Can too much estrogen cause anxiety: Understanding the causes of high estrogen

Estrogen is one of the essential female hormones that’s responsible for a variety of functions in your body and brain. Although its levels can fluctuate naturally throughout the menstrual cycle or during pregnancy and menopause, sometimes, excessive estrogen levels can be caused by other factors, such as:

• Medications
• Excessive stress
• Poor lifestyle and obesity
• Certain medical conditions

Can too much estrogen cause anxiety? Yes. Estrogen receptors in your brain are responsible for regulating serotonin and dopamine and protecting your brain from damage. However, when estrogen levels skyrocket, it can disrupt neurotransmitter and hormonal balance, leading to a variety of health issues, including anxiety.

Anxiety, although it can be a natural emotion, is also the most common mental disorder in the world, with roughly 4% of the global population suffering from it. Anxiety can result from a variety of things, primarily traumas and ongoing stress. However, it can also be a result of a hormonal imbalance, especially when your estrogen levels fluctuate.

Can too much estrogen cause anxiety? In this article, we’ll discuss the role of estrogen in your body and the potential effects it can have on your mental well-being.

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What Is Estrogen?

Estrogen is one of the two essential sex hormones in females. Together with progesterone, this hormone is responsible for the development of secondary sex characteristics in women, such as breasts, hips, and so on. Furthermore, these two hormones are also responsible for female reproductive health. That is, they play essential roles in all major reproductive events, including menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, while also participating in other body systems and processes.

Estrogen takes three main forms in your body, depending on your age or current status:

• Estradiol (E2) - The predominant type of estrogen found in females in their reproductive years.
• Estriol (E3) - The predominant type of estrogen found in pregnant women.
• Estrone (E1) - The predominant type of estrogen found in females after menopause.

Estrogen can be produced in your body in multiple ways. The biggest share of this hormone in your reproductive years is produced by your ovaries. However, your adrenal glands, adipose tissue, and placenta can also secrete it.

How Do Estrogen Levels Change Naturally?

In order to answer the question: “Can too much estrogen cause anxiety,” it’s important to understand how the levels of this hormone change throughout your cycle and life.

In particular, it fluctuates in the following occurrences:

• During your menstrual cycle. In a healthy cycle, your key hormone levels change in each stage. Estrogen starts to gradually rise during the Follicular Phase as your body prepares to release an egg (ovulate). Then, it peaks right before ovulation and starts declining until it drops significantly (together with progesterone) if pregnancy doesn’t occur, to trigger menstruation.
• In pregnancy. If pregnancy occurs, your estrogen levels (especially estriol) will surge to support uterine growth and fetal development.
• After menopause. Estrogen production in the ovaries gradually declines during perimenopause and eventually stops when a woman enters menopause. 

Can Estrogen Cause Anxiety: Understanding the Link

In a nutshell, anxiety is a normal emotion and a natural response of your brain to stress. It can be manifested in feelings of worry, fear, and unease, especially associated with something that might happen in the future.

Although it’s a natural emotion, sometimes, anxiety can become persistent and excessive, which might grow into an anxiety disorder. This disorder can greatly interfere with a person’s daily life and requires holistic management to treat it.

Anxiety can be caused by a variety of factors, including trauma, ongoing stress, substance use, certain medical conditions like PCOS, and others. But can estrogen cause anxiety?

Although the link between your mental health and estrogen levels may not be very obvious, it exists due to the following factors:

• Neurotransmitter regulation - There are several estrogen receptors in your brain, which play significant roles in various brain functions. In particular, estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ) play a huge role in regulating the synthesis, release, and reuptake of both serotonin and dopamine. Thus, there is a direct link between estrogen levels and your mood, cognition, and behavior.

• Neuroprotection - Estrogen is also known for protecting your brain. This hormone can prevent brain damage, stimulate nerve growth (potentially), and contribute to overall brain health and cognitive function.

Based on these factors, we can see that there is a direct link between your estrogen levels and mood. When they fluctuate, you may have less serotonin and dopamine in your brain, which could lead to a negative effect on your mental health. Besides, when estrogen-generated protection falls, your brain might get more damage, further worsening well-being. 

Due to these reasons, low-estrogen phases of the menstrual cycle are frequently associated with a greater negative mood response. Common symptoms include irritability and mood swings, as well as anxiety and depression. So, if you are wondering: “Can low estrogen cause anxiety,” the answer is “yes.” But what about high estrogen?

Can Too Much Estrogen Cause Anxiety?

While the effect of low estrogen seems logical, how does high estrogen cause anxiety? 

The mechanism of this phenomenon is a bit more complicated. Here is what happens in your body and brain when your estrogen levels are over the top:

• Excessive estrogen overstimulates your brain’s estrogen receptors.
• Overexpressed receptors that were supposed to regulate neurotransmitters and other brain features lead to tissue damage and disrupted balance of serotonin and dopamine.
• In the long run, this can lead to a variety of health issues, including autoimmune diseases and neoplasms.

Another thing worth taking into account is that abnormal levels of estrogen always mean a hormonal imbalance. A hormonal imbalance with estrogen predominance can be caused by certain conditions, including PCOD and PCOS. Regardless of the cause, the main symptoms of this condition include irritability, anxiety, and mood swings.

Main Causes of Excess Estrogen

Now that you know that abnormal levels of this hormone can have a massive impact on your brain and mental health, let’s figure out what can potentially cause these abnormalities.

There are four primary factors that could lead to increased estrogen:

• Medications - Both hormonal therapy and birth control can cause increased levels of estrogen. This is especially common in early treatment stages or when the dosage or medication type is not adjusted properly.
• Excessive stress - When your body is in an ongoing state of stress, the hormone cortisol is produced in excess and builds up in your body. This can hinder your body’s ability to produce sufficient progesterone and create an imbalance.
• Poor lifestyle and obesity - As you already know, your fat tissue also secretes estrogen. That is, if you are following an unhealthy lifestyle, which results in excess weight or obesity, this can also make your estrogen levels go up.
• Medical conditions - Certain health issues can also create hormonal imbalances with estrogen predominance. These include PCOS, endometriosis, liver dysfunction, and others.

How to Manage Estrogen-Related Anxiety

As you now know, both abnormally high and low estrogen levels can have a negative impact on your mental well-being. Luckily, there are a few managing strategies that can help:

• Lifestyle changes - Adjusting your diet and integrating regular exercise is an effective way to boost mental wellness, while also balancing your hormones.
• Stress management - Although it could be hormone-related, anxiety is still a response to external stress factors. Thus, implementing effective stress coping techniques like meditation and journaling can also help you improve your condition.
• Natural remedies - Certain natural supplements can help balance your hormones and regulate your mood. For example, some PCOS supplements have these features.

Important note: These management strategies can all have a positive effect on your health and mental well-being. Nevertheless, it’s important to understand that hormone-related anxiety can have deeper issues that may require medical intervention. Don’t hesitate to consult with a healthcare provider to run the necessary hormonal and other tests and find a treatment strategy that will work for you.

FAQ

Does high estrogen cause anxiety?

It might. Although estrogen is known for its neuroprotective function, as well as for regulating dopamine and serotonin in your brain, its excessive amount can overstimulate estrogen receptors. This can potentially lead to tissue damage, autoimmune diseases, and neoplasms. It can also lead to a disrupted balance of dopamine and serotonin, which can result in anxiety and overall poor mental well-being. Besides, abnormally high estrogen could indicate a deep hormonal imbalance. Common symptoms of imbalances with estrogen predominance also include anxiety.

Can low estrogen cause anxiety?

Yes. Low estrogen levels can also have a negative impact on your health and mood. According to studies, those phases of the menstrual cycle during which your estrogen levels drop are commonly associated with mood swings and anxiety. This means that low levels of this hormone can also disrupt your mental wellness.

How to manage estrogen-related anxiety?

The first things you should try are certain lifestyle adjustments. Switching to a healthy diet and adding more sports can have a beneficial effect on your physical and mental health. Additionally, stress coping techniques and natural supplements can help you support the balance in the long run. Still, it’s highly recommended to seek professional advice and develop an effective treatment strategy together with your healthcare provider.

Conclusion

So, can too much estrogen cause anxiety? The short answer is “yes.” Although this hormone (and its receptors) is meant to regulate serotonin and dopamine and protect your brain, its excess can have the opposite effect. Overstimulation of estrogen receptors and associated hormonal imbalance can lead to symptoms like mood swings, irritability, and anxiety.

Luckily, there are some management techniques that can help you restore the balance and ease anxiety. The most effective at-home approaches include lifestyle adjustments and natural supplementation. Nevertheless, it’s highly recommended to seek personalized medical advice for optimal treatment that brings the best results.

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