Adults—One capsule once a day, in the evening.
Adults—One capsule once a day, in the evening. Each capsule contains 1 milligram (mg) estradiol and 100 mg progesterone. Children—Use is not recommended.
Estrogen plays a role in the metabolism of serotonin and other neurotransmitters that affect our sleep-wake cycle. Estrogen also helps keep our body temperature low at night, and therefore more conducive to restful sleep.
While some hormones such as progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone can contribute to insomnia— especially in premenstrual women, pregnant women, and women in menopause— those problems are temporary and resolve once hormone levels return to normal.
Most estrogen pills are taken once a day without food. Some have more complicated dosing schedules. Pros. Like other types of estrogen therapy, estrogen pills can reduce or resolve troublesome symptoms of menopause.
Estrogen injections tend to cause very high and fluctuating estrogen levels which can cause mood swings, weight gain, hot flashes, anxiety or migraines. Additionally, little is known about the effects of these high levels over the long term.
The International Menopause Society guidelines recommend that if menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is prescribed, it be commenced before the age of 60, or within 10 years of menopause.
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.
Some evidence suggests that estrogen hormone therapy increases a woman's resting metabolic rate. This might help slow weight gain. Lack of estrogen may also cause the body to use starches and blood sugar less effectively, which would increase fat storage and make it harder to lose weight.
Estrogen is responsible for an increase in cortisol and testosterone levels, which naturally increase energy levels.
Estrogen acts everywhere in the body, including the parts of the brain that control emotion. Some of estrogen's effects include: Increasing serotonin, and the number of serotonin receptors in the brain. Modifying the production and the effects of endorphins, the "feel-good" chemicals in the brain.
Estrogen levels also skyrocket in the first trimester: A woman produces more estrogen during one pregnancy than throughout the entire rest of her life. This may be the reason women report feeling drowsy and taking more naps in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Studies have shown that estrogen replacement therapy improves sleep quality, enables falling asleep, decreases nighttime wakefulness and also reduces vasomotor symptoms [13]. Therefore, hormone replacement therapy is recommended for menopausal insomnia to improve the quality of sleep and life.
This medicine is to be used only in the vagina. Use it at bedtime unless your doctor tells you otherwise. This medicine comes with a patient information leaflet.
Most do not realize that progesterone helps with sleep. Most women I counsel also have low levels of progesterone and can contribute to many symptoms such as insomnia. Estrogens and progesterone have opposite effects on the body and must be balanced for optimum health.
It is usually taken once a day. To help you remember to take hormone replacement therapy, take it around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take this medication exactly as directed.
Recent studies show that menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have less body fat, especially visceral belly fat. Because estrogen affects how your body distributes fat, low estrogen levels can contribute to gaining fat in your belly area.
Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body.
“Women also become more estrogen-dominant as we move into perimenopause and beyond. Estrogen dominance promotes insulin resistance, which causes the belly fat build-up,” she says.
A combination of diet and exercise may help symptoms. A person can perform exercises that burn fat, such as running, walking, and other aerobic activity. Reducing the calories a person consumes can also help.
While estrogen likely won't reverse or erase signs of aging, it may offer some protection against wrinkles and other common skin concerns in menopausal women.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
HRT is also known to help women maintain softer, smoother skin, resulting in a younger look. In addition to—and, often, as a result of—these physical changes, HRT often changes how you see yourself.