAS, decreases, leading to a condition called “adrenopause.”
The decreased output of these compounds in advancing age has been correlated with a wide range of health problems. These compounds are steroids and are involved in the maintenance of:
* musculoskeletal stability
* immune system function
* cardiovascular system maintenance
The body’s sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone, are manufactured from DHEA. Since DHEA output declines with age, companies have been manufacturing DHEA supplements for years. They claim benefits of fatigue relief and anti-aging for people who use this supplement form. In addition, the following conditions represent some that are supposedly helped by supplementation:
* type II diabetes
* loss of body fat and muscle
* osteoporosis
* bone loss
* HIV
* diabetes
* kidney disease
* anorexia nervosa and bulimia
Medications and drugs can act as stressors to the body. With increased use of medications during the aging process, one’s ability to deal with stressful exposures lessens. Medications decrease DHEA output and functional capacity is reduced. One outcome is that the stress of menopause demands too much of the body and increased fatigue is the result.
DHEA supplements were made a prescription product in 1985 but were reintroduced as a nutritional supplement with the passing of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994. Studies on the effectiveness of DHEA on many parameters of health are conflicted.
DHEA is made naturally in the body, but DHEA supplements can be made in the laboratory from a chemical substance called diosgenin, found in soybeans and in the herb, wild yam. Wild yam creams applied to the skin are used for menstrual problems. But the body cannot convert wild yam to DHEA and this step must be done in the lab.
A breakdown in DHEA production represents a reduction in the optimal function of normal body functions. I see this as a part of the whole. With normal aging there is a reduction in normal functioning in many part of the body. So, the shotgun approach of supplying one or two supplements when maybe hundreds are needed is limited in scope.
Importantly, a program that stimulates a return to normal function of the glands and other body parts would be an option. The HPA axis and all other parts of the body are subjected to diminished function because of environmental pollutants.
Rather than supplements to supply under-manufactured products by the body, a more effective approach would be to help the body get rid of compounds that actually poison its functions. A detoxification program is a good idea as environmental pollutants represent a serious health hazard. They poison systems that make substances such as DHEA. There are effective detox methods and many, such as foot baths and colonics, that are ineffective.
Little known is the homeopathic approach to detox using remedies that are proven to help the body get rid of toxic compounds. This approach is not widely known, in fact, it’s hardly known at all. There is a small army of people working in these areas way under the radar.
The stress of menopause and the resulting fatigue don’t have to be lived with if one can find alternative approaches to help cleanse and rebuild the body.