This Is How Hormones Cause Your Brain Fog (& Other Mood Changes)

Do you feel like you can’t think straight? Are you having trouble staying focused or getting things done? Do you feel more tired than usual? If so, you may be experiencing brain fog. Brain fog is a term used to describe the feeling of being mentally cloudy and not being able to think clearly. It can be caused by many different things, including stress, lack of sleep, a poor diet, and hormone changes. Today, we will discuss the link between women’s hormones and mood changes, including brain fog. We will explain what hormone changes cause brain fog and talk about which hormones are to blame for changes in mood throughout your cycle.

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Are you stuck in hormonal brain fog?

“Brain fog” isn’t a medical condition. It’s a term used for certain symptoms that can affect your ability to think, and how you feel overall.

The symptoms associated with what we refer to as brain fog are often caused by fluctuations in hormones, sometimes due to hormonal imbalances. Research shows that hormones influence cognitive function and emotions, partly due to their influence on the nervous system (1). Fluctuations in women’s hormones do occur naturally throughout different times in the menstrual cycle, or with hormone changes like pregnancy or menopause. But these changes can trigger the fog-like symptoms and make it difficult to function as normal.

Brain fog can also be a symptom of a nutrient deficiency, poor sleep quality, Candida overgrowth, depression, or even a thyroid condition. Lack of exercise, a poor diet, and stress can also exaggerate feeling foggy, tired, and unmotivated.

Symptoms of brain fog

When brain fog hits, it’s often much more than just feeling forgetful. Some women say they feel “spacey” or like they can’t quite find the right words to describe how they’re feeling. Symptoms of brain fog can include:

Feeling tired all the time
Difficulty concentrating or focusing
Memory problems
Trouble multitasking
Feeling anxious or irritable
Mood swings

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When you might experience hormonal brain fog

If you notice that you experience the same symptoms at regular times each month, that’s a good indication that hormones are part of the root cause. If you’re not sure, begin tracking your symptoms, marking down how you’re feeling and when, so you can review any patterns after a month or so.

Brain fog before your period

Many women experience brain fog in the days leading up to their period which is usually associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). This, and other symptoms, are largely due to a drop in estrogen that triggers your period to start (2). Estrogen is a hormone that helps with focus and concentration. So when levels dip, you may find it harder to think clearly and stay on task.

Conversely, when estrogen and testosterone levels rise before ovulation (about 2 weeks before your period), it is common to experience more clarity, confidence, and energy. But when those hormones drop after ovulation, well, that’s when the temporary brain fog occurs.

Listen now: 5 Ways to Ease PMS Naturally

During your period

Both estrogen and progesterone are low during menstruation, which can lead to the common symptoms of “brain fog.” This might include the inability to concentrate, increased absent-mindedness, failure to recall or retain information, difficulty reading, and fatigue. It may also lead to insomnia and fluctuations in mood, including anxiety and depression.

Perimenopause or menopause

Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause, when a woman’s hormone begin to shift and decline. It’s a totally natural process that can last for several years and usually starts in a woman’s 40s.

During this time, hormone changes don’t always happen gradually. Estrogen levels can fluctuate widely from month to month, and can even drop suddenly and dramatically. These hormone fluctuations can also disrupt sleep patterns and change the way the brain functions, further contributing to a decline in mental clarity.

Pregnancy or postpartum

The terms “pregnancy brain” and “mom brain” exist for a reason! And as any new or expecting mother can attest, this phase of life can really mess with your mood.

A combination of all the new hormones coursing through your body, plus a struggle to get enough sleep and increased stress, can lead to pretty significant dips in mental energy and the ability to regulate mood.

During pregnancy, estrogen levels are at an all-time high. But after you give birth and your hormone levels start to dip back down to pre-pregnancy levels (a process that can take up to a year), it’s not uncommon to experience brain fog, anxiety, or depression.

New moms, trust your instincts. If you feel like something isn’t right with your mood—Contact an integrative provider to examine any root causes.

Which hormones are responsible for mood changes?

Get to know your hormones, and which hormones cause brain fog, dips in energy, or even a rise in anxiety and depression.

Thyroid: The energy regulator

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland found in the back of the neck, which is essential to healthy brain function. It controls how you use energy and also influences several brain chemicals that regulate mood, which include dopamine and serotonin (3). Some patients with a low or underactive thyroid hormone reveal abnormal brain activity resulting in depression or anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction.

Read: Is It Perimenopause or a Thyroid Problem?

Estrogen: The mood modulator

Estrogen is the main hormone responsible for menstruation. When estrogen levels are within a healthy range, you’ll feel alert, productive, motivated, and on top of your game. If estrogen levels are too low, you may feel depressed. Too high, and you may feel anxious or irritable.

Estrogen excess in relation to progesterone may contribute to symptoms of estrogen dominance, such as mood swings and tender breasts associated with more severe PMS symptoms.

Progesterone: Nature’s anti-anxiety hormone

Progesterone is another one of the major hormones that affect women’s cycles each month. Progesterone has a mood modulating effect, and it’s very important for sleep and calming feelings of anxiety. Low progesterone can cause you to sleep poorly, and make it harder to sustain a positive outlook.

Many hormonal imbalances are due to estrogen or progesterone.

Testosterone: mood and motivation

Though many people think that testosterone is the “male” hormone, it’s actually very important for women, too, just in a lesser amount. It has a key impact on healthy brain function. In women, testosterone contributes to a positive mood, libido, and motivation. Low testosterone levels can result in cognitive impairment, depression, and other physical symptoms like weight gain.

Cortisol and stress affect the way you think and feel

Stress can lead to some pretty serious health problems. But did you know it can also impact your cognitive function? That’s because when you’re stressed, your body releases the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is designed to help you deal with stressors, but

high chronic stress levels of stress are bad for your brain, and research suggests that the resulting high cortisol levels may be a big reason why (4).

Your brain is filled with receptors that bind to cortisol, which is likely why high stress levels can (5):

Cause brain atrophy and decreased brain weight
Reduce your resilience to future stressors
Affect cognition and memory negatively

Women and men can both be affected in these ways by stress and cortisol, but brain imaging studies suggest women may have a longer-lasting stress response than men in similar situations (6).

7 ways women can deal with hormonal brain fog

Even though hormone fluctuations are common for women, and not always something to worry about, some activities may worsen symptoms like moodiness or brain fog. A few tips can help you get to a better place mentally during times of changing hormones. The overall steps are simple, and include basics to promote mental clarity, better energy, and sleep.

Take a supplement designed for mood & energy. A mood supportive supplement like Boost will provide vitamins and antioxidants to fuel healthy cognitive function and fight inflammation that can interfere with nervous system function. For example, supplementation with B6 and magnesium, two of the key ingredients in Boost, has been shown to help clear the mind, help with attention, and improve quality of life, especially when you’re dealing with stress (7). Nourishing your brain is a great idea no matter what stage of life you’re in.

Eat an antioxidant-rich diet. Foods high in antioxidants are neuroprotective, meaning they help protect brain cells from the damages of stress, toxins, and inflammation. Maintaining a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, healthy fats, and lean protein is a great way to maximize antioxidant intake. Choose organic (and/or local) whenever possible, as pesticides can bog down your natural detoxification pathways.

Improve your sleep quality. A poor night’s sleep might not just leave you with next-day grogginess, but long-term hormonal imbalances! Restful, deep sleep gives your body and mind a chance to repair and reset important mechanisms responsible for regulating your mood and hormones.

Move your body. There are tons of mental and physical benefits to moving your body, but regular exercise can also help with hormonal imbalances. Exercise can also help clear excess cortisol that can destroy your chances at a more positive outlook. But, don’t forget to get adequate rest and recovery when your body needs it (like during your period).

Practice stress management. As mentioned above, stress is bad news for both hormones and mental health. Managing the stress in your life helps your brain maintain a better mood overall. Find ways that work with your lifestyle to bring stress levels down, like breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, or yoga.

Work with a qualified holistic practitioner. If you’re experiencing symptoms of a hormonal imbalance, or have changes in mood you feel aren’t typical for you, it’s a great idea to partner with a provider. They’ll provide relevant hormone testing (sex hormones, full thyroid panel, adrenal function, metabolic markers like blood sugar and insulin, etc.).

Sometimes, symptoms may be due to an underlying health condition, like chronic fatigue syndrome, and this requires the support of a trained doctor. Personalized testing may also reveal an opportunity for the addition of key hormones like bioidentical hormone replacement.

Build better mental clarity

Though brain fog isn’t an illness in itself, it can be symptomatic of underlying causes that need to be addressed. If you’re experiencing difficulty maintaining concentration and mental clarity, it might be worth investigating whether a hormone imbalance is at play. There are some simple things you can add to your lifestyle, like prioritizing sleep, a mood-supportive supplement, and a healthy diet, in addition to lowering stress that can improve symptoms of brain fog associated with a hormone imbalance. If these tips don’t help resolve your symptoms or if you have any other concerns related to your health and well-being, reach out to a qualified holistic doctor for further guidance. Thanks for following along on our journey into the world

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