Menopause and Alcohol: From “Girls Gone Wild” To Estrogen Gone Wild

Have you ever wondered why it seems like you have one glass of wine, one cocktail or one beer and suddenly you feel like you’re feeling like the end of the night at a pit party during the 80’s…after ONE drink? Menopause and alcohol, is there a connection? 

Why I’m writing this article, is about five years ago, I started to notice that on the rare occasion I drank alcohol, I was getting tipsy faster and the hangover was not proportional to the one or two drinks I had. I felt worse than the days I had been out partying all night! I was curious if it was just me.

In preparation for this article, I put a post on Facebook and asked other women if they had the same issue as they hit menopause (and beyond) and overwhelmingly their answer was yes, They too can no longer metabolize alcohol like they used to and feel the effects faster and longer afterward. Don’t worry, I’m not here to tell you to quit alcohol, that’s your decision. My goal with this article is to share information. So let’s get to it.

Prefer to listen? Click above to listen to the audio recording of the post!

Alright, girlfriend, let's talk about something: Booze and the Big M (aka menopause). It's not your imagination, that glass of wine after a long day feels like it goes straight to your head now, doesn’t it? Then the next morning you feel like you got run over by a truck, yet you only had one glass, not the entire bottle?  You're not alone. Turns out, our bodies pull a real sneaky on us as we navigate this glorious chapter.

So, what's the deal? Why does that Chardonnay suddenly feel like a shot (or five) of tequila? Well, you can blame it on the hormonal rollercoaster, specifically, the drop in estrogen.

Think of estrogen like your body's little party planner for alcohol metabolism. It helps your liver do its job efficiently. When estrogen levels dip during perimenopause and then plummet after menopause, that party planner basically quits. Your liver is suddenly left scrambling to break down the alcohol, meaning it sticks around in your system longer. And you know what that means: faster to tipsy, longer to recover. Fun times, right?

Another delightful side effect of this hormonal shift is a change in body composition. As estrogen decreases, we tend to lose muscle mass and gain fat. Now, fat doesn't absorb alcohol like muscle does. So, with less muscle to soak up the booze, it hangs out in your bloodstream longer, amplifying the effects. It's like your body is saying, "Oh, you wanted a drink? Here, have the whole drink, lingering and fabulous." (Spoiler alert: it's not fabulous).

And let's not forget the other joys of menopause that can make alcohol less appealing. Hot flashes? Night sweats? Insomnia? Throwing alcohol into that mix can be like pouring gasoline on a dumpster fire. It can exacerbate these symptoms, making you feel even more uncomfortable.

So, we already touched on the main culprit: the Great Estrogen Exodus. As our ovaries decide to take an early retirement, the subsequent nosedive in estrogen levels has a domino effect on various bodily functions, including how we process alcohol. Think of your liver as the bouncer at the alcohol party in your body. Estrogen used to be its trusty sidekick, helping to efficiently usher the booze out the door. But when estrogen packs its bags, the bouncer is left solo, struggling to manage the influx. This means the alcohol lingers longer in your bloodstream, leading to a higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC) even if you haven't increased your intake.

Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty and bring in the science. A pivotal study published in the Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research journal provides some serious validation to our anecdotal experiences. The researchers found that "postmenopausal women exhibited significantly higher peak BACs and slower rates of alcohol elimination compared to premenopausal women who consumed the same weight-adjusted dose of alcohol." (Abstract of a relevant study – you'd insert the exact citation here).

Let's break that down in plain English, shall we? It means that after menopause, the same amount of alcohol hits you harder and stays in your system longer. It's not just feeling a little tipsier; it's a measurable physiological difference. Your body simply isn't processing the alcohol as efficiently as it used to.

But the estrogen drop isn't the only party pooper here. Our body composition also undergoes some changes during and after menopause. We tend to lose lean muscle mass and gain adipose tissue (that's fancy talk for fat). Now, muscle tissue is more water-rich and helps to dilute alcohol in the body. Fat tissue, on the other hand, doesn't absorb alcohol in the same way. So, with less muscle to act as a sponge and more fat for the alcohol to… well, just hang out in, the concentration in your bloodstream increases faster. It's like the alcohol has fewer places to go and decides to overstay its welcome in your system. Rude, right?  

And let's not forget the other delightful companions of menopause: the hot flashes that feel like internal combustion engines, the night sweats that leave you wondering if you accidentally swam the English Channel in your sleep, and the insomnia that makes counting sheep feel like an Olympic sport. Alcohol, while it might initially feel relaxing, can actually exacerbate these symptoms. It can disrupt sleep patterns, trigger hot flashes, and generally make you feel more out of whack. So, that nightcap you thought would help you drift off might actually be sabotaging your already fragile sleep.  

So, what's the takeaway from all this boozy biology? It's not about deprivation, my friend. It's about awareness and adaptation. Your body is changing, and how it handles alcohol is just one of those changes. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate your drinking habits. Perhaps that third glass of wine on a Tuesday isn't serving you the way it used to. Maybe exploring some delicious non-alcoholic alternatives becomes a more appealing option.

If you really want that glass of wine, have it. I personally have gotten to the point where I feel so awful the next day that I will “trick” my brain by having a glass of kombucha in a wine glass. Bonus, it’s not only NOT alcohol, it might actually make me feel better in the morning by balancing my gut microbiome. (Winning, right?). 

Whatever you decide to do, listen to your body. It's wiser than you think, even when it's dealing with hormonal chaos. If you notice that your tolerance has tanked, don't try to keep up with your pre-menopausal self. Embrace the change, experiment with lower-alcohol options, and prioritize your well-being. We're all navigating this journey together, one slightly lighter cocktail at a time. Cheers to that!

I’d love to hear from you. Have you noticed that you can’t seem to metabolize alcohol like you used to? Have you changed your drinking habits as a result? Send me an email to mary@shestotallyawesome.com. No matter what you decide...always remember, you are totally awesome my friend!