Most people think a drop in estrogen levels makes a difference in mood, but studies have shown that it’s really the variation from day to day or even within a single day in daily hormones that is related to mood disruption in women.
“In other words, it’s not the fact that women’s estrogen levels are low that makes a difference, but that estrogen levels are fluctuating,” explains Maki. “Many people misunderstand how the hormones change around perimenopause. People believe that it is a gradual tapering off of estradiol, but women experience tremendous and dramatic fluctuation of estrogen. Estrogen levels can be even higher than what women experience during their regular menstrual cycle.”
A study examined estrogen levels in 73 women over two months. Researchers found that women who had the highest estrogen fluctuations were more likely to not feel joy during perimenopause.
“That means if you can control the variability, you can control the depression,” Maki notes, adding another encouraging fact: “If depression during perimenopause is due to hormonal factors and there’s no other cause of a depressive disorder, then it can be time-limited.”
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