When Your Hormones Really Are To Blame

Forget PMS: These bodily chemicals may be responsible for a host of other problems, from headaches to insomnia. Here’s how to stay in balance all month long.

*Take a run to reduce hormone-related brain fog

When even a sappy commercial can make you cry, you know the culprit: shifting levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are responsible for that winning combitnation of crankiness, breast tenderness, and acne flare-ups. But PMS isn’t only side effect of fluctuating hormones. “These potent chemical messengers also affect how well you sleep, when you crave sex, and even how clearly you think,” says Scott Isaacs, M.D., author of Hormonal Balance and a clinical instructor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. But you don’t have let hormones wreak havoc on your health. With a little planning, you can head off those highs and lows and feel like yourself again.

THE HORMONAL EFFECT – You cant’t shake that throbbing headache

You may blame your pounding temples on that second glass of Syrah, but if your headaches seem to coincide with your period, there’s a good chance taht estoregen is responsible. In fact, 60 percent of migraine pain in women is related to hormonal changes, according to the National Headache Foundation. “The dip in estrogen right before mnstruation causes a drop in pain-buffering brain chemicals like end endorphins and serotonin, making migraines more likely,” says Susan Hutchinson, M.D., director of the Orange County Migraine and Headache Center in Irvine, California. To figure out if your headaches are truly hormone-related, chart symptoms on a calendar for three months. Rank pain severity, note any associated symptoms (like vision problems or nausea), and record other potential triggers like food or activities. “If you experience severe headaches in the three days before your period or any time during it, you may suffer from menstrual migraines,” she says.


Find balance Over-the-counter pain relievers, like aspirin or ibuprofen, as well as prescription migraine-prevention drugs may offer short-term relief, but taking birth-control pills continuously might also help manage your symptoms. Most oral contraceptives are designed to keep estrogen levels steady for a period of three weeks; it’s during the estrogen-free, or placebo, week that you get your period – and headaches. So talk to your doctor about possibly skipping the placebo pills and starting a new pack right away. It’s also a good idea to avoid well-known migraine causes, like too little sleep, excess stress, wine, and aged cheese. “These lifestyle changes may not prevent a menstrual migraine,” says Hutchinson, “but they can definetly make your symptoms less severe.”

THE HORMONAL EFFECT – Your brain seems to be on vacation

Have you ever spent 15 minutes banging out an e-mail that should have taken 30 seconds, or struggled to articulate an idea during a business meeting? Look at the calendar: You were probably about the get your period. Estrogen levels drop during menstruation, which triggers a subsequent drop in mental acuity. “When there are high levels of estrogen during ovulation, women experience a boost in their verbal skills,” says Pauline Maki, Ph.D., associate professor in psychiatry and psychology at the University of Illinois, Chicago. That’s when you’re more likely to finish the Sunday crossword puzzle quickly or nail a work presentation.

Find balance “There are a few things you can do to compensate for your fuzzy thinking,” says Maki. To crunch through a pressing deadline, schedule a sweat-breaking workout. In a recent study, researchers from the University of Muenster in Germany found that regular runners learned new vocabluary words 20 percent faster than those who had a less intense workout or did nothing at all. The authors believe that the greater physical activty increased levels of certain brain chemicals that promote attention and learning. But don’t forget to make time for sleep and relaxing downtime at the end of your day, since stress and fatigue can further drain your brain.

THE HORMONAL EFFECT – Your six drive’s gone south

We usually associate testerone with stimulating a man’s sexual appetite, but this hormone affects woman’s desire, too. Levels remain fairly even all month long, but there is slight peak around ovulation, says Nanette Santoro, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist and professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. (Call it nature’s nudge for making babies.) But many women start to lose this midcycle peak in their mid-30s, which may explain a lower-than-usual libido. Oral contraceptives may also put a damper on your sex drive. “The synthetic hormones in some birth-control pills can indirectly lower your body’s production of testosterone,” she says. 
Find balance Switching birth-control pills may help. “Just don’t forget that sex does have a strong emotional compenent,” says Santoro. “Finding ways to make it more exciting or meaningful can significantly boost your desire.” Even a seemingly minor change – a bikini wax or sexy new lingerie, for example – can reignite that spark.

THE HORMONAL EFFECT – You have to lie down to zip up your jeans

If you’re suddenly having atug of war with your clothes, it may have little to do with last night’s indulgent Italian meal. Although it’s natural for your weight to fluctuate as much as 5 pounds in either direction due to fluid change throughout the month, you’re especially likely to feel as though you’ve plumped up before your period. “We believe that progresterone is responsible, even though we don’t know exactly why,” says Santoro.