The FastDay Forum

This is what my husband seems to think, that I'm menopausal is the worst since fasting.
I'm not sure what to think, but I dont like what I'm going through and fasting to me is the something I can control. I'm just a little bit more serious on a fast day. Today is a fast day, and I've already had my aura headache, but i've had these on and off all year. I know aura headache is bought on more frequently with menopause or peri menopause.

Do you think menopause is bought on more drastic as a result of fasting or is coincidental.

hi zamale- I think it is the compounding effect of the fasting head (bit sluggy, more irritable) and hormone chaos. It almost had me quit a few weeks ago so I went on 16/8 for a few weeks until I felt generally better. I am back on fasting for now! So yes my vote is they add to each other. I don't know whether fasting makes an actual difference to hormone levels.....

My guess is that the fasting actually balances your hormones. ( at least in my case)
Before 5:2 I was definately pre-menopause but now my period is regular as a clock and I don't have the hot flushes anymore.
But hormones are tricky it might be something else that has affected me - what I actually eat and my exercise.

I would say it's purely coincidental. (I want to have a bit of a go about your husband but I won't lol.) Not fair to lay the blame. Menopause is what it is. Good days and bad days, just like life.
I can get into the mind set of blaming the menopause for a lot of things but I don't think that helps me lol. I get headaches too but probably due to not enough hydration.
Been going through mine for nearly 10 years now. HRT helped when it was really bad but I don't take it anymore and it's manageable. I don't believe diet can affect hormones so drastically. However, that's not to say little things can help and make little changes for the better. x

Have a go at my husband, I'll have a go at him as well. I told him yesterday, I get the day before a aura thingy headache where I seem to squint and it feels like everything is too bright. I told him I knew I would get the aura headache thing today and he just looked at me, like i was crazy. I told him I wish I was a man just to escape the hormone roller coaster.
I'm going to have hormone levels checked on 5th sept, if such a thing can happen. Not sure if they are accurate. Curious if one has suffered pms to go on and have a bad time with menopause, seems so with me.

[carorees]

Losing weight affects hormones! Oestrogen accumulates in fat stores and this is why being overweight increases the risk of breast and other cancers. As you burn fat by fasting or whatever weightloss method you use, the oestrogen stores reduce so this may affect your menopause symptoms.

I'm not a sciency person, so I am only talking about my own experience here. I am 60 years old, I came out of menopause about 4 years ago, but since starting to fast, I have experienced quite a few hot flushes. Not as severe as those I had during menopause, but most definitely the same. So, my opinion is, yes, fasting can affect hormones.
Pat

Well all I can say is that Dr M NEVER mentioned anything about this (I say this with tongue firmly planted in cheek)- they had better not saying anything about waves of estrogen being released in their marketing! That really sucks.

IME, it soooooo does!
My periods are worse and I'm on the pill for crying out loud!!!

Toad, Dr M is a man, of course he never mentioned anything about it

I also think it does muddle hormones

I am the opposite of TML, my periods are much lighter (3 full days instead of 5). I am not on the pill and I always been very regular, every 28 days at the same time exactly and that didn't change

The PMS signs are much lighter as well. Before I was sick as hell the first 2 days, it's not the case anymore since I began fasting.

Toad, Dr M is a man, of course he never mentioned anything about it

He he good point!

I think that 5:2 is simply not for all of us. Sure it has some benefits for many people but for me, except for giving me a good base to lose weight, it is a nightmare. Bad periods, constipation, insomnia, change of moods...

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change it for the world because it is the best starting point to weight loss but I tend to think that all this hype about its benefits might be an exaggeration.

I am not peri menopausal but FWIW I suffer ovarian cysts. Fasting has helped my hormones. I am not taking any hormonal treatments e.g. pill etc. My cycle is more regular since fasting and I have less problems with pain and inflammation.

Fasting has been fantastic for me and I wonder as I approach my goal weight how much more improvement I will have with my ovaries. So far I am happy with my progress.

I got a coil a couple of years ago and it's the best thing I ever did. No periods, no PMS, chilled. No wonder men don't understand...went from heavy periods and horrific PMS to this stability and it's fab.

The Family Planning doctor who advised me said everyone has a different reaction to the coil but for me, best thing ever.

I think a lot of the side-effects ease with time and stability of eating pattern.

Losing weight is a stressor to the body, those that want faster losses may suffer more (but who knows) given the hormonal changes from the fat loss and the increased cortisol levels from the body feeling stressed by change.

[carorees]

as fasting results in a greater proportion of fat loss than a standard diet it might create a bigger drop in oestrogen than losing weight in other ways but as I said above losing weight causes lower oestrogen levels.

I'm pretty sure fasting has muddled my hormones. Before 5:2 I was regular as clockwork. For the last four months my cycle has been erratic and unpredictable. I also experienced an ocular migraine for the first time earlier this month. Difficult to pinpoint a trigger for this but hormonal changes are a possible cause. Of course because of my age it could just be a complete coincidence but I think not. On the plus side I don't get sore boobs before my period any more - every cloud has a silver lining!