Can Menopause Cause Nausea?

Extreme hormonal changes known as menopause often start when women are in their late 40s or early 50s. Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, sleeplessness, dry vaginal skin, hair loss, headaches, and nausea are just a few physical symptoms women experience throughout menopause.

Although it can take up to 14 years, the complete menopausal transition typically lasts around seven years. One year following your last menstruation is when actual menopause starts. Women frequently inquire if menopause can bring nausea and headaches and queries regarding the menopausal symptoms they are currently experiencing. Yes, that is the answer.

Let’s get into this more in today’s blog. You can consult with a doctor at the Jaslok Hospital Mumbai through the Credihealth website for more information.

Why does menopause cause nausea?

Some women may have nausea during menopause, but not all do. Hot flashes, an average decline in hormone levels, or adverse effects from hormone replacement treatment (HRT) are a few potential explanations.

Lower hormone levels

A decrease in the female hormones progesterone and estrogen leads to menopause itself. These hormones aid in controlling your menstrual cycle and are typically produced in your ovaries. Between the ages of 40 and 59, your ovaries can reduce the amount of these hormones in your body.

Menopause-related nausea may result from hormone changes alone. If you’ve ever experienced nausea before your periods, this was probably brought on by a natural estrogen dip.

A hot flash

The most frequent menopause symptom, according to experts, is hot flashes. Waves of warmth throughout your upper body, especially your head and chest, characterize these feelings, which might come and go throughout the day. Your skin may also become blotchy and red.

Hot flashes might cause you to sweat in addition to feeling warm. Nighttime hot flashes can result in deluging night sweats, disrupting your sleep.

Hot flashes can occasionally be so intense that they cause nausea. Other potential signs include:

• headache or migraine, which may also cause nausea
• dizziness
• heart palpitations
• fatigue
• chills

Medications for menopause

Sometimes, nausea is a side effect of medications that treat menopause symptoms. Examples include some antidepressants and hormone replacement treatment (HRT).

To help manage menopause symptoms, HRT is a therapy that involves reintroducing synthetic estrogen and progesterone into the body. Nausea is one of HRT’s adverse effects. With estrogen therapy, this is incredibly accurate.

Sometimes antidepressants are used to address menopause-related mood swings. Antidepressants may cause nausea as a side effect.

More than 50% of a wide range of pharmaceuticals have nausea as one of their most frequent side effects. Tell your doctor about your nausea if you use any medical-related medications.

How can you treat menopause-related nausea?

Menopause-related nausea may be treated with a mix of dietary or lifestyle modifications and prescription drugs to help address the underlying reasons.

Diet modifications

Additionally, some foods and drinks can exacerbate nausea and hot flashes. You might want to avoid or consume less of the following:

• alcohol
• spicy foods
• hot foods
• hot beverages
• caffeinated drinks, such as coffee and tea

You can also ask your doctor if eating foods high in phytoestrogens can help you manage menopause symptoms. The naturally occurring low quantities of estrogen found in plant foods like soy may relieve some women, while further research is required to determine their effectiveness and safety.

Altering one’s lifestyle can help reduce heat flashes

If your hot flashes are the source of your nausea, treating the root of the problem may provide relief. Although you can not completely prevent hot flashes, the following techniques could lessen how they affect your body:

• Avoid any triggers you know, such as hot beverages and spicy foods.
• Stay inside a room with air conditioning whenever it’s hot and muggy outside.
• Especially when you begin to have a heat flash, drink a lot of water.
• Layer your clothing, ideally in a breathable cotton or other natural materials.
• A cool room is essential at night.
• When leaving the house, keep portable fans or cool compresses close by.
• Lower your stress level and partake in relaxing activities as much as you can.
• Try to exercise each day, preferably outside in the chilly weather.
• If you smoke, you might want to try quitting.

Medications on prescription

After three months, if lifestyle changes aren’t helping your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe medication. If you have nausea in conjunction with other menopause symptoms, these may be beneficial. Possible prescription remedies consist of:

• HRT may make some individuals feel queasy and have other adverse side effects, but for others, it may help with the general symptoms of menopause. HRT isn’t appropriate for everyone, so discuss the advantages and possible side effects of this medication with your doctor. Your risk of blood clots, stroke, breast cancer, and other medical conditions may rise if you use HRT.
• Birth control tablets with a low dose of hormones may assist in balancing menopause symptoms that might be causing nausea.
• SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. When administered in small dosages, SSRIs might help relieve hot flashes and related symptoms. These antidepressants may also aid in treating mood disorders and improve your sleep quality. Unfortunately, SSRIs can cause nausea as a side effect, so if you experience any new symptoms while taking these drugs, let your doctor know immediately.

Conclusion-

Changes in your hormones may be the cause of nausea, which is a possible menopausal symptom. It might also be a side effect of HRT or hot flashes. Not every woman going through menopause will feel sick.

Consult a medical professional for treatment options if your nausea is persistent or severe enough to interfere with your daily activities. Before attempting medication, lifestyle adjustments may be tried. You can consult with a doctor at the Jaslok Hospital Mumbai through the Credihealth website for more information.