Sudden Crashing Fatigue in Menopause: Do I Have it?

Woman visibly worried experiencing symptoms of sudden crashing fatigue in menopause
Medically Reviewed
June 9, 2021

During menopause, it’s quite common to experience a sudden overwhelming feeling of exhaustion and muscle weakness. This is called sudden crashing fatigue or menopausal fatigue, and it is characterized by a sense of feeling completely drained of energy, often to the point where it becomes almost impossible to carry out daily activities.

While it’s perfectly normal to feel tired after engaging in physically or mentally demanding tasks, menopause fatigue comes without warning, so it’s easy to wonder why you feel fine one minute and completely exhausted the next, even though you’ve had a good night’s sleep. If crashing fatigue is significantly impacting your daily life and overall well-being, it may be a good idea to consult the experts in Women’s health at Nava Health to get the support you need to regain total health.

Is Fatigue a Symptom of Menopause?

Asides from feeling totally exhausted, many women experience many of the following symptoms:

  • Anxiety
  • Brain fog
  • Irritability
  • Frequent hunger
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Waking up feeling like you didn’t sleep a wink
  • Racing thoughts at night
  • Lack of enthusiasm about life
  • Low energy levels
  • Feeling stressed and overwhelmed
  • Weight gain

If you are currently experiencing many of the symptoms stated above, you might be experiencing sudden crashing fatigue, and it’s likely due to menopause. It’s vital to avoid mistaking episodes of menopausal fatigue for more severe conditions like Anemia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that cause prolonged periods of exhaustion that you’re simply unable to shake off.

Low levels of thyroid-producing hormones or low iron levels can also result in menopause low energy levels, but crashing fatigue is a distinct symptom primarily associated with hormonal imbalance in women and refers to a sudden overwhelming feeling of complete lack of energy.

How Hormonal Changes Cause Crashing Fatigue in Menopause? 

During perimenopause and menopause, your body goes through lots of changes, and the ovaries respond less effectively to your pituitary gland’s request to increase estrogen production. This results in excessive estrogen levels on certain days and depleted levels on others which will certainly impact your overall health.

Significant estrogen fluctuations can disrupt the intricate balance of stress hormones. Your body responds to these sudden changes by triggering the release of cortisol and adrenaline, activating the fight or flight response. This will often disrupt your sleep cycles and leave you feeling exhausted. If you’re still menstruating, you probably experience crashing fatigue right before your period starts.

Over time, the effects of menopausal fatigue can take its toll on you as you are unable to get enough rest the harder you try, yet leaving you feeling depleted and drained—which often leads to chronic stress. Although the adrenal glands produce estrogen with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is pivotal in maintaining stress levels, chronic stress depletes DHEA. Insufficient DHEA levels make it difficult for the body to maintain a healthy hormone balance, increasing the likelihood of experiencing sudden crashing fatigue during menopause.

How to Overcome Menopause Fatigue?

Conventional doctors tend to offer prescription drugs like antidepressants for symptoms of menopause fatigue. But even these won’t relieve the problem of extreme exhaustion. When it comes to crashing fatigue, medication isn’t always the answer. Here are a few ways to recover from menopausal fatigue and get back to feeling energetic.

1. Support Your Hormones

Since crashing fatigue is associated with extreme fluctuations in estrogen levels, getting your hormones back into balance is imperative. Supporting your body in rebalancing naturally declining estrogen and other hormones smooths out the hormonal roller coaster that drains energy and disturbs sleep.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is a hormonal imbalance treatment solution that involves the use of hormones that are biologically identical to the ones your body naturally produces. These hormones are formulated from natural plant sources and bind to your body’s hormone receptors just like the body’s naturally produced hormones. They are carefully prescribed and administered through BHRT to alleviate the symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances.

2. Listen to Your Body

While you’re in perimenopause or menopause, you’re more vulnerable to the effects of stress and adrenal fatigue. Listen to your body. Back off when needed. Pace yourself and take more time-outs during the day.

3. Maintain a Healthy Diet

One good way to alleviate menopause symptoms like hot flashes and fatigue is to maintain a steady diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and proteins. Maintaining a stable blood sugar level helps to prevent sudden crashing fatigue and recover from episodes. Incorporating calcium-rich foods like dairy products and beans can also help lower your blood pressure and minimize the occurrence of hot flashes.

4. Maintain a Consistent Pre-Sleep Routine

Establishing a bedtime routine provides your body with clear cues that signal it’s time to embrace a good night’s sleep. As bedtime approaches, try to be as relaxed as possible in your body and mind. This will help you fall asleep more quickly, which will lead to deeper sleep (NREM) and more restorative rest. Here’s a suggestion for a healthy sleep routine:

  • One to three hours before bed
    Take a 30–45-minute hot bath. This may sound counterintuitive if you suffer from hot flashes and night sweats, but many women swear by it. Taking a hot bath stimulates a passive heating effect that enhances and deepens sleep. After your bath, prepping your body to cool down tells your body to prepare for rest. Epson salts could be added for an additional relaxing effect.
  • One hour before your current bedtime
    Get into bed even if you don’t feel sleepy. Don’t try to go to sleep right away. Take some time to settle down. Turn off all your devices, then do some easy reading or listen to quiet music. Getting off your feet and lying down triggers your natural relaxation processes and activates the internal processes that refresh and repair your system. These processes only function when you’re resting. Taking a supplement like natural melatonin about an hour before bed can help get you into this routine.

Overcome Extreme Fatigue During Menopause with Nava’s Effective Treatments

Dealing with the emotional and physical ramifications of your midlife transition is quite enough without the extra symptoms that make it harder. It’s like navigating a rollercoaster ride without a seatbelt. But here’s the thing: you deserve to prioritize your own health, happiness, and quality of life. Don’t let the turbulence of this chapter knock you off course.

If you are grappling with extreme symptoms, it’s time to take a moment, buckle up, and seek the support to help you regain control. At Nava Health, we take a revolutionary approach to integrative wellness. We’re not just about quick fixes or band-aid solutions; we believe in a personalized yet comprehensive approach that draws from regenerative, holistic, integrative, and traditional medicine. We would provide you with the care to get rid of all the sudden crashing fatigue symptoms so you can wholeheartedly embrace a healthier and happier life.

Contact us today to get started on your wellness journey!

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A Medical Director, and one of the first physicians to join the Nava Health & Vitality Center, Dr. Douglas Lord has made significant contributions to our Center and its founding principles. Dr. Lord has helped develop and implement the Nava Method™—Nava’s proprietary approach to total body wellness. He has also been instrumental in liaising with other expert practitioners to successfully implement Nava’s range of therapies, treatments, and products.

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Sudden Crashing Fatigue in Menopause: Do I Have it?
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Crashing fatigue in females occurs during menopause and causes extreme exhaustion or intense lethargy, often due to a hormonal imbalance. Learn how to treat it.
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