21/12/2025
Menopause Mayhem- Volume 1
For every woman experiencing the train wreck that is menopause, there is the realisation that the information around it does not flow freely. Yes, we all know about rage and mood swings, but there is so much more.
I've been doing some research, and I'll be sharing it to raise awareness, because I understand how it can feel like you're going crazy and don't know why!
Today's issue: Sensory Overload
Did you know that menopause can cause sensory issues? This can lead to heightened sensitivity (sensory overload) or altered sensations like skin prickling, taste/smell changes, and balance problems, largely due to fluctuating estrogen affecting brain chemistry (serotonin, dopamine) and nerve pathways, impacting how you perceive the world. These shifts can make you more sensitive to lights, sounds, textures, and smells, impacting daily coping.
Here are some common Menopause-Related Sensory Issues:
Heightened Sensitivity (Overload):
Your partner has verbal diarrhoea while you're trying to watch a movie and it's taking every ounce of self control not to stab him with your dinner fork. Normal stimuli (lights, noises, crowds, textures) can feel overwhelming, triggering panic or needing to escape.
Altered Skin Sensations: Are your feet on fire, without doing the fire walk your guru says will change your life? You might be experiencing formication (insects crawling), burning, itching, numbness, or tingling (paresthesias).
Taste & Smell Changes: You used to love mincemeat and now you can't even cook it without gagging like an adult film star.
Fluctuations in estrogen can alter your sense of smell and taste, or cause a burning mouth sensation (burning mouth syndrome).
Balance & Coordination: You tried to catch the cat, went flying out of your bedroom door and impaled your b**b on the garden gnome. Changes in the cerebellum, affected by hormones, can lead to dizziness, vertigo, clumsiness, and spatial disorientation.
Touch Sensitivity: Your forehead is flaking like an old paint job and you have to sit on your hands to stop clawing at your face.
Skin can become drier and more sensitive, or conversely, responsiveness to touch (even intimate) might decrease.
Why It Happens:
-Estrogen Decline: Estrogen influences neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, crucial for mood, cognition, and sensory processing. Lower levels disrupt these pathways, lowering your sensory threshold.
-Nervous System Impact: Hormonal shifts affect nerve function, potentially increasing pain perception and disrupting sensory input.
If you have read this and some of these issues have resonated with you, there are some things you can do.
Now that you know you're not going crazy, give some thought to how you can adapt to this new and confusing version of you. Recognising these changes are hormonal, not you being "difficult,"is the first step. Try adjusting your environment (dim lights, quiet spaces) to feel more comfortable.
Seek support from a doctor or therapist, or life coach like me. A menopause coach perhaps, it's important to speak with somebody who has knowledge of menopause and its symptoms. Women have been gaslit by the medical community for far too long. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help manage overwhelming feelings, and is such a great life skill to learn in general.
Start managing underlying factors like getting a hormone test and putting in place a plan to correct them holistically or with HRT. Address stress, sleep, and overall health, as these can worsen sensory issues. Once you've realised you're not the problem and your hormones are betraying you, you can approach these challenges with more insight and patience, and make some key changes to suit this latest version of you. After all, sometimes a little rage is a valid and necessary thing. People pleasing is so last decade. Anyway, this is me signing off because my socks are driving me nuts...
I am a holistic life coach and wellness coach, with a special interest in relationships and woman empowerment.
T/DR Candice Baker
00013133614
You can book a session with me on WhatsApp
+0027833613255
"Your most aligned life is crafted—element by element."
